Breakfast at Bocqueria

Bocqueria Market
Ramblas, Barcelona.

I think I have died and gone to heaven. New York markets are so abundant and so expertly piled. The market in Paris was pretty good, but somewhat daunting. The market in Bali was amazing culturally, but really unsanitary. The market in Peru was all potatoes. But this is another thing all together.

We sat down at El Quim, and ordered a tortilla and bocadillos. The poor server had to put up with our first attempt at dealing with a no English menu. Do they expect us to point? Do they put up with this terrible half-English, half-Spanish, useless Catalan all the time? Why do they obscure part of the menu?

Why do I keep seeing people order things that I just do not see on the menu? Where did that gorgeous bowl of mussels come from? Does that mean they have razor clams too? If they sell it at the market, does that mean they have access to some, and will they cook it for me?

Cerveceria Catalunya
Barcelona

The hotel porter tipped us to this place. And I hadn't read about it in any of the guidebooks, so I decided that it was either going to be really good or really bad, nothing in between. First things first - it was not at all touristy, and filled with people who seemed to be on a lunch break. This because many of the men were in suits, and women were not wearing the sensible shoes that tourists wear.

The food was excellent. But I really should have pointed to the more exciting looking dishes, instead of adhering to the "if you don't know what it is, just order the thing a la plancha."

Stupid me.

Bar Moodern, Hotel Omm
L'Eixample, Barcelona
Noone should ever have to cross the velvet rope to get back into their hotel. Alas, it happened to us, and rather than just trudge wearily to our rooms, we should exercise our coolness and have a drink at the bar.

A glass of cava was EUR 5, but a proper cocktail mixed by one of these wingnuts in all black was EUR 11. Are you kidding me? It seemed outrageous, but I guess they (we) were all paying for a seat.


Dry Martini
L'Eixample, Barcelona

I am always obsessed with old-school bars, aged wood, comfy club chairs, serious cocktails. But this place didnt get hoppin' until 1:30 AM, on a Tuesday!