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You are here: Home Leisure Dining & Cuisine From Barcelona: My favourite restaurants

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20/11/2009From Barcelona: My favourite restaurants

From Barcelona: My favourite restaurants Blogger Jeremy Holland on where to find good, old-fashioned American hamburgers, rich authentic Italian pasta and traditional Catalan bocadillos.

I remember when I first came here, it was almost impossible to find a burger made of beef outside the Hard Rock and McDonald’s.

Why? Because the Spanish thought since it was called a hamburger, it must be made of ham, resulting in a paddy of ground pork that tasted like an undercooked sausage with a fried egg, lettuce and mayonnaise on top. And chances are if you go to a normal Spanish restaurant, this is what you will get.

But over the last seven years, there has been quite a substantial increase of places serving a traditional hamburger, some even going so far as to offer authentic and unique twists on the sole meal most Spanish think Americans live on.

Most of the English pubs offer some version of a beef paddy. They're normally American size (half a pound) and expensive.  There is also Fosters of Hollywood, which is an American theme restaurant that offers free refills on fountain sodas. But beyond these traditional places, there are also a two smaller restaurants that deserve a mention.

Pim Pam Burger in el Borne has a vocal and loyal following. In fact, many say it's the best burger in town, so much so that they are willing to put up with wait staff who have adopted The Soup Nazi persona from Seinfeld and will pop a vein in anger if you disagree.  It's relatively cheap and tasty but with a bit too much mayonnaise for my liking.

My personal favourite is the Jazz Bar in Poble Sec where they jazz up their burgers with bean sauces, guacamole and other extras that make them unique. Again, the cook is surly for even a Spaniard, making me wonder if they've been watching too much classic Saturday Night Live and John Belushi.


Other restaurants in Poble Sec

In my humble opinion, I'd rank Poble Sec as one of the better neighbourhoods of Barcelona.  

It has a great night life with a unique collection of bars and clubs, yet without the drunken tourists that go to the Barrio Gotico, or the teenage botellons famous in Gracia.  It also has some great restaurants that cover a variety of cuisine.

CATALAN

Cal Penina is a traditional Catalan restaurant whose dark and wooden decor hearkens back to what I imagine Barcelona was like 40 years ago.  Serving traditional dishes and tapas, it also has a raw fish bar, which means it’s not cheap with an average price of EUR 24.  

Meanwhile, on the flip side and a bit cheaper is Bar Seco which offers traditional Catalan food, plus refreshing microbrews and an assortment of juices and bocadillos, which hopefully won't tear the roof of your mouth.

SOUTHERN SPANISH CUISINE

Bar Ramon on Calle Blai serves food from the Canary Islands with the potatoes and ham being my favourite.  La Soleá offers a fusion of traditional recipes from Andalucia with Asian and African influences and is located in one of the great hidden squares of Barcelona: Plaza Sortido. 

Finally, if you're in the mood for snails, La Tomaquera is a local institution that quickly fills up on the weekends.


Cal Penina Restaurant
Catal traditional cuisine: Cal Penina restaurant

ITALIAN

For those lovers of Italian food, try La Bella Napoli and El Golfo di Napoli.  The former is located further down Hotel Paral-lel towards the port and, most locals will say it's the best Italian around.  
Personally, I find it a bit overrated and prefer the latter, which is located at the top of Poble Sec behind Plaza Espanya and does a mean pesto risotto.  But either way, you're in for an authentic Italian meal; although not a cheap one.

BRAZILIAN

And if you have a craving for meat, there’s a Brazilian place called Bahía Porto Mar near the Poble Sec metro, where slices of meat are carved off a slab that'd fill Henry VIII.  Restaurante Casa Colombia on the other hand offers a choice of cuts and one of the best hot sauces around.  

Buen Provecho!

20 November 2009
Jeremy Holland / Expatica


Written by an American expat, From Barcelona, is a blog dedicated to the city, the life and the people of the capital of Catalunya (Catalonia).


2 reactions to this article

S.T.Lasher posted: 2009-11-21 00:49:01

thanks for the tips, i really enjoy your Blogs. Lived in Sitges

republican posted: 2009-11-25 22:16:21

Dude..I´m sorry, I read the first paragraph and had to stop...where are you from?? I think you spell our favorite fast food restaurant with Mc, not Mac , anyway it´s McDonalds, but who´s splitting hairs here. So, Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow American´s who were succered into moving to this third world country. Sincerely, Oh Boy Another Mistkae America..(OBAMA)

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2 reactions to this article

S.T.Lasher posted: 2009-11-21 00:49:01

thanks for the tips, i really enjoy your Blogs. Lived in Sitges

republican posted: 2009-11-25 22:16:21

Dude..I´m sorry, I read the first paragraph and had to stop...where are you from?? I think you spell our favorite fast food restaurant with Mc, not Mac , anyway it´s McDonalds, but who´s splitting hairs here. So, Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow American´s who were succered into moving to this third world country. Sincerely, Oh Boy Another Mistkae America..(OBAMA)

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