a restaurant… Pastoral
I wish I could find a place like Pastoral in Barcelona. It’s a mix of delicatessen shop and sandwiches’ bar, with wooden tables and all kinds of food displayed around the place (some of them, being the ingredients used to prepare the amazing sandwiches they serve). The great thing about Pastoral is that you can have a quick informal lunch based on healthy quality products, but be careful with their menu: everything sounds so tasty that it’s hard to decide what to try first.
Where · Pastoral
When · Lunch, even take away
My order · Sandwiches “Smokey Finnochi” and “Ciao ‘Bello” · 18,82 €
Planout · If you didn’t have time to finish the collection at the Art Institute, you can take a small break at Pastoral, located within a five-minute walk
picture from D. Majette
a cafè… Espression Lavazza
From all the italian coffee brands that I’ve ever tasted my favorite one is Lavazza (sorry Illy fans). The brand opened in 2009 their first concept-store in Spain, located in the shopping centre store Fnac in L’Illa Diagonal. It’s a space devoted to coffee lovers, including a corner where they sell their new capsules system. Moreover, it’s next to the Fnac’s kiosk, so you can buy a magazine or newspaper and read it while you sip on a good coffee. In fact, it’s a place where if you ask for a coffee, you get a coffee, not a dirty water pool (coffee culture is rather recent here… and that’s why many people still order caffè macchiato in order to avoid risks).
Where · Espression Lavazza
When · A good choice if shopping around L’Illa Diagonal
My order · An espresso
Planout · Buy a magazine and take a break
a restaurant… Specchio Magico
Passionate about pasta? You’d better be if you go to Specchio Magico because you’re going to eat your fill with their dishes, almost overflowing with whatever kind of home-made pasta you can think about (here I discovered radiatori). The price is neither small (in fact it’s rather expensive…), but I bet you won’t leave the place hungry as in some nouvelle cuisine restaurants. By the way, you can’t miss their magnificent burrata, that far from Italy, is the best I’ve ever tasted.
When · It’s a cozy trattoria for a nice dinner
My order · Burrata, tagliatelle calabrese, radiatori and a bottle of frascati (for 2) · 85,40 €
Planout · If you want to save some money, take the desert at Tomo II, a nearby gelateria.
a restaurant… Sixteen
Sixteen opened in February 2008, when the iconic Trump Tower wasn’t yet finished. I happened to visit Chicago last December and though many people said that the Sixteen was expensive, I couldn’t resist to stop by for breakfast and try it for myself. All I can say about the place is that it feels great to be eating at the Wrigley Building’s top floor level, with fantastic views at your side and a super-breakfast in front (that it served as my lunch as well). True, it’s expensive, but I think it’s worth to visit at least once. I’m sure it’s an amazing place for a special dinner, if you want to impress someone.
Where · Sixteen
When · After trying breakfast, I would to go for dinner
My order · Healthy Start (egg white omelette, baked tomatoes, tropical juice, orange juice, caffè latte, chicken sausages, blueberry muffin) · around 35 $
Planout · Are you kidding? You’re in the very center of Chicago! Enjoy!
a wine bar… Vins i Divins
If you take the train following the coast up from Barcelona you might want to stop at El Masnou, a beautiful and lively town where days pass at another pace. Despite that the train crosses between El Masnou and its beach – just like in most of the towns in this part of the coast – in a sunny day it feels good to take a walk by the seafront, where the best place to have a glass of wine and an appetizer is Vins i Divins. At the entrance of the place there’s the wine shop and further on there’s a casual space where apart from serving food and wines, they also organize some evening concerts or lectures. Plus, the service is very nice.
Where · Vins i Divins
When · Before lunch or in the evening
My order · A glass of red wine (D.O. Costers del Segre though I don’t remember the name…) · 2,50 €
Planout · A quiet day out of Barcelona without having to take the car
a café… El Cafè de Can Deu
Here in Barcelona, some of the most beautiful buildings of the city are taken by public institutions. This is the case of Can Deu, a community center located in a pedestrian precinct in the old part of Les Corts district. The building is facing a town-like square, where you can find the district church, the cake shop, the drugstore, a few bars and many kids playing soccer after school. However if you head for the backside of the building, you’ll see it has its own cafeteria with an outdoors terrace, where you can have a coffee or a beer in a modernist space, feeling more as if you were in a small town rather than in the city.
Where · Can Deu
When · Anytime, though I should warn you that even the interiors are rather cold in winter
My order · Caffé latte · 0,95 €
Planout · Join the jazz concerts they organize in the same building
a store… Rock 01
There’s a time when all your friends start to get married and have children. The first time you think about a present for a newborn baby it’s ok, but by the third or the fourth time, you start to get bored of the same blue and pink tiny clothes and toys. For those who are in that stage, go to Rock 01 and pick some punk t-shirts or mini Vans! They have all kinds of rock-related clothing and accessories, so I’m sure you’ll find something that will become a topic of conversation for a few years.
Where · Rock 01
When · Whenever you think the parents will enjoy the present even more than the kid
My pick · An AC/DC bodysuit · 34 €
Planout · If you like jazz as well as rock, you can join the Jazz Club at nearby Hotel Casa Fuster every thursday
a restaurant… Iboo
If you find yourselves in L’Illa Diagonal and you don’t know where to have a quick lunch outdoors, Iboo is a good restaurant to go. The place it’s nothing out of the ordinary, but it keeps a surprise: the burger menu. Don’t panic, I said quick lunch, not fast food! The burger is very tasty, served with olive bread, fresh lettuce and tomatoes. Besides, the terrace is in a small park inside L’Illa, so for a while you can escape the noise of the crowded street.
Where · Iboo
When · For a quick lunch outdoors
My order · Burger menu (including a beer and a dessert) · 9,50 €
Planout · Before, a little bit of mall shopping
a restaurant… L’Escamarlà
Last weekend a little bit of sun showed up in the sky and we couldn’t help resisting the opportunity to go and have lunch near the beach. We didn’t feel like going to an interior place, so instead we chose L’Escamarlà, which is probably one of the best choices at the Vila Olimpica’s seaside if you’re looking for good fish and paella in a non-sophisticated environment. They have an outdoors terrace facing the beach and the sea, so go early and enjoy the meal with the “front row” views!
Where · L’Escamarlà
When · Whenever it’s sunny but not too hot
My order · Chipirones, salad, pescadito, white wine and coffee (2 people) · 40 €
Planout · And then, an afternoon showing at Yelmo Cines
a restaurant… Yashima
It is famous for being one of the first japanese restaurants that opened its doors in Barcelona back in 1989, in the spot of a japanese meeting club. Since then, the japanese restaurants have increased in the city and of course, you can find many places with good sushi at a reasonable price. However, if you’re looking for a little bit more than just food and you have some money to spend, you must try Yashima. You cross its doors and you’re traveling thousands of miles in just one step. My advice: ask for a private room and order a sukiyaki.
Where · Yashima
When · Once a year, go for a special dinner
My order · Misoshiru, sashimi, sukiyake and a Kirin · around 45 €
Planout · If you want a drink before dinner, go to Paraules, a nice bar I hope to be posting about soon
albaper 