Vinya Roel, 190-192 Carrer Villarroel

A typical night in Barcelona......a drink with a Dutch friend turns into two, turns into three and then spills onto dinner and drinking to the small hours. During drinks we are joined by a Mexican doctor Salvador, who used to work in Barcelona for several years but now works in San Francisco. He is only in town for a couple of days so he takes us to Vinya Roel where we are met by a mixed group of South Americans, also all doctors ! Now Salvador seemed the type to be able to sniff out a good restaurant so I had full faith walking into Vinya Roel where the first thing you notice is the hundreds of bottles of wine and swanky dining atmosphere. Now this place does not look cheap and the food a million miles away from what I was going to have for dinner, pan y pate ! The restaurant was packed with business people but I assume this wasn't truly representative of a normal night as the Mobile World Congress was being held in Plaza Espana. Nonetheless they must have have heard about the restaurant somehow as it wasnt exactly next door to the Congress. Anyway I digress, onto dinner which we start at 10pm, normal South American dining time. I put my first course order in the hands of two Mexicans as we decide to share a mix of starters. Pan con tomate is a given but alongside we order croquetas de jamon, fried artichoke, boquerones, olives, and chorizo. For main course I ordered steak tartan which was served with mantequilla and MORE bread but this accompanied the steak well. Others ordered tuna, lamb, arroz negro (black rice), fillet steak and cannellonni all of which looked good. My only complaint was that the portions were not huge and service was not amazing. When asking the waiter for example what he would recommend, his reply was, well what you like of course, Spanish customer service at its best ! If you can ignore this detail then its a great restaurant and one I would recommend especially for wine connoisseurs. Desert was great but again fancy, which is I guess ok once in a while !  Also recommend going with a group of South Americans, great company...

La Fianna, Carrer Banys Vells 15, El Born

Without doubt my favourite bar in Barcelona, La Fianna for me ticks the boxes. A Moroccan themed interior plays host to a well healed youngish international crowd. Atmosphere is great, assisted by chilled out background house music. Littered around the bar are bed areas where you can lay and relax with a mojito or two and watch the world go by (Mojitos are amazing but €8 each, if your on a budget cocktail of the week is €4 which is equally good!). Some people I know dislike the small bar/busy environment especially as bed areas are taken up quickly and as Friday and Saturday's are normally jam packed. I however think this is what makes La Fianna and being shoulder to shoulder provides an opportunity to mix with different groups and meet new people. La Fianna also has a cool eating area, the food is great and staff are friendly. If your going for dinner its advisable to book in advance and bar food/tapas is also available. Great place to start the night, doesn't get going though to at least 10 ! Check out the website at http://www.lafianna.com/

Los Caracoles, Carrer D´Escudellers 14

Located in the heart of Barcelona just off Plaza Real Los Caracoles (The Snails) was founded by the Bofarull family in 1857. Since then, four more generations of the Bofarull family have managed to maintain a high quality standard of traditional Spanish cooking. Now if you hadn't heard of Los Caracoles before and by chance happened to pass by you wouldn't forget it. Chickens are spit roasted outside and every now and again you'll see a chef pop out to check on their progress before they are whisked away to fulfil an order (chickens are also available para llevar/takeaway). On entering Los Caracoles my first impression was that it was small, a short bar on the left holds a wide selection of drinks and on the right a Caracoles employee diligently slices sections of jamon serrano (ham) and cheese. The restaurant's size however is deceving and as you weave through the maze like interior you find three floors and room for a 100 head capacity (as I was reliably informed). I also learnt from speaking to el camarero that there were 85 employees, all male apart from the owner a Bofarull female! As you walk through to be seated you pass by an Al Pacino looking character, clearly in charge of the till, through the kitchen area and then onto a perfectly laid out, white clothed table. The kitchen is worth a mention here as you're hit with a sauna like heat, incredible smells, sizzling noises and the biggest prawns and chunks of steak I've ever seen. I counted 7 chefs effortless cooking a variety of great looking food. Bread is served in the shape of snails (how fitting) and the menu is endless. I ordered, as you should, snails to start and merluza (cod) for the main course, both fantastic. Halfway through our meal Spanish guitarists appeared and the restaurant was serenaded with some good background music (you are expected to give a tip). Waiters are attentive and helpful and speak a bit of every language but clearly know how to get a tip. Now I have heard some call this restaurant a tourist trap and I kind of have to agree, the food is fantastic but the portions are not huge and it works out to be a bit expensive. For three people, three courses and a bottle of wine it cost us nearly 200 euros. For me however Los Caracoles is definately worth a visit but maybe for special occasions only. Alternatively just go and have a drink there first, soak up the atmosphere and take in all the decor. If you go at the weekend make sure to reserve www.loscaracoles.es

Gran Teatre de Liceu, 51-59 Las Ramblas (Anna Bolena)

Entering La Gran Gran Teatre de Liceu is an experience in itself, amazing architecture, high celings, red carpets and an air of class that one can expect from such venues. Packed in like canned sardines in a horseshoe-shaped structure the Gran Teatre de Liceu holds approximately 2,300 people across 6 floors. I could go into more detail but that's what Google's for if you want to look into more specific detail. Anyway to the night in question, we bought relatively cheap tickets for €30 for Anna Bolena which was virtually sold out (ticket office is actually in the street to the right side of the Theatre). The next option was €130 then I heard the €300 figure mentioned and I switched off. I hate to imagine what the cost of the plateau level (first floor) was. The opera started at 8pm, we arrived at 7.30 for a glass of vino blanco and assurance that we could find our seats. After inspecting the tickets I found we were on planta 6, fila 1, asiento 86-89 which basically meant row Z! I am not going to write much about my experience at the Opera as I think it will do it an unjustice save to say the Opera lasted an hour an half. we were told 65 minutes, I was bored and fidgety by the 45th and my view was blocked by an ornamental Dragon. I had neck ache from having to arch myself over the iron railing and it was bloody hot as we were in the rafters. The Opera was in Italian with Catalan subtitles and apart from briefly reading the Opera Synopsis (below) I didn't really understand what was going on. Final comment, worth a visit if you can get better seating (book early) and English/Castellano subtitles (assuming you speak Castellano!)....

Opera Synopsis:

Anna Bolena is based on the short-lived marriage of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, the second of Henry's six wives.

ACT I: The story takes place in 1536 in England. Act One opens at Windsor Castle. Anne Boleyn is now Henry's wife, but she's unhappy. The King has been ignoring her and seems to have his eye on another woman, Anne's lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour.

Anne's brother Rochefort makes an appearance at court, and he's amazed to see that Percy, Anne's first love, has returned from exile. It turns out that Henry himself has arranged Percy's return. It's a ploy, aimed at building a case for Anne's infidelity, and the king takes a kind of perverse pleasure in watching Anne and Percy meet again.
We then meet Smeton, a household musician who is in love with Anne. He has a miniature portrait of Anne and doesn't want to be caught with it. But when he tries to return it to her, Rochefort appears unexpectedly and Smeton is forced to hide.
Rochefort tries to persuade Anne to meet with Percy. She agrees, against her better judgment, and Percy tells Anne he's still in love with her. When Anne begs him to find someone else, Percy draws his sword and threatens to commit suicide. At that moment, everything comes tumbling down around Anne. Smeton rushes out from hiding and at the same moment, Henry bursts into the room. Finding Anne in a compromising position with two men, one of them a former lover, he orders all three of them arrested. Smeton pleads Anne's innocence, but inadvertently drops the miniature portrait at the king's feet. Henry is enraged and the act ends with a spectacular sextet as Percy, Anne and Smeton are all led away.

ACT II: As the second act begins, Jane comes to Anne and tells her that the king has agreed to spare her life if she'll admit to her relationship with Percy. Jane also has more news. The king, she says, is in love with another woman. Anne demands to know who it is and the confrontation develops in a powerful duet. Torn between her love for Henry and her loyalty to Anne, Jane confesses that she is the King's latest lover.
At Anne's trial, Smeton lies and says he, not Percy, has been pursuing Anne. He's hoping to save her but actually seals her fate. Anne is condemned. Percy and Rochefort are offered clemency but they both refuse it when they learn it does not extend to Anne.
Alone in her cell, Anne wistfully recalls her girlhood love for Percy and slowly loses control of her emotions. Cannons and bells sound, announcing the king's new marriage. That jolts Anne back to her senses. She calls on heaven to forgive her persecutors as she's taken to the executioner.

Bodega Joan, Carrer Roselló 164

Despite this restaurant being around the corner from where I live I would still make the effort to travel and eat here. Bodega Joan for me is one of the most authentic eating experiences in Barcelona. Between 13-15 it is filled shoulder to shoulder with mainly Catalan workers wanting quick, affordable, good quality food. Most, including me, go for Menu del Dia costing €9.50 (incredible value for money considering what you get) which consists of a first course (choice of salad, soups, a mixed plate of vegetables, or if it is on offer I recommend lentejas or paella), main course (steak, calamares, fish, and chicken dishes) and desert (crema catalana, arroz con leche, ice cream, yoghurt or various types of fruit). You are always asked if you would like coffee at the end of the meal, which is not included, however a drink of your choice is included in the menu (the red wine comes in a fantastically spanish container if you fancy a tiple!). Service is quicker than your typical fast food establishment in the UK but don't expect any niceties. Waiters are rushed and very direct in their approach but don't let this put you off, the restaurant runs like a well oiled machine and remember your not paying 200 euros for a meal in Sarrià (expensive area in Barcelona if your wondering?!). Its also not just about the food, the mix of people drawn to this restaurant is fascinating. Blue collared workers sit next to suits who sit next to OAP's who sit next to the token visiting tourist (what the spanish call guiri). I recommend going armed with basic food Spanish as this will only aid in heightening your experience. I recommend this restaurant for lunch but having passed by in the evening food also looks good. Also Bodega Joan is a great place to watch Spanish football and as a couple of los camareros are Argie's if Argentina are playing its worth a visit....

Note to self - How do they produce such good food in such small kitchens and why do Argie's hate Messi !?

La Paradeta, Carrer Comercia 7, Barcelona

So my parents arrive after a short journey across the pond and France via the elastic band sprung company Easyjet. They arrive only 30 mins later than scheduled, which to be fair is acceptable considering the price of a ticket from London to Barcelona nowadays. I let them relax, potter around and generally soak up the ambience of Barcelona streetlife. So on to dinner, a very important topic in the Newman household. I decide as its Thursday nothing fancy, good old fashioned tucker, with a stereotypical Spanish feel. Now honestly I'd never been to La Paradeta but from what I'd heard (from reliable sources, in this case Spanish and Italian colleagues) the food was great, simple and relatively inexpensive. La Paradeta - fish on ice that you see in Spanish supermarkets as explained by la camerera - is a restuarant where you can hand pick various types of fish. Although intially daunting, as you feel rushed to select due to the huge crowd gathering behind you, once selected the process is quite easy. They weigh the fish you have chosen, ask you if you would like it cooked al vapor or a la plancha, give you a number, then pass you onto the bar area, where you select your drinks, then you simply pay. After a couple of minutes the kitchen, by way of microphone shout your number out - in our case numero 36 - and before you know it you collect, at different intervals, several plates of fantastic looking fresh fish, un proceso muy facil ! So the atmosphere, very Spanish, loud, a real mix of ages and nationalities, decor is not amazing but to be honest no one is looking at the interior design just the great food they have in front of them. For three people including wine it worked out to be 66 Euros. In my opinion great value for money, and trust me, between three you could'nt eat anymore. Check out the webiste http://laparadeta.com/ as there are a few in Barcelona. If you want less busy try Sagrada Familia but we liked the one in Born. Top night out, nuff said...

Intro !

So after me boring many people about my passion to write about new places, describe experiences and generally talk about my feelings towards all things new I have decided to create a blog. I thought this fitting after living, working and studying in Spain for near on 2 years now. Anyway after having dinner with my parents one evening - holidaying- I explained my passion to do exactly that which came the response well why don't you write a blog, so here I am with my first entry. Now I have been in Barcelona since March 2010 so have had some great experiences, however it is only now that I have felt the need to document them. So to my first entry a visit to La Paradeta, who knows which direction these blogs will take but as the Spanish and Italian do I m going with the flow....