After
spending a lovely long weekend in the beautiful city of Barcelona, I ate and
drank far too much. Here’s the places I checked out.
Bosco, Carrer dels Capellans, 9,
08002
Staying in
the Gothic Quarter and just around the corner from the hotel was Bosco bar and
restaurant. We sat outside in the courtyard, soaking up the atmosphere with a
drink. While the food was really good, the service wasn’t. It took a while to
get to see the menu, as Castilian or English didn’t seem to go down well with
the staff. I ordered the sirloin burger and chips and to be honest, by this
stage I was so hungry, I’d have eaten anything. It was incredible, mind –
really fresh and not at all greasy. The chips were served in mini fat-fryer
pans and I could have done with more. It’s a shame I felt so uncomfortable
throughout the meal as the bar was always busy in the evenings and I’d have
loved to relax with a cocktail.
After
finding this place of Trip Advisor with its number of good reviews, we decided
to check it out – it was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel through town. The
brasserie served up Mediterranean cuisine; the interior was modern and airy,
while the service throughout was brilliant. After beginning with a ration of
chicken croquetas, I chose the monkfish and langoustine brochette: fresh, light
and flavoursome. Served with grilled Mediterranean vegetables, it was a lovely
meal. I was slightly disappointed with the dessert – it was only right to have
a crèma catalana while in its birthplace – I’d had better in other regions of
Spain. A three course meal and jug of
sangria at around £50 isn’t too bad in the city, though.
This little
gem was opposite the hotel and every time I walked past, looked busy – both inside
and out. As a lover of Thai food and having enjoyed an Indonesian meal last
summer, I thought this place would be worth a try – and it was, by far, the
meal of the break! I’m still getting over the fact a meal for two came in at
under £20. I even dressed for the occasion, wearing my Oriental-inspired winners
dress from Little Mistress (more about that here). The decor inside was
befitting – Asian lanterns hanging from the ceiling, boothed seating and small
tables, reflective of an oriental cafe. To drink I had a mojito – one of the
best I’ve ever had – unfortunately I only had the one. To start we shared pork
spring rolls, before following with pho (a noodle broth). I’m still astounded by the portion
size and unsurprisingly, struggled to eat it all. The waiter even brought a
plate of lime, coriander, mint, chilli and beansprouts over, allowing us to
adapt our meals to our personal tastes. I don’t think I could explain how good
the food was and it just goes to show, it doesn’t have to be complicated or pretentious.
Oh my God this post has made me absolutely ravenous! As you know I love Spanish cuisine and culture so I would love to visit these places! It's such a shame about the first restaurant, I had a similar experience last summer in Milan where the food was so good but I felt so uncomfortable eating there (thanks to the way the staff treated us) that I simply couldn't have gone back x
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