Barcelona Good Value Eating

[raisab]

Geordie, you have made me feel much better! It has not stopped raining here! We are going on 9 days now!

I just canceled my reservations with Cinc Sentits for Saturday! I feel sorry for the businesses this weather may be hurting! Strange things going on around the world, huh? Different thread or forum for that subject, I guess......

Edited October 14, 2005 by raisab (log)

[JennyUptown]

I returned from Barcelona two or three weeks ago. Beautiful city, wonderful food! My friends and I were looking for quality, budget meals and we found them easily. Like some of you, though, I spent some time sick in Barcelona. What a drag! Who goes to Spain and LOSES weight??

Here are a few places we liked

Before I got sick, one friend and I enjoyed a visit to La Champagneria (Carrer de la Reina Cristina; Barceloneta?). Really crazy tapas experience. Wall to wall people, however it's a convivial bunch. We found the locals were very eager to help when our Spanish lapsed (I speak decent Spanish and picked up a little Catalan). They helped us get sausage on a roll (2) and a bottle of cava rosato (it was what everyone else was drinking so we figured we'd give it a try), all for about eight Euros. Very fun. No web site, so far as I can tell.

I made a note to myself to write about Café Saula. Unfortunately my memory has faded and googling the name has turned up no results. Argh. Anyone know it?

A place we liked in L'Eixample (Left?) was Raco d'en Balta Bar. Here's a link to a brief review that sums it up:

Click aqui

El Raco d'en Balta (tel 93 453 70 44; Carrer d'Aribau 125; open Monday to Saturday) spreads out over three floors and it has a cool bar next door where diners will be offered a complimentary chupito (shot) after their meal. Food offerings include hearty meat mains and dreamy desserts.

I was still a little sick and fuzzy in the head when we ate there, but I seem to recall a great appetizer of fried Camembert with a non-cloying blueberry sauce and a pork entree. Portions were reasonably sized (e.g., not Cheesecake Factory, but not meager either) and we had a bottle of rioja. Two appetizers, three entrees and wine would up costing about 85 Euros divided by three people.

The bar next door was very cool, IMO. I chose Crema Catalana for my free chupito, while my friends had something stronger.

We also loved Irati Taverna Basca (Cardenal Casanas, 17). Such a classy pintxos bar. Diners of all ages, all personable and helpful when asked "Que es eso?" (what is that?)

Another good spot: Espaseria Degustactions (Carrer de L'Espaseria; El Born). Pintxos bar. Alas, no web site.

We didn't enjoy La Pizza Nostra near the Picasso Museum. I heard you can get good pizza when you exhaust tapas in Barcelona, but this place served a pizza suspiciously similar to frozen!

On our last night in Barcelona before departing for Mallorca, we dined at Restaurant El Cafeti (c/ Hospital, 99 (passage's end) or Sant Rafael, 18; El Raval). We found the space and service warm and charming; the food, delicious and reasonably priced (similar to Raco d'en Balto). Unfortunately the neighborhood was a little scary, even to three city dwellers and on our way to the cheesy-fun Rita Blue, we saw someone get mugged. It wasn't eight feet in front of us....

Restaurant El Cafeti - web site

Rita Blue (Placa Sant Agusti, 3; El Raval)

Rita Blue - web site

Edited October 26, 2005 by JennyUptown (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Bump.

My wife and I will be in Barcelona shortly and we have to travel on a pretty tight budget. This topic has been very helpful, but I'm wondering if anyone has updates or additional information to share. Thanks.

[Bapi]

Bump.

My wife and I will be in Barcelona shortly and we have to travel on a pretty tight budget. This topic has been very helpful, but I'm wondering if anyone has updates or additional information to share. Thanks.

←

Chris, we were there this time last week.

Within Boqueria- we tried Grand Central- fairly average to be honest- we tried nice sweet clams, but I thought the gambas were a tad past their best as they tasted wooly- and it was a tad over priced.

Also tried the well rated El Quim- possibly bad choices on our part ( Slacker's fault)- but we chose Croquettes which were rather sadly blasted in a microwave. We also tried some squid - I liked it at first - but then Slacker pointed out it had a rather livery after taste.

Much better was Cal Pep- Excellent Whitebait/ Calamares. Then razor clams and a wonderful tortilla, with slivers of jamon- but beware the over enthusiastic amount of aoili that sits on top. A great experience- make sure you do this and sit at the bar. Best thing to do is turn up for a late lunch.

It's late, so sorry for being so brief- if you want anymore - please feel free to PM me.

Cheers

B

[TGullet]

Any 2007 current suggestions? Thank you.