Saturday, September 27, 2008

Honest Barcelona


If it´s good honest food you´re looking for in Barcelona, try out these gems:

Restaurante Can Maño -- freshest seafood in Barceloneta

It´s a no-fuss coffeeshop-style restaurant good for spying on locals (and more on what they´re eating). Don´t miss the grilled mackerel called barat in Catalan, grilled squid and baby squid called chipirones. In short, head for the seafood and give the meat dishes a miss and down it all with Free Damm, the local beer with or without alcohol. Top it of with a cortado, espresso with a little milk, and save some bread to dip into the rich coffee. Closed Saturday evenings and Sundays.


Taktika Berri -- best Basque tapas in town

It opens at 8.30pm, but get ready to queue at 8.15pm. Worth standing up if you can´t get seats at the counter. The trick is to wait for the hot stuff which comes out of the kitchen around 8.45pm. There is however a good choice of cold tapas. Go easy and wait for the best to come. Chicken satay, blood sausage with rice, hake omelet, cod croquettes, battered anchovies and more do a bold debut each night (save Saturday evenings, Sundays closed), tempting eyes and palates.

Seal your encounter with sidra (cider), chacoli (young wine) or mosto (grape juice).


Shanghai 1930

Here´s a place for home-cooked favourites and cuisine with a Mediterranean touch. Roast duck, steamed fish and tofu pair well with their rice and noodle dishes. For the diehard Spaniard, there´s jamón to savour. Ask for cili padi, chilli muy picante, if you´re Malaysian.


Any suggestions on Catalan cuisine? I´m at a lost here.

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