mrspjuth

Me and my wife went to Barcelona last week. For her the first time, for me not the first but my last visit was 28 yrs ago. I loved the city then and a lot more now. Barcelona is complete! A great city with great beach. You get it all. City life, shopping, culture, food, wine, party, beach and happy and friendly people.
We stayed at Barcelo Raval at Rambla del Raval. Great location close to the Rambla, Barrio Gotico and actually the whole city. Barcelona is a great city to discover by foot. Well the hotel, Barcelo Raval. A really good hotel with friendly crew, cool interior and great rooms. The roof top bar with a small pool is something extra. You also have a small but good gym that I actually used. The rooms are modern with a in-room shower and sink. Good beds and that is not always the thing in the Mediterranean countries.
We spent our days walking and taking cava breaks, took long lunches and late dinners. Fore days well spent 🙂

Here are my Barcelona recommendations;

Los Caracoles – An old restaurant from 1835. You step in to a small and old bar and that is what you see. To get to the restaurant you have to walk through the kitchen, yes through the kitchen with chefs standing centimeters from you cooking. Its just so strange but at the same time the best. Everything is old and the atmosphere is very nice. Several different rooms make up the restaurant. Old pictures and photos on the walls and in from the ceiling hangs a lot of ham – Jamon Iberico. Food might not be really why you visit but it is not at all bad. It is old Catalan food I would say mixed with food for tourists. I had Conejo a la plancha – grilled rabbit and it was good. Otherwise they are know for their grilled chicken.

At Merendero de la Mari we had a great and long lunch by the port. Had a really good Arros Pelat and pasta fresca amb gambas and a bottle of vino rosado – Petjades from Torelló

Moma Beach bar saved our day, a really warm day when we hit the beach Platja Sant Sebastia.

El Gran Café A classic restaurant in the Barrio Gotico from 1920. A modernist decor, nice service and with a piano player on the balcony delivering old classics made this evening a fun evening. Food was well cocked. I had Costilla de Black Angus, cocinada a baja temperatura y “lacada” con setas de temporada (Black Angus rib, cooked at low temperature and lacquered with seasonal mushrooms)

On Placa Reial we found this really great and cool bar with a modern and classic drinks. Cool atmosphere and really friendly staff. Ocana became a favorite late nights. They have a small menu, all you need accompanying the drinks.

On our NO recommendation list: Mariscco Reial on Placa Reial. Like many of the restaurants on Placa Reial a tourist trap with sloppy service and food. We had Arroz de cigars and it tasted and looked like something you findin the trash. Stay away!

Well, Barcelona is a city to explore over and over again. We walked a lot and saw classic sites such as La Sagrada Familia, the houses of Antoni Gaudi, El Barrio Gotico and much more. We will be coming back!