Barcelona, in common with every other Spanish town or city, is a late riser. Eager tourists who want to hit the tourist sites before ten o’clock in the morning may find themselves out and about in streets with shuttered shops, and bars that are looking decidedly sleepy.
The first time visitor to Spain may find it a little difficult to come to terms with the late dining habits of the Spanish, but after a day or two the rhythm of the country takes over,and late lunches,a siesta, and late night shopping/ drinking becomes the norm.
City restaurants are hardly ever open before 10 in the evening, and those that do open earlier usually offer a basic international menu, so if it’s real Spanish fare and ambience you’re after it’s best to hang on for the later opening. By 11pm, if you can wait that long, the restaurants will be buzzing, and you’ll get all the ambience you can handle.
To stop yourself from starving, or consuming too much local wine or beer, head for one or two of the many tapas bars which can be found on any street or square. These are a major part of Spanish town and city life, and great places to while away an hour or two before the restaurants open. You can even indulge in the Spanish equivalent of a pub-crawl, a ‘tapeo’.
The word ‘tapas ‘actually translates as a lid in Spanish, and is thought to originate from the habit of placing a small hunk of bread over a glass of wine or sherry to keep the flies out before the days of insect repellent and air-conditioning. Over time, the plain bread became a vehicle for simple toppings: a smear of olive oil,and a slice of tomato, or a paper-thin slice of air-dried ham. Olives and salted almonds were always available and soon other small titbits of meat, fish,and vegetables began to appear.
Today good tapas bars offer a wide range of snacks. Patatas bravas (crispy chunks of fried potatoes in a fiery tomato sauce), boquerones fritos (fried anchovies), atun y aceitunas con pan(tuna and olive tapenade crostini) or champinones al ajillo(mushrooms in garlic) jostle with chunky slices of tortilla(a hearty potato omelette served hot, or cold), jamon de Serrano (air dried Serrano ham) and chunks of chorizo( spicy, cured sausage). They are all arranged on special little plates in a glass -fronted food counter, and you order one, two or as many as you fancy to accompany your drinks.
Tapas aficionados prefer to stand at the bar with their drinks and nibbles, but if you are filled with trepidation at having to order from a barman who will rattle off the various choices at break-neck speed without a menu in sight, most tapas bars have tables at which there are written menus. After an afternoon of sight-seeing nothing can be better than to sit down, order a glass of crisp, dry sherry or a robust rioja, and study what’s on offer. Table orders tend to be served as ‘raciones’ or slightly larger portions, to be lingered over as you write your postcards or read the guide book in readiness for the next day’s sight-seeing.
Tapas bars are one of the best things the Spanish ever invented, and Barcelona just bursts with them.
In the Old Town,near the port, the bar Celta has delicious seafood tapas whilst the neighbouring (and smaller) La Plata serves wine from the barrel and equally good seafood tapas.
The Basca Irati on the Cardenal Cassanyes is handy stop-off if you’ve ended your day’s sightseeing at La Pedrera (one of the architect Antonio Gaudi’s masterpieces, and a highlight of the tourist circuit). The Basca was one of Barcelona’s first tapas bars, and has the advantage of being self- service. Grab a plate, help yourself and settle the bill with the barman. The tapas style leans towards Basque cuisine, so spice is definitely the order of the day. The Taberna Basca is now owned by the Grupa Sagardi who have other eateries in the city, notably the Sagardi Gotic in the La Ribera, housed in a 14th century building and this establishment offers lunch and dinner menus as well.
But if you have to choose just one tapas bar, make for El Xampanyet (C/ Montacado). It’s down a narrow lane near the Picasso Museum and it’s not the easiest of places to find, but persevere – you won’t regret it! The clientele is a great mix of locals and tourists and it’s usually packed by nine o’clock. Don’t be put off by the amount of litter on the floor. Those discarded tapas papers are a sure sign of a busy, and therefore popular bar. The tapas are good, and they sell cava (Spanish bubbly) by the bottle at well under 10euros, so it’s good value as well as being a great place to sample Spanish night life.
On a cautionary note, Barcelona has rather a bad reputation for handbag thefts and scams, so in crowded bars its best to be vigilant. Never hang your bag or jacket over the back of your chair, and be ultra cautious if approached for directions, or the time of day. It could be a diversionary tactic. Also be careful when in the port area at night. It’s a unique part of Barcelona, but always go with friends and avoid bars that look a bit disreputable. It’s better to miss out on something than finish up being cleaned out of your passport and cards. But don’t be put off this lovely city. The night life really rocks and it’s not to be missed. Just keep your wits about you, and enjoy.
