Barcelona Bars and Restaurants

Barcelona is famous for its tapas. There are various tapas bars and restaurants. You have to find the right ones though.

Las Ramblas

On Las Ramblas we went into a tapas bar which looked nice from the outside.  As I mentioned earlier, this is not the place to go. I do not recall the name of this bar but it is not worth mentioning.

Jamon

Inside of a Tapas bar on Las Ramblas

When you get into the bar you get the typical impression you would expect when going into a tapas bar in Barcelona. They offered us some wine which we actually wanted by the glass and also mentioned that but brought a whole bottle.

Garlic and tomato bread

Jamon

We asked them for starters recommendations. We ordered bread and Jamon. 

Mixed Tapas

They then told us that they could make a small mixed tapas plate. I still ordered a coffee at the end. They brought the bill and it was about 100 Euros, which is ridiculous for what we had as you can see on the pictures. The wine was a low end Rioja which you can buy in supermarkets. We were clearly ripped off. After reading this I'm sure that you will avoid this area. Apart from the food being overprice and nothing special, there was also something wrong with it which we would feel later unfortunately. So please don't go anywhere to Las Ramblas. The place was on the left side, looked nice with the wood decors but was a terrible mistake. 

7 Portes

Restaurant entrance 7 Portes

This restaurant was recommended to me by frequent Barcelona traveller (who had not been in this restaurant for a while). It is a cliché place. They have a violin player playing different songs. It is definitely touristy located near the harbour area.

Fisch dish with beans

Lamb

Fried potatoes

We had a fish dish with beans and lamb with fried potatoes accompanied by a Rioja they recommended. The meat was ok but nothing special as well as the fish.

Crema Catalana

Cake

For desert we had the compulsory crema catalana which is a crème brulée and another cake which I do not recall right now. It was ok. I still had a spanish brandy as a digestif which is worth a try if you take the best one. When sitting outside you can also smoke and listen to the violin players which was nice. 7 Portes is worth a visit if you want a tourist experience but definitely no culinary highlight.

Barcelona Marina

At the Barcelona Marina there is a restaurant right across the marina with a view of ships and the street merchants layoung out carpets full of sunglasses ready to pack them up immediately as soon as the police comes by.

Paella

We had a Paella and a burger accompanied by some sangria as it was quite hot that day.

The paella was a quite generous portion. This was a paella for one. Usually you order them for at least 2 people. The burger was nothing great as you can see on the picture. This was just something in between as stop between visiting all tourist attractions during the day. 

Mirablau Bar Tibidabo

As I have already mentioned we went to the Mirablau Bar on the top of Tibidabo.

Spicy Spanish Salami

Patatas Bravas

 We had some small tapas, Spanish Salami, Patatas Bravas and chicken sticks. 

Chicken sticks with barbecue sauce

The tapas were ok and the Mojito we drank was also not bad. The location is great with a great view from the mountain excellent for picture taking.

Cachitos Tapas Restaurant

Cachitos is located on the Rambla de Catalunya, not to be confused with the terrible Las Ramblas. This street is parallel to the Passeig de Gracia. 

The best tapas bars on Rambla de Catalunya, which is definitely the street with the best tapas bars, can be recognised by the large queues outside. If you go before 9 p.m. it is more likely that you get a table or wait less. At Cachitos we had to wait for a while but enjoyed a nice Cava Cocktail. 

Cava cocktail

After waiting for about 20 mins to half an hour we were shown to a table at the back of the restaurant. The interior is very nice and you are seated in comfortable chairs.  We asked for a wine recommendation. 

The wine was strong Spanish wine just as I had been waiting for. 

Steak

What came afterwards was mouth watering. I ordered steak tapa which was perfectly cooked.

Bread with yoghurt cream and bread with foie gras

 We also had bread with foie gras. The portions were very generous.

Spanish beans 

Meat balls

 We also decided to try the spanish beans and meat balls with there unique taste.

Cannelloni filled with foie gras

Another highlight were the tender a very well presented cannelloni with a foie gras filling. I had never had this combination before. The prices were very moderate for what we received. The tapas in this restaurant were all more like separate dishes rather than small tapas. Cachitos is a stylish place with interesting variations of tapas interpreted in their own way thereby combining international tastes with their Spanish or Catalan tradition. Overall, this was a very nice experience.

Obama Bar

This bar is located on the via de les corts catalanes not far from the Placa de Catalunya. We actually just walked by this bar and thought of going in later in the evening.

Wooden Obama

After eating at Cachitos we asked the waiters if they could recommend a bar with live music close by and they recommended the Obama Bar. This seems to be a former African style bar which was probably renamed after Obama became president. 

Inside the bar there are all sorts African images, elephants, masks, statues, etc.

The staff of the bar is very friendly. The bar is mainly international. They play English music and animate the crowd later on. The waiters also came along with some free shots a couple of times during the evening. 

Musicians

People in the bar were all joyful, singing and dancing. This is definitely a good tip if you are looking for a simple international bar with live music.

Barcelona

Barcelona was a city I had always wanted to visit but somehow never chose it as my first destination. We actually decided to go there to visit the city and meet up with some friends.  It is a city with unique architecture and lots of things to see. We were there for a couple of days and picked out some things but there is definitely more to explore. When looking at the sights of the city I recommend taking the tour bus. They all have headphones with commentaries in different languages. It is also a convenient way to get around and stop at all the important sites. You buy a ticket for a day or two and it is great for taking pictures from the top of the bus.

Place de Catalunya

When booking a hotel, it is best to be on one of the main streets. We stayed at the Hotel Majestic on Passeig de Gracia which is actually one of the main shopping streets. The price was a little lower than usual because it was August and there was renovation going on. It really was not very noisy disturbing our sleep. Some parts of the hallway were being painted and rooms were being refurbished but that did not bother us at all.

View from the roof top bar of Hotel Majestic

Before choosing the hotel location and hotel, I asked a few people who had already been to Barcelona. From the Passeig de Gracia, where the hotel is located, you can walk down to the Placa de Catalunya, which is the main square. 

Typical black/yellow Barcelona taxis

Former Bull fighting arena, now a shopping mall

Passeig de Gracia

The Passeig de Gracia is a shopping road with boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc.

Passeig de Gracia

Building on Passeig de Gracia

Gaudi Building, Casa Milà

On the Passeig de Gracia you can see one of the famous Gaudi buildings. You can go in for a tour but we did not bother waiting in a queue that day. The Passeig de Gracia is also a good tip if you want to go into tapas bars or just for a drink. It is much calmer than Las Ramblas and most bars are ok. I would recommend Basque tapas bars. You can small tapas for 1-2 Euros each and drinks. 

Las Ramblas

When looking up Barcelona, you probably find Las Ramblas street. This is a very busy street full of shops. There is also a market somewhere at the side, which we did not visit though. On this street you really have to beware of pick pockets. It is quite busy and I have heard of people who were robbed there, especially at night there is a certain danger of that. If you are cautious however, you should be fine. You can walk down this street on the way to the harbour area. There are also many restaurants and bars on Las Ramblas which should be avoided. They are all tourist rip offs and not very good quality. You can read about this in my Barcelona bars and restaurant post.

Harbour area

At the harbour area, there are also a couple of restaurants and bars at night. There is also a beach. 

Cruise ship at the main harbour

There are also cruises available to go to the Balearic Islands. We did not do that though as it takes a while.

Old ships at the harbour

Pedestrian zone at the harbour

At night, there are a couple of bars and restaurants right at the beach. There is a long path along the beach which seemed to be where the night life is. During the day there are also some restaurants there which I would recommend only for a quite bite.

Sagrada Familia

This is the famous church in Barcelona with perpetual construction which was started in 1888. Nobody knows how many towers are supposed to be built and when the church will be complete.

Sagrada Familia

We did not go inside as the queue into the church was very long. If you do want to see it, I suggest coming very early.

Tibidabo

The Tibidabo is a mountain in Barcelona. It is located 512 metres above sea level. 

Tramvia Blau

The most traditional way of driving up to the mountain is by using the Tramvia Blau. This is an old tram which drives up and down the mountain on one track. We took a taxi up because the tram was not in sight and we were told that it was out of order. When we went back down, we did take the tram which costs more than a taxi for two people.

Mirablau Bar

At the op of the mountain, you can go for a drink and/or small tapas at the Mirablau bar. This bar has a great view and is really worth the visit. The waiters are also used to taking pictures of everyone and won't mind taking a couple of pictures of you. 

View from Mirablau Bar

View of Barcelona from Tibidabo, Mirablau

Park Güell

Park Güell

Park Güell was built by Antoi Gaudi in 1900 until 1914. Its size is 17.18 hectares. We went there with the tourist bus. In August it was extremellhot and there were masses at the Park Güell. It is very difficult to take pictures of everything you want to take pictures of.

Salamander at Par Güell

Ceiling ornaments

View from the Park Güell

The park also has some cafes which you can stop at. When you go down there are a couple of souvenir stores where you can buy little souvenirs which is what we also did. There are a couple of restaurants near the park and loads of people right outside trying to lure tourists into them. They all did not look very good and seemed like tourist rip offs. Needless to say, we did not go there.

Montjuïc

We took the bus up to the top of the Montjuïc which another mountain in Barcelona which is 173 metres above sea level. On the way up, you pass by the Olympic stadium of Barcelona.

View from Montjuïc

View from Montjuïc

From the Montjuïc, you have an incredible view of the city. There also cafes and galleries. 

FC Barcelona stadium

Barcelona stadium

FC Barcelona is the pride of the city. You will see FC Barcelona shops all around the city where you can also buy fan merchandise.

For fans of FC Barcelona, it is possible to buy tickets all over the city. You can buy tickets at FC Barcelona shops with or without transfer. The hotels can also assist you organising a visit on a match day.

Taverna del Grappolo Blu, Montalcino

After visiting the Castello Banfi, we drove towards the village of Montalcino. Strolling around, we chose a restaurant which seemed nice. This restaurant is located on a side street of the village.

Being in this wine region, we wanted to try a Brunello di Montalcino. This was easier said than done because the wine menu included several pages with Brunello di Montalcino. The wine selection of Brunello di Montalcino wines was as big as a normal wine menu. We asked the waiter for a recommendation and were not disappointed by our choice. We decided to try some local dishes.

Goat cheese with plums, tomatoes and ruccola

We tried a small starter. It was goat cheese with plums, tomatoes and ruccola. Everything was fresh and a nice combination.

Tuscan pasta al ragu

We chose a typical tuscan pasta with wild boar ragout. Everything was fresh and delicious. 

Salsiccia with beans

We also had salsiccia with beans in a typical tuscan tomato sauce. This is a simple and delicious dish like many other dishes in Italy. The simple Italian dishes cooked perfectly are often all you need. Simplicity is usually better than exotic variations of mediocre dishes. In Italy this point is proven over and over again. There is more than enough variety in Italian cuisine, especially in Tuscany. This restaurant was good value for money and a nice stop for lunch.

Montalcino

Vineyards in Montalcino

Montalcino is one of the most famous wine regions in Italy. The area is famous for the Brunello di Montalcino which is a wine made from Sangiovese grapes. The wine is also known as a favourite of the catholic church or the pope himself.

Vineyard surroundings

Montalcino is a small town. The scenery around the wine regions is picturesque. This is the way you imagine the Toscana and perfect wallpaper material. 

When driving around the area, you feel like stopping everywhere for picture taking. It is a wine region and I definitely recommend buying some wine in one of the shops. There is a shop at the roundabout when you leave the city where we bought some good wines like Tignanello for a reasonable price. As far as I remember we bought the most expensive bottle for around 60 Euros per bottle. As for all wine regions, driving there with your own car is always good definitely need a car in order to have the full experience.

Wine bar in Montalcino

The old city is not very big. There are a couple of Enotecas and restaurants. You can also buy and taste wines in one of the small wine boutiques. Prices are generally reasonable.

Montalcino, old village

Castello Banfi

Castello Banfi Entrance

The Castello Banfi is amongst the most well known producers of Brunello di Montalcino. If you want to try some Brunello and want to see the variety they have to offer, this is a good place to go.

Banfi castle

A long road leads up to the Banfi castle with rows of pine trees leading you up to the castle and the vineyards. The castle and the grounds are very well kept.

Just like in Bordeaux, I just went into the main building into the Enoteca. We asked if there was a tour available. They seemed quite disorganised and we did not bother waiting. There were some groups who went on tours. We later found out that some tours are available but as our time was limited, we did not bother waiting. We just walked around the grounds which was allowed. They actually have a restaurant as well as a wine museum. In the Enoteca, you can buy wine in the very big wine shop and also taste wine. We asked to taste wine. At first they told us that this would cost around 10-12 Euros depending on the wines you taste. They seemed odd to me and I told to them that we were going to buy wine anyways. The wine tasting was then free of charge. The reason for this attitude in Italy is most probably that there are many Italians who just come and drink for free as much as they would be allowed. I am saying this because this is the impression I had when I went to the wine exhibition Vinitaly in Verona. Italians, please do not be offended, this is just an observation. 

Wine tasting in Castello Banfi

The wine tasting was actually quite interesting. They gave us their whole variety. The wine with the lowest price costs about 5 Euros if you buy it there. This is absolutely drinkable and an ok table wine for pasta dishes. We tasted their variety of cuvées. They mostly use Sangiovese of course but not only. The wine culture is adapted from Bordeaux, as it is in most cases. Their top wines are aged in central French oak barrels for 12 months at the most. With the climate, more is probably not necessary. The vines are not very old on average. Castello Banfi also produces a very good grappa.

View from Castello Banfi

Castello Banfi is definitely a place to come back to. Next time I would consider staying in Montalcino and explore the region a little more.

Osteria Al Braciere, Tuscan dream come true

On our tour through Italy and parts of Tuscany, when staying in San Vincenzo, we asked our hotel concierge for a restaurant recommendation for a special occasion which happened to be my birthday. 

View from the restaurant

The restaurant is located on a mountain not far from the city of San Vincenzo. The view and the atmosphere is everything you can expect from Tuscany. The setting is picturesque and the location is simply amazing. We sat at a table outside overlooking the beautiful tuscan surrounding looking at pine trees and and the see shore at the bottom of the mountain. You really could not ask for more. This is one of the most romantic places I have ever seen.

Carpaccio on salad

As starter I had a wonderful carpaccio on salad which was a generous portion.

Goat cheese with dry tomatoes, salad and balsamico

We also had goat cheese with dry tomatoes, salad and balsamico. This was a wonderful dish where the salad was still so crunchy that we thought it had just been picked from the field a couple of minutes before they served it to us.

Fiori di Zucca

As we had enjoyed the Fiori di Zucca, the zucchini flowers before, we decided to also try them. This is a dish which you have to try in Italy. Unfortunately the coating in which they were fried was to thick. This is they only criticism I have for this restaurant.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Our main course was a Bistecca alla Fiorentina, approximately 800 grams. The meat was excellent. They grilled it on the grill close by. We could see them bring out the meat and grill it.

Baked potatoes with salad

With the Fiorentina we had baked potatoes with the wonderful fresh salad. The Fiorentina was great. The side dish was good too. Service was very considerate. We were not rushed. We could enjoy the scenery and our dinner to the fullest extent. We did not have desert as the portions were very big, especially the steak. The atmosphere and setting with the surroundings and picturesque scenery was unique. This was the kind of experience you would only see in a Hollywood movie. Sometimes the simplest things, if done perfectly culminate into a wonderful experience. This is a place you do not want to leave and rather stay as long as possible. With all these things considered, this was one of the greatest dining experiences I have ever had.

Pisa

One of the cities you have to see in Italy is Pisa. The main reason, or maybe the only reason to visit this city is seeing the leaning tower of Pisa.

Road towards the tower

When you arrive by car, it is rather difficult to park. There are parking lots but they are quite far away. We did manage to park somewhere not too far away from the tower in the end.

Leaning tower of Pisa

There are crowds in front of the tower like at any important site in Italy. You can also go up but we did not do that. It would probably have taken quite long to queue up and get a ticket but the thought of walking up a leaning tower is not the most inviting for me personally. 

We basically walked around the overcrowded main square with the tower where we took pictures like everybody else. Most people took pictures trying to show that they are pushing the towers. At first you walk around seeing people making weird gestures pushing out their hands. Later you see what they are actually up to.

As for the rest of the city, there is not very much to see. There are a couple of restaurants and cafes near the tower. They are all terrible. We tried to walk around and find a small restaurant to eat. The service was terrible and the food was not edible. So we left without finishing the meal. When leaving, walking down the road from the tower you have to beware of gypsies and various others trying to steel. They come in groups of up to ten. We were specially warned about this in the souvenir shops. Overall, this is a city you can visit in order to take a couple of pictures. You can then have a coffee and some water at the most and leave for your next destination.