 If you are like most Spanish food
fans, you are serious about tapas. Don't let anyone tell you that for
great tapas you need to go to Madrid or the south of Spain. In
Barcelona, they know tapas; so much so that they've named the practice
of eating tapas itself: "fer el vermut" or "to do a vermouth", which
in the old days (and even now) was the accompaniment for these small
plates.
With Catalunya boasting some of the best seafood you can
find in Spain, this city's tapas joints offer some of the freshest and
most flavorful bites from the sea you'll taste anywhere.
Lots
of sites will suggest tourist attractions, walking tours and the like
to get to know Barcelona better. Since you are a serious foodie, we
might as well cut to the chase: the food. Where are the best tapas in the city?
Here's our Top 5 don't don't-miss tapas establishments in Barcelona, in no particular order:
 1. Ciudad Condal: It's an institution. Located off of Rambla
de Catalunya (not to be confused with "La Rambla") and highly
frequented by tourists from every part of the world, it's easy to
mistake Ciudad Condal for a tourist trap. It is most certainly not, and
for proof, go any time of the year and anytime of day, and you'll find
the place overflowing with locals willing to stand while eating when
there is no place to sit. Reason: the tapas are to die for. If you are
new to tapas, this is the perfect place to start, as the array if
mindboggling and the selection broad enough to please any palette. The
added bonus is that in summer, Ciudad Condal's terraza opens onto
Rambla de Catalunya, making for some of the best people watching in
Barcelona. Highly recommended are the montaditos; skip any semblance of
this tapa you'll find off of Passeig de Gracia and eat them only here.
Our favorite is the montadito de solomillo (filet mignon). Also, if you are new to
Escalivada, Condal makes a great one. The wine list is good, and the
beer selection is one of the better ones in town. (Rambla Catalunya 18, Tel: 93 318-1997)
2.
El Xampanyet: Get ready to fill your belly with cava and tapas and
leave very, very happy. El Xampanyet is a traditional Catalan bar in
the very oldest part of town, and has not changed one bit in 100 years
even though the neighborhood around it -- Born -- has gone ultra
trendy. Saddle up the bar and get ready for anchovies. What? You hate
them? Not these. These aren't of the canned variety, but of the
house-preserved ilk, and you'll be doing yourself a disservice if you
are serious about tapas and don't try an order of anchovies washed down
by a glass of cava. Delicious. And don't forget the pa amb tomaquet.
This place isn't a spot for stretching out; it's small and full of its
loyal customers, but it's perfect for doing tapas Spanish style:
hopping from place to place, sampling one thing (anchovies here!) at
each, then moving on. You can also make this in-between-meals pitstop
after visiting the nearby Picasso museum. Note that El Xampanyet is
closed in August. (Carrer Moncada 22, 93 319-7003)
3. Els Quatre Gats: Picasso ate here,
need we say more? If that's not enough for you, consider the amazing
modernist decor and the fact that these people have been doing tapas
since 1897. For tapas, we recommend the Almejas al cava (Clams steamed
in cava), the Langostinos con aceite de menta (Prawns with mint oil)
and the tuna carpaccio. Els Quatre Gats, like many of the better
restaurants in Catalunya, has a menu that varies with the season, so
just about anything you try is going to be fabulous. And this place
isn't just for tapas: it's the best lunch deal in town. Remember that
lunch is after 2:00 pm in Spain, so get there between 2:00 and 5:00 and
you'll be able to partake of an amazing 3-course Catalan lunch with
wine for about 12 euros. (Carrer Montsió, 3 bis, 93 302-4140).
 4. Pinotxo: La Boqueria is not just
for blankly gazing and drooling at the food stands -- it's also for
eating, and that means tapas, too. Pinotxo is not fancy, and in spite
of its place in the tourist-invaded Boqueria, it's authentic. While
owner Juanito Bayen has become somewhat of a celebrity among American
foodies (he's been featured everywhere from The Washington Post to
blogs), he's not changing anything about his modest bar in response to
it having become a tourist attraction. The tapas are still fresh as
fresh can be (and we mean that, as he literally walks over to a
seafood stall a few yards away to get his ingredients, and that stall
gets the stuff right out of the ocean) and he as authentic as ever.
Pinotxo is the place to taste the basics in their original
unadulterated form , before they went haute cuisine. Escargot, clams,
mussels -- all cooked perfectly with a bit of the Catalan trilogy of
garlic, olive oil and white wine. If you get there and it's packed, do
wait. It's worth it. We recommend the house specialty: Chipirónes con Mongetes (Baby squid with beans). (Located inside La Boqueria)
 5. Quimet i Quimet: A little (and
just a little) out of the way of the Centro (in the Poble Sec neighborhood) but totally worth it,
Quimet i Quimet is hole-in-the-wall neighborhood spot that up until
recently only had natives under its spell. Prepare to eat on the
sidewalk standing up, but most wouldn't have it any other way. Quimet
specializes in combinados, a tapas plating practice that you'll only
see in a traditional bar. Sidle up to the bar and ask for a little of
this, a bit of that and a few of those, and it all goes on a combinado
plate for your enjoyment. If you are a cheese lover, Quimet is for
you. Here you can sample just about any kind of Spanish cheese that
exists, as well as lesser-known and super fresh Catalan cheeses.
Again, not a place to take a load off, but you can't miss Quimet on
your trip to Barcelona. And if you need extra evidence as to its
greatness, ask any native "what's the best tapas place?" and you'll
have your answer.
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Culinary Travel 
