Quimet y Quimet

 

Apparently the tiny, no seats, Quimet y Quimet is in every tourist guide. This is good and bad. Good, because the tapas they create from behind the miniscule bar is good – some of it is even great. Bad, because the crowd is almost entirely tourists (including this boy, I guess), and the atmosphere can seem somewhat lacking.

I’ve seen Chinese tourists drinking Coke and screwing up their noses at some of the food, and even an American couple who arrived wheeling suitcases in. My advice? Pop in for a bite and a drink or two, and head off for a proper meal elsewhere.

Poeta Cabanyes 25

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Bar Lobo

Bar Lobo is just off La Rambla, and not too far into deepest, darkest El Raval, so you know there are going to be tourists. Still, it’s also on the local radar.

I have a a love/maybe-not-quite-love relationship with the place. When it is on, it can be great, and for me the trigger point is how busy they are: If you have to wait for a table – no bookings here – I’d suggest somewhere else, because the systems fall apart a bit when the place is full.

That said, if you avoid the plentiful deep fried menu items, there are some real gems – the tuna tataki is really quite fabulous, for instance.

I’d opt for indoor seating because the place is full of tourists, and the square in front sees a constant flow of often pushy buskers.

Carrer del Pintor Fortuny, 3,

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Bar del Pla

Bar del Pla is a traditional-looking tapas joint that doesn’t seem vastly different from the rest with its unassuming facade, but one that raises the food to a higher level.

You’re not coming here for the décor, and what is it with the floodlit restaurants in this town? But it is worth the (probable) wait for a seat here.

There’s a little experimentation in the kitchen, but largely Bar del Pla is all about the standards done really well. They may not be described very accurately on the menu either: the “fried small fish” turned out to be more like a fisherman’s platter, and very good too.

Bar del Pla_4

Menu descriptions are pretty basic, but almost everything that comes out is excellent. And the wait staff really know their wines – and there a lot on offer.

Bar del Pla packed with locals, so that’s a good sign, and definitely worth traveling to El Born to visit. It may be on the same street as the Picasso Museum, but it’s a world away in atmosphere.

Bar del Pla is at the top of my recommendations in Barcelona for this style of dining, and everyone I’ve recommended it to has loved it.

Book ahead, or be prepared to wait.

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Calle Montcada, 2

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