Barcelona: what and where to eat?

It'll be a much-too-brief stay, but I'll be in Barcelona this Friday-Sunday night and hoping for food&drink suggestions on what to seek out while there.

Will be my first time in Spain, and without a car and with so little time it'll be tough to escape tourists but I'm confident y'all have some great pointers to share.

I won't be packing fancy duds so definitely casual/dive joints only.

Just booked my flight from DUS and still checking out hotels. Found one close to the Plaça Catalunya that looks cool.

Gràcies!

 

Good tip, thanks!

LOL thanks but not interested so much in "safe and known"
The Attic's menu looks solid: http://www.attic-restaurant.com/uploads/Carta/23/d78bbed18934ff9508c57630b222c6be136637263939.pdf

Si! I love white anchovies. A Serbian joint in Houston (Cafe Pita+) does them really well, simply grilled with lemon and oil. Will search these out in Barcelona for sure.
Also plan on stuffing myself with Jamon Iberico of course, any other local/rustic seafood types/dishes on the "must try" list?
thanks!

 

that's what I'm talking about!

4Gats is only 1km from my hotel, will check it out unless something incredible gets my attention first.
gracies!

Off to the airport in a few hours, liking how the weekend weather forecast looks: 82F hi, 72F lo, sunny.

 

Good stuff! Waiting in line to check in my flight so appreciate the last minute help.

Ooof... I am a foodie but I'm no Andrew Zimmerman!! That ta thread scares me a bit...

Definitely going to boqueria.
Don't know if this link will work from iPhone but plotted out a rough course through the city (my hotel is 'a')
https://maps.google.de/maps?saddr=Gran+Ronda,+Ronda+de+Sant+Antoni,+49,+08011+Barcelona,+Spain&daddr=Plaza+de+la+Boqueria+%7C+Ramblas,+08001+to:Las+Ramblas,+Barcelona,+Spanien+to:Els+4Gats,+Carrer+de+Montsió,+Barcelona,+Spanien+toasseig+de+Gràcia,+43,+08007+Barcelona,+Spanien+to:Casa+Milà+to:La+Sagrada+Fam%C3%ADlia,+Carrer+de+Mallorca,+Barcelona,+Spanien+to:Carrer+Olot,+5,+08024&hl=de&ie=UTF8&ll=41.397866,2.163792&spn=0.035733,0.098877&sll=41.396964,2.163792&sspn=0.037601,0.098877&geocode=FdB0dwIdOQMhACk7Gd7diqKkEjHtHYfORJ27SQ%3BFWxvdwIdwSIhACHVrXPcVMYKhikBWh6196KkEjHVrXPcVMYKhg%3BFdZpdwIdyywhACnJFBcIWKKkEjHEvUKIrPe-JA%3BFVl_dwIdhiohACHMBH9qDjmEzynh5yyz8KKkEjHMBH9qDjmEzw%3BFVGWdwId4QghACn3vdRN7aKkEjHz_VcXtdJgCw%3BFbSkdwIdKf0gACFqHjdPYqOfxCnV4YqZk6KkEjFqHjdPYqOfxA%3BFcfEdwIdmC0hACFQycMbwqrYmymT-z3Y3KKkEjFQycMbwqrYmw%3BFZHvdwIdoNggACnj2lCyr6KkEjEBmLYkKtFVhw&gl=de&dirflg=w&mra=ls&t=m&z=14

 

Aqui!
Flight was 5 hours delayed so got to the hotel at 4am... But can't stay mad at Spain even though Vueling airline seems less reliable than Ryanair.
So got a later start this morning than planned but the Hotel gran rondo urban is quite nice btw and good location, got a clean biggish room with little balcony on the top 5th floor for 170euros 2 nights.

After an espresso just had brunch of heavenly 2 yr old Jamon Iberico and 2005 tinto reserve in the boqueria mercado, now cooling off in the shade before a boat ride in the med.
Found la gardunya but they're doing major construction right next to the patio so may come back tomorrow when quieter.
Boqueria is amazing.. Up there with the coolest markets I've been to in Thailand Japan San Fran Istanbul etc.
Thanks the well wishes dave!
And now for some probably sideways iPhone pics
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Boqueria
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After a very pleasant 1hr boat cruise, slice of sausage onion and arugula pizza, 2 beers, about 3 miles walking, a cool shower
and extended siesta toured Gaui's stunning Casa Batllo and munched on some mostly delicious (bread was a bit stale) tapas (foie and apple, excellent Catalonian sausage tartar, boquero and tuna salad and cider cured chorizo) then a yummy scoop of coffee gelato.
Now chilling (literally) in 4gats with a white wine to mix it up, and tasty little olives.
Have to order Vicki Christina Barcelona to watch with the wife and folks next month.
Will take a second siesta then head out for a late snack.
This vacation stuff is hard work!
Tomorrow plan on hitting park Guell early then more jamon before leaving this amazing city.
Salut!
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Always a pleasant surprise when a "touristy" place doesn't try to screw you. Was expecting 4, 5 or even 6euros for my glass of wine at 4gats, bill came to 2.53. Bueno.
New addition to tomorrow's itinerary: foot massage
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Back in Germany so time for a wrap-up:
Went out last night around 11:30 but didn't feel like 5Euros+ per tapa at the only places that I could find, and really wasn't that hungry so just took a long stroll, bought a can of Estrella and a big bottle of water and people watched in a square until around 1.

Barcelona should really share the title of "city that never sleeps" with NYC... woke up at 6:30 today and there was decent activity on the sidewalks/streets.

Grabbed a coffee and some sugary breads from one of the few places open before 8 then took the 24 bus up to Parc Guell for amazing vistas and a tour of Gaudi's home. Then back for a quick shower, pack and check out 1 minute before 12:00. Walked to the Boqueria only to find it closed so lunched al fresco at a bar right at the boqueria's entrance that was a butcher shop from something like 1899 to 2009.
Had really nice cod croquettes, tart and sweet boquerones, slightly spicy and savory Andalusian gazpacho and dense, crusty house made bread.

Was feeling quite full so went for a stroll on the packed Ramblas with no plan for the 2 hours before I had to depart for the airport.... then WHATS THIS!?! The Jamon Experience! Suddenly felt I could eat a bit more....
5euros for a very well done multi-media, multi-room, 25 minute, blessedly air-conditioned and pork-aroma'd show explaining all about Iberico pigs and the Jamon making process. Then upstairs to the bar with a full menu of various cured-pork plates. Got a nice glass of tinto and fabulous mixed plate of Jamon Iberico de bellota (only pigs that reach 150kg during their first "fattening season" outdoors eating hazelnuts and grass get the "de bellota" label; if they need to go back to the pens to gain more weight on grains at least 1 time they're simply "iberico" and still pretty damned good BTW), lomo de bellota (cured pork loin), chorizo and "farmer's" sausage for 8Euros. Could only finish half the plate so had the other half wrapped and brought it back with me.

Iced coffee kept me awake until the plane took off (on time) then was on the ground at DUS when I woke up.

Muchos gracies for the suggestions all! Felt like I got quite a bit in on both the culinary and sightseeing side of BCN, with a pretty short stay.

Next time, with the wife along, maybe I'll have the courage to seek out percebes
salut!
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Salut!

lol thinking back it was like living a dream.
But TX would have a "Beef Experience" with the finest jerky, brisket, smoked ribs, hanger steak, braised shanks, chili etc. I'd have a season pass there for sure
cheers Tom!

thanks!
I got to Guell park a little later than planned at 8:30 Sunday morn and JUST stayed ahead of the masses. After schlepping to the peak (I'd estimate 5% of the park's visitors made it all the way up there, shame because the view is unreal) and down I walked right into Gaui's home but when I left the line was at least 30 deep. Barcelona was fairly swarming with Asians in groups, and Russian couples/families on vacation. Talked to a couple Americans and two brits but most of the tourists were from the east. Good for me that most of the tourists were eating at Italian, Asian noodle, sidewalk restaurants on the most crowded streets etc leaving the smaller joints largely empty except for locals. Quite disappointing to see so many visitors chose to ignore the local cuisine, then again the local people and I appreciated them leaving those places for us!

Looking again at the photo I took of the projected pig at the J.E. makes me wish I had found jowls, snout and/or ears on a menu.... damn straight those Spaniards know how to treat swine right!!!!
After seeing the pics of the jamon hanging at the shop in Boqueria my father asked if they can really cost 185Euros per kg. I told him sure but think of it this way: that's 18.5 Euros for 100g or about 3.5 oz of pure heaven.
It only takes about 1/4oz of fine Jamon to roll your eyes back in your head, so what would you rather have a Big Mac or 3 or 4 bites of the finest Jamon, that you'll remember for the rest of your life?
Cheap eats IMO.

Don't know how good they'll look squashed down for F-Chat but here is a panorama of the entire city from the top of Park Guell, a shot at full 20x zoom of Gaui's Sagrada Familia (may be finished in 2025 or so when I next visit with the wife) and a scale model in a sitting room of Gaui's home.
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