Polleria Fontana - Gràcia, Barcelona

Polleria Fontana situated in Grácia is a place that you are unlikely to find by chance. And even if you should stumble across it it does not look like anything special except for the fact that is packed around Catalan dinner time. Polleria Fontana serves tapas the old school way so expect a greasy but delicious experience if you like these goodies just like us. I'm not a huge fan of the classic croquetes but I have to admit that the ones they serve here are really crunchy and tasty.

Also the Bomba de Barcoleneta is something you should check out. It is best described as a ball of mashed potatoes with minced meat in the center that has been on a quick trip in the deep fryer.

Basically, if you are into the classic fried tapas dishes this place is excellent and warmly recommended. However, if you are concerned about your waistline find another place. DC! 

Gallito - Barceloneta, Barcelona

One of the many fantastic things about Barcelona is the beach in the heart of the city (Barceloneta). It is a great place to visit all year round if you are going for a stroll, a ride on your longboard, a mojito in a chiringuito (beach bar) or for dinner at one of the many restaurants facing the ocean. However, you have to select where you dine very carefully as there are many very poor and/or expensive restaurants in this area. A place that we love and often frequent is the surfer bar/restaurant Gallito. It is situated right under the W Hotel and thus is very easy to find. Gallito is a great place to visit in summer enjoying the sun outside and in winter watching a raging storm from their comfortable sofas. The place has a very laid back atmosphere with big sofas with lots of cushions, a fantastic view of the ocean and very friendly staff. The food is good and very reasonably priced for this location, but don't expect a unique culinary experience. They have showers in connection with the toilets that guests are welcome to use so you can easily combine a day at the beach with dinner at Gallito's. In addition, to dining this is a popular drinks/cocktail bar in the evening. A great place to go with your friends for dinner and drinks before a night out. Despite the fact that Catalunya produces fantastic beer such as Estrella and Moritz at Gallito they will do their best to sell you a Heineken. However, if you insist on having a local beer they often will have it but you have to push them a bit to get it. DC!
UPDATE! Gallito is closed during the evening during the winter months. Give them a call and check if they are open before heading there.

Samsara - Gràcia, Barcelona

For table reservation call: 93 285 36 88

There is no getting around that bohemian Gràcia is our favourite part of Barcelona.
Gràcia is a lively and noisy neighbourhood with narrow streets, cool little shops selling everything you can imagine and busy squares that you stumble upon when you least expect it. We have many places here that we love to visit including Kibuka that we described in an earlier post. Samsara is a restaurant that we have visited many times. The place is unique with its decor that reminds us of Northern Africa. Regular tables have been replaced with low sofa tables and instead of chairs the seats are cushions or stools. As so many other places Samsara is a tapes restaurant but what distinguishes Samsara is that they don't serve the normal stuff that you get everywhere else. Their dishes are best described as experimental tapes drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa. It is a real gourmet experience and an unbelievably cheap restaurant considering how delicious everything they serve is. Samsara is a must visit place. It is always full and there is virtually always a queue of people outside hoping to get a table. In other words remember to book a table in advance or be prepared for a long wait. They normally have a fantastic menu deal for two that includes a bottle of wine or cava and more than enough food but you have to ask them for the menu deal as it isn't advertised. Try their hamburgesas with molten cheese inside and a fantastic tomato topping or the tuna tartar or really just about anything on the menu. Nothing has disappointed us thus far. The only drawback we can come up with is that they don't serve coffee. Very odd but fortunately there are many places close by that will serve you a cafe sol (espresso) or tallat (cortado). DC!