Barcelona Restaurant Tips by jorgejuansanchez

Restaurant Name: Free Way

It is a self service, but the meats are served by Argentinian chefs before you, so you can select the parts of the meat that you want. The same happens with the fish, shrimps, etc.
Ambiance is pleasant, with air condition, in a large surface. A bottle of local wine, good, costs 5 euros. If you want Spanish Rioja, then you pay a little more. The management is Argentinian.

Favorite Dish: All kind of meats. Desserts are also great, Spanish and Argentinian alike, like Dulce de Leche crepes. Thay also serve seafood. A lot of saldas, and even Chinese food.

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Theme: Steakhouse
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 34/ 93 45120 47
Address: Mallorca 191, 08036 Barcelona
Directions: The situation is not far from the center. From Plaza Universidad you just walk ten minutes upwards.

Restaurant Name: Los Caracoles

This is, without doubt, the most charismatic restaurant in Barcelona.
It is located in a lane next to the Ramblas and to the Plaza Real, and was inaugurated in 1835, being one of the oldest restaurants in Spain (the oldest restaurant in the world, without interruption, according the Guinness Book of Records, is Sobrinos de Botin, in Madrid, where they will give you a certificate for having had dinner). It has two floors and the main speciality is escargots (caracoles means in Spanish escargots). Prices are not too expensive compared with Botafumeiro restaurant (the most expensive restaurant in Barcelona, serving seafood from Galicia) but meats and fish are delicious (try the Bouillabaisse soup as first dish and Crema Catalana as dessert).
In all the rooms of the two floors you will see all popular personages that have had lunch or dinner there, such as the Prince Felipe from Spain, Hollywood actors such as John Wayne and Charlton Heston, among many others, toreros, football players, the unavoidable inauspicious politics, etc.
It is an unforgettable experience.

Favorite Dish: Caracoles!!!

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 302 31 85
Address: Escudellers 14, Barcelona
Directions: In the Gothic quarter, not far from Las Ramblas, near Plaza Real.

Restaurant Name: Salamanca

This is probably (only after the super expensive restaurant Botafumeiro) the best seafood restaurant in Barcelona.
It is located in the beach Barceloneta. The appetizers include delicatessen such as Jamon de Jabugo and oysters.
Not to be missed if you visit Barcelona and you can afford 40 euros for an unforgettable dinner by the seaside, including good wine. Do not go alone, but bring your lover to enjoy the romantic atmosphere.

Favorite Dish: any sea food dish

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 2215033
Address: Almirante Cervera 34, Barcelona
Directions: in the Barceloneta area
Website: www.gulliver.es/Salamanca.htm

Restaurant Name: Thai Gardens

This is a wonderful restaurant based in Madrid with filial in Barcelona, Mexico, Casablanca and Sao Paulo.
The decoration is fresh and exuberant!
Dishes are not cheap during the night, but in weekdays they offer a business lunch at reasonable prices.
Food is exotic, Thai specialities in an amazing atmosphere; you feel yourself in the middle of the jungles of Chiang Mai (but without the elephants running by)!
This is a restaurant never to go alone, but with your wife, lover, fiancé, or with somebody that you want to captivate… I can advance you that you will have success!

Favorite Dish: everything is delicious in such an atmosphere

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 4879898
Address: Diputacion 273
Directions: in the Ensanche area
Website: www.thaigardensgroup.com

Restaurant Name: Mirador del Alcalde

This is a lovely cafeteria and resting place up in the mountain of Montjuich.
It consists in a bar and kiosk belonging to Salvador (his mother has a cheap and superb self service restaurant inside the museum, further up in the castle of Montjuich).
Salvador sells homemade champagne and sangria with cava, and good sandwiches.
You can get easily there by metro and then funicular until the mountain, in front of the Juan Miro museum, and walk up about 5 minutes.
The place is called Panorama view of the mayor (alcalde) because the Barcelona mayor himself paid with his money for the construction of the place. The decoration is original with the bottom of the bottles on the floor, the waterfall, the botanical gardens and the best view of Barcelona and its port, one of the greatest in Spain (the greatest Spanish port is Algeciras, the oldest town in Europe, down in Andalucia).

Favorite Dish: I liked the homemade hamburgers

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Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 608378075
Address: Montjuich Mountain
Directions: Mirador del Alcalde, Montjuich, everybody knows

Restaurant Name: Les Quatre Gats

A must in your stay in Barcelona.
Els Quatre Gats in catalan, or Los Cuatro Gatos in Spanish, means The Four Cats, and is a Spanish expression meaning “few people”.
It was a meeting place of artists in the beginning of the XX century frequented by the Andalusia painter Pablo Ruiz Picasso when he lived for a while in Barcelona, and even designed the menu and presented his first exhibition. In this restaurant Picasso got familiarized with the work and illustrations of Toulouse-Lautrec and Theóphile Steinlen. The decoration of the restaurant is very original, inside a modernist building of Puig y Cadafalch (who worked together with Antonio Gaudi). Els Quatre Gats was the first building that Puig constructed, in 1897.
Business lunches are cheap, at about 10 euros, including Spanish wine. Dinner is more expensive. You can also go there for a cup of coffee. It is besides the pedestrian street Puerta del Angel, close to Plaza de Cataluna.

Favorite Dish: Menu of the day

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 302 41 40
Address: Calle Montsió 3-bis
Directions: near Plaza Cataluna
Website: www.4gats.com

Restaurant Name: Santa Monica

Food is served in an excellent terrace viewing the Ramblas. They offer menu of the day and a la carte.
Located inside the Centro de Arte Santa Monica

Favorite Dish: whatever

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 3425275
Address: Ramblas 7
Directions: Ramblas

Restaurant Name: El Tinglado de Monchos

This is an authentic seafood restaurant located in the Olympic part of Barcelona, where there are about 200 restaurants in a row.
The views are magnificent and the dishes and staffs are nice. Prices are not expensive considering the place. For 12 euros you can have authentic good seafood paella with salad, wine and dessert.

Favorite Dish: Paella!!!

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 2218383
Address: Puerto Olimpico, Moll de Gregall 5-6
Directions: in the Olympic area
Website: www.monchos.com
Other Contact: info@monchos.com

Restaurant Name: Asador del Mar

This is a nice restaurant (a little bit expensive) located in the high part of Barcelona. The dishes are “Cuina de l’Emporda”, from Gerona province, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains.
This is one of the dozen or so restaurants owned by el Senor Moncho in Barcelona.

Favorite Dish: meat

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 2012577
Address: Bori y Fontesta 45
Directions: high part of Barcelona
Website: www.monchos.com
Other Contact: info@monchos.com

Restaurant Name: El Chiringuito

This is a restaurant by the beach. They specialize in paellas and fried fish.

Favorite Dish: Seafood

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 93 2211401
Address: Ronda Litoral 36
Directions: Playa Nova Icaria
Website: www.monchos.com
Other Contact: info@monchos.com