We came to Barcelona to eat. We enjoyed fabulous meals at Tickets Bar by Albert Adria, Informal by Marc Gascons, Tapas 24 by Carles Abellan, Casa Alfonso, Viana Restaurant, and eateries at La Boqueria.
The name Barcelona has been attributed the founding of the city Barcino by the historical Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca,, father of Hannibal (who fought the Romans in Italy for 15 years around 218 BC) and Hasdrubal (who fortified and ruled Cartagena).
Sadly for the Carthaginians they never captured Rome, and the Romans completely destroyed Carthage in 146 BC at the end of the Third Punic Wars, taking revenge for Hannibal's almost successful attempt to capture Rome 70 years earlier.
The origin of the name Barcelona has also been attributed to the legendary Hercules, whose adventures had been immortalized by Homer (c.750 BC), the ancient Greek poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey. During Hercules' fourth adventure, he joined up with Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, crossing the Mediterranean in 9 ships. One of the ships, Barca Nine got lost in a storm. Hercules discovered the wreck at the base of a small hill (Montjuic hill) with the crew safe. The coastal landscape was so beautiful that the crew decided to stay and founded a city with the name Barca Nona there.
Tickets Bar
This is a one Michelin Star restaurant. Michelin Guide says that "the innovative cuisine on offer here, prepared in front of diners, plays homage to the legendary dishes that were once created at El Bulli." Chef Albert Adria was the pastry chef at the legendary El Bulli for more that 20 years.
A friend helped us to get the booking. It would be otherwise impossible to get in.
Tickets Bar is located in Avenue del Paral.lel. Somewhere half way between Montjuic district and Placa de Catalunya.
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| Iberico ham - best we had in Barcelona. It melts in the mouth. |
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| Bruschetta - its amazingly thin and crispy. |
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| "Chop sticks" innovated |
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| Little spheres of purest juiced olive that burst with flavours in your mouth. |
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| Sushi and eggs, over a meringue |
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| Whipped manchego cheese in puffed up pastry airbags, topped with a sliver of truffles. |
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| An air baguette that was hollow and feather light, wrapped with cured gallega beef. |
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| "Snowy landscape" cured beef with sweet pickles and vinegar snow powder. |
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| Crunchy but tender octopus with kimchi mayo and panko crumb, and dipped in jar of sweet pickled chillies. |
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| Mini pepinos (non spicy pickled sweet chillies) dip |
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| "Chop sticks" with spoons |
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| Lobsters |
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| Apple tart with vanilla ice cream |
The real surprise came when the dessert is served. We had to go to a different dining room. This is probably due to the fact that the star chef started out as a pastry chef, and this is where he presented very unique and special dining experience, especially with the roses. Pat was so delighted and thrilled!
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| Applying a torch to caramelized sugar |
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| Lightly burnt on the outside and soft on the inside. |
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| Corn cake dessert |
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| The dip for the corn cake |
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| The inside of the corn cake |
Informal by Marc Gascons
Chef Marc Gascons won the Catalan gastronomy Academia Catalana de cuisine award in 2012, in recognition of his work at the head of the restaurant Tinars of Llagostera.
The restaurant is located in Hotel Serras in the Barri Gotic (Gothic Square) area, near the water front.
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| The chef tonight. |
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| Sea urchin with sea form - a special for today |
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| Anchovies |
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| Sea urchin close-up |
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| Warm salad of crispy pig trotters, romesco sauce and squid tagliatelle |
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| Bluefin tuna tartare with sea weed flake |
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| Chicken crocquettes |
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| Patatas Bravas - fried potato with mild spicy sauce. |
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| Mozzarella with mushrooms |
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| Grilled veal fillet with seasonal vegetables |
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| Grilled prawns |
Tapas 24 by Carles Abellan
Tapas 24 is in the Michelin Guide for its traditional Catalan cuisine. It is located in street basement just off Pesseig de Gracia, where our hotel was. It's on Carrer de la Diputacio.
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| Tapas 24 glass screen below street level |
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| Playful depictions of fantastic food offerings. |
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| Iberico croquettes |
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| Prawn carpaccio with mushrooms |
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| Fried anchovies |
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| Chefs at work |
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| Marinated Hake fish with marinated mayonnais |
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| Boletus mushroom with duck egg yolk |
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| Broken egg yolk mixed...yummy! |
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| Bikini sandwiches with iberico ham and cheese. |
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| Sandwich revealed |
Casa Alfonso
Casa Alfonso was founded in 1934, two years before the started of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. This is probably the 3-4 times we have been here. The restaurant is only a stone's throw from Placa de Catalunya, on Carrer de Roger de Lluria. It's about 15 min walk from BCN Design Eurostars at Passeig de Gracia. The food is unpretentious and we always get value for the money we pay!
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| The entrance of Casa Alfonso |
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| The restaurant has an old world feel to it, and it is original! |
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| Iberuco ham - not oily and sort of fluffy |
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| Sardines with pepper corns |
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| Anchovies with olives |
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| Peppers with sea salt |
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| Chicken Crocquettes |
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| Apple tart |
The menu at Casa Alfonso is really earthy comfort food. Tapas 24 serves the same sort of menu but the food is more fine and elegantly presented.
Viana Restaurant
Viana was recommended for their unique offering of Iberico carpaccio. The restaurant is located at Carrer del Vidre, in the old Bari Gotic (Gothic Quarter) area, near the water front and harbour. Unfortunately the buildings are old and due to the bursting of water pipes which had not been fully repaired, the management and staff moved the restaurant temporarily to another venue. A staff told us its been a week, since last Tuesday. Both venues are just off La Rambla, on the end near the sea.
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| Viana staff explaining that our dinner will be moved to another venue nearby. |
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| Old town alley where original Viana is situated. |
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| The fountain in Gothic square |
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| Starters - tomato and mozzarella |
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| Tuna dies marinated in soya with apple and avocado |
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| Iberian pork carpaccio with provolone shavings |
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| Mojito |
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| Viana crunchy sucking pig with pear chutney |
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| Low temperature free range chicken with herbs de provence |
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| Appertif - milk with Bailey's |
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| Beer dispenser |
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| The classic marble staircase in the temporary restaurant |
Zurich Cafe at Placa de Catalunya
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| Late night chocolate drink - to keep warm |
La Rambla
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| Dancer promoting the exotic museum |
Mercat de la Boqueria, La Rambla
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| Bar Central is our favorite lunch counter - this is our 2/3 time here. |
The bar counter seating reminds me of San Sebastian tapa bars - we had to jostle for a seat at the table!
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| This is another lunch counter but less crowded. |
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| Buying our jamon ham |
Bar Central la Boqueria
This is our favorite grill seafood service counter in La Boqueria and is top of our mind when we come to La Rambla.
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| Scallops |
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| Grilled prawns |
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| Meat balls |
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| Bamboo clams |
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| Grilled sardines |
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| Grilled scampi |
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| Calamari |
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| Vegetables |
The dishes we ordered came fast and furious, leaving very little space on the counter top we were allocated. For the amount of delicious fresh seafood we consumed, we paid Euro 130. A reasonable price we thought.
Casa Guinart. La Rambla
We came to Casa Guinart which is located on La Rambla street side on a Sunday when the La Boqueria was closed. The food was very decent and good.
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| Lunch companions across the counter! (Sadly, at end of our lunch only one was left! But not due to us, we didn't have any scampi today). |
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| Grilled prawns |
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| Grilled octopus |
Escriba Cafe. La Rambla
Barcelona highlights
Some of the restaurants we visited are in the Gothic Quarter or Barri Gotic. This is the center of the old city of Barcelona. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to the Ronda de Sant Pere. Whilst the Quarter covers the oldest parts of the city including the remains of the Roman walls and several medieval landmarks, much of it dates back to the 19th and 20th century. It was repaired and rebuilt in the last 200 years to present modern Barcelona in better international limelight.
Antoni Gaudi is the most famous son of the the city of Barcelona. His work is peppered all over the city. Imagine that Gaudi died >90 years ago, and has still an uncompleted mammoth task in the Segrada Familia!
Segrada Familia - this uncompleted cathedral by Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) is already a UNESCO World heritage site, and was consecrated by the Pope in 2010. Ground breaking started in 1882, surviving World War I, Spanish Civil War, and World War II, targeted to be completed in 2026. No words can describe this monumental piece of work. It's an undertaking worthy of God!
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| Front fascade |
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| Back fascade |
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| The 3 Magi bearing gifts at Christ's birth |
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| Heavy bronze doors with leafy design including insects peeping out here and there. |
The Sagrada Familia is full of references to "nature" that Gaudi brings into his creations exemplifies what he said "Originality consists in returning to the origin" (sic).
The walls features many gargoyles in the form of snails, serpents, lizards, geckos, salamanders and frogs. Unlike Gothic architecture, which represents gargoyles as grotesque or fantastical beings, Gaudi made them animals from the Mediterranean world.
As a great observe of nature, Gaudi channeled this admiration into his architecture. As a child he spent long periods of time convalescing in bed, contemplating the shapes and landscapes of the countryside on the Camp de Tarragona (a historical region of Catalonia).
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| Each gigantic pillar is dedicated to a Saint. There are still a few more pillars to be completed.... |
"Glory is light, light gives joy and joy is the happiness of the spirit" - Antoni Gaudi.
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| Floor murals depicting triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem. |
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| Bronze front doors |
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| Map of the sanctuary in bronze |
We also visited 2 of Gaudi's most iconic buildings in Barcelona - both a stone's throw from our hotel.
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| La Pedera (Casa Mila) |
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| The roof top sculptures of La Pedera |
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| Casa Botllo |
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| The blue-tiled internal air well. |
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| The roof designs of Casa Botllo |
Another one of Gaudi's work can be seen at Park Guell. It was originally meant to be a residential property project, but due to the illness of the owner, the project was never completed, and the park surrounding the Gaudi-designed show house and sculptured gardens is now for the pilgrimage of Gaudi fans.
The park is situated on Carmel Hill belonging to the Collserola mountain range. The park on which Park Guell is located, was officially opened as a park in 1926. In 1984, Unesco declared the park a World Heritage Site under "Works of Antoni Gaudi".
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| The washer-woman viaduct-paths |
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| Befriending the Gaudi salamander |
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| The cross on top of hill |
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| At the gardens on top of Park Guell and near Gardi house. |
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| The Collonade supports the big square (under repair) on top |
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| Seat from where the Collonade shot was taken |
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| The iconic Gaudi salamander is sitting on top of the stairs |
Montjuic is a 185-metre tall hill in Barcelona. The stones from its quarries were used to erect the Barcelona of Roman times. The name comes from "mons judaicus", the place name used in medieval times for the city's Jewish cemetery.
Sadly the Montjuic Castle is hated for centuries on account of the repression executed from the castle. During the Catalan Revolt (1640-1652), the city's government ordered the construction of the fort around the medieval lighthouse. The small fort was expanded during the Nine Years War (1689-1697), until it became a fortress.
During the War of the Spanish succession and with Catalan's defeat in 1714, the castle was used in the defence and control of the city. The castle became a military prison from the 19th century onwards. Thoughout the 19th century, social uprising against the state's tax policies led the city to be bombed from the castle on three occasions.
The beginning of the 20th century, the castle was used for the state repression of anarchist terrorism social uprising and political opposition. Subsequently, during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), some 1,500 people were imprisoned there and a further 250 executed.
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| We had to take a cable car up to Montjuic. |
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| The half way station |
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| At the top station |
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| At the entrance into Montjuic Castle. |
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| The chains for pulling up the drawbridge. |
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| A working drawbridge - one of the first we seen in long time |
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| The entrance to castle is designed to disadvantage all comers. |
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| Castle ramparts with several big guns point out to sea. |
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| Photo with the pro-Independence Catalonian flag |
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| Coming up the ramp |
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| The same ramp view from castle ramparts |
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| The execution of Luis Companys i Jover, President of Catalonia, by General Franco in 1940. The execution was in the castle moat. |
The Montjuic Castle Visitor Guide said that Luis Companys had been sentenced to death for being the President of the Government of Catalonia. He was the only democratically-elected incumbent president in Europe to have been executed.
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| The parade square at the top of the castle. |
We came to Barcelona to eat --- we especially love their fantastic seafood and Iberian pork dishes. Barcelona is a great city with proud and colourful culture!
A month ago on 27 October 2017, Catalonia's ex-President Carles Puigdemont declared Catalonia's independence from Spain, and was opposed by the central government in Madrid. Apres declaration, he exiled himself to Brussels, while his cabinet members were detained. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy imposed central rule from Madrid. We were bit apprehensive that the city may not be safe for tourists, but our fears were unfounded.
We had great time doing what we had come to do -- eat -- and enjoy the beautiful weather!
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| A Spanish sunset. |
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