This publish initially appeared within the April 29, 2023, version of Eater Journey, a biweekly dispatch from Eater’s employees about navigating locations the place meals is the principle attraction. Subscribe now.
Once I pestered associates for eating suggestions forward of my first go to to Barcelona, they supplied lots, however they every had two issues in frequent: They had been all tapas, and I couldn’t wait to get my palms on them. I bought suggestions for the whole lot from croquetas and tinned fish to some I didn’t know I wished to get my palms on till my associates confirmed me galleries of their snacking exploits. A sandwich of cockles and yogurt? Hey, I’d strive something as soon as, however when would I’ve the time?
And that’s after I selected a technique for my week in Barcelona. Though it’s simple to fixate on showstopping major dishes, like complete fishes on ornamental platters or heaping piles of paella, as an alternative, I’d dedicate my consideration to consuming as many tapas as I might discover. It felt like a foolproof strategy to strive as many dishes as attainable every day with out racking up an astronomical invoice.
Sometimes, my MO is to analysis eating places and research menus earlier than deciding on the place and what to eat. On this trip — a milestone birthday journey with my husband — I wished to do the other. However as an alternative of predetermined entrees I’d meticulously tracked for months prematurely, we’d comply with the tapas that caught our eye.
To begin, we aimed to fulfill a number of easy cravings. For breakfast, we devoured manchego cheese in oil forward of ham-and-brie crepes at Creps Barcelona, an enthralling store with outposts everywhere in the metropolis. For lunch, we wandered to La Flauta Rambla for a glass of verdejo wine with ham and chicken-stuffed croquetas, a heaping platter of patatas bravas, and my first style of a Spanish tortilla, a fluffy, spherical omelet studded with chunks of potato — a far cry from the flat, corn- or flour-based tortillas I used to be used to in Texas.
Whereas strolling by means of the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, hailed as one of many world’s greatest public markets, we noshed on jamon Iberico, sliced contemporary and served in paper cones, earlier than transferring on to heartier potato-and-chorizo empanadas and candy crepes.
Already, the technique was working, however we knew we might push ourselves a bit extra. By midweek, I vowed to be extra adventurous. Quimet y Quimet, the more-than-hundred-year-old restaurant recognized for its tapas, one-hour eating restrict, and standing-room-only inside, intrigued me, so my husband and I wandered over to the restaurant one evening. Our type host-slash-server satisfied us to settle in with some sangria and go away the ordering to him. Minutes later, small plates started flooding our cramped nook in the very best means: olive oil-drenched artichokes on a mattress of goat cheese and topped with caviar; candy loquats with anchovies; smoked oyster and crimson pepper sandwiches; tuna and olive pate; and the restaurant’s signature salmon and goat cheese with a beneficiant honey drizzle. We barely wanted an hour to eat all of it, and by the top of the evening, we had been extra grateful for our waiter’s steerage and our laissez-faire eating technique than ever.
Over the course of the journey, the climate warmed up, attractive us — and half of town’s residents — to spend sun-soaked days on the seashore, aka la Barceloneta, and within the Poblenou neighborhood, only a speedy metro experience from town middle. Right here, we huddled over platters of scarlet prawns, the extremely sought-after jumbo shellfish and cod fritters and crispy child squid with lemony mayo at Barraca, and splurged on Cantabrian anchovies and grilled clams at Agua.
By the top of the week, I had managed to suit tapas of all sorts into my three meals a day, and loads of meals in between. Positive, I could have missed out on a handful of wonderful tasting menus or entrancing multicourse feasts, or a hip new locale or two, however I’ve no regrets. Honestly, I’d skilled extra because of our nimble noshing. So let this be your signal: You’ll by no means remorse prioritizing tapas.
