Tapas in Barcelona - What to Expect
Tapas
Tapas are small plates that take simple dishes and highlights each ingredient. With tapas, you continue to order them until you are full. It can be as simple as olives with bread & olive oil, or it could be an escalivada; a dish that takes eggplant and red peppers over a wood fire on toasted bread with anchovies and olive oil. Fresh wine flows by the jug, Hemingway hangouts are still pumping out the absinthe, and espresso/gelato culture is lively.
When I first had tapas, it was Nacional 27 (27 Latin Countries) back in Chicago. The food was great, but it was the atmosphere I remember the most. I was young and still trying to figure out what good restaurants were (unique, pays attention to detail, respects flavor building in the kitchen, takes care of the staff).
The atmosphere at Nacional is vibrant: The music is loud with Salsa rhythms bouncing off the walls; people are talking over the music and loving it; everyone’s eager to have a good time. I remember thinking to myself, I wonder what Barcelona’s like.
Barcelona
To understand Barcelona, you must understand the Catolonians. Barcelona is the former capital of Catonlonia and still to this day, a rallying cry for its people to be independent of Spain. And they love to party.
Barcelona mimics Nacional 27 in that small plates were served, music always had a good rhythm and people were out to have a good time. The restaurants are open-air, small plates rattle the tables and fresh, local ingredients are the stars of the show.
Restaurants In Barca
The best part of walking around in a new city is passing a restaurant and deciding to hop in and see what it’s all about. You know, the no-frills places that don’t have great service, might not be the cleanest place, and you’re looking for an experience more than anything.
These places are also where you can experience a legitimate local experience.
The bar we walked into had an old man behind the bar that was also the owner. He more or less asked what we wanted and told us to relax and have a good time. Two cold beers and some salty small plates later, and we were loving it.
Of the restaurants I looked up, one was more intriguing than the others - I’d heard it was small, but I’ve never seen anything like what we came up to. It was tiny!
Wine lines the walls behind the busy servers as people cram inside to munch on small bites and drink the wine they can almost touch if they reached over the bar. Toothpicks begin to stack up and people really don’t feel the need to be rushed as it feels like just a neighborhood watering hole.
A view of the entire restaurant
Some restaurants require you speak Spanish. It’s relatively relaxed, but it’s well documented these restaurants expect you to speak the native tongue. We wanted to check it out and finding a seat here wasn’t easy. There was no host, the restaurant wrapped upstairs and down. Ultimately, we found a spot at the bar and settled in. We know basic Spanish, and having worked in restaurants, I knew restaurant Spanish.
Most restaurant in the US have the best Spanish speaking workers from across Latin America. Without these workers, I promise you, most restaurants would just flat out fail.
We enjoyed our time and walked down the street to our next spot.
You may have heard that Hemingway used to enjoy a drink or two. Well, a building still stands in Barcelona that used to welcome Hemingway and it’s said he frequented often. The fact that it’s within the redlight district, well, you can make your own theories as to what that’s all about.
Here, the specialize in Absinthe. I’m a big fan of Absinthe as there’s an allure to it that creates a sort of magical vibe. The best part about it? They served greasy, crunchy potato chips that cuts right through the heat of the Absinthe as it screams down your throat. It’s really quite delightful.
All in all, Barcelona delivers on a terrific atmosphere and delicious food. Anytime in Barca is a good time.
