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BARCELONA - Trendy restaurants
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Arc
Café
A recent arrival on the Barcelona scene, Arc Café is
a 'gastrobar' run by German duo Thomas and Willi. Hearty Mediterranean,
Caribbean and Asian-influenced dishes, such as chicken curry
salad and sublime spicy veggie burgers, are prepared in the
spotless open-plan kitchen amid warm, softly lit surroundings
and a backdrop of mellow sounds. Tending towards the vegetarian,
there's nevertheless a good selection of meat dishes too. Its
location in a narrow, picturesque street near Plaça Reial
makes it an ideal pre-club dinner venue.
Carrer Carabassa 19
Tel: (93) 302 5204.
Price: Pta2500/EUR15. Wine: Pta1000/EUR6.
El Racó d'en Baltà
A favourite among hip young Catalans, this design-led restaurant
cleverly avoids the design over substance cliché. This
is because it combines a modern approach to traditional dishes,
such as meatballs with cuttlefish, fish mousse or turrón
ice cream, with low prices, a decent wine list and a fascinating
array of bizarre creations by British artist, Steve Foster.
The upstairs dining room is a relaxing cocoon of gentle greens
punctuated with eccentric odds and ends.
Carrer Doctor Dou 10
Tel: (93) 301 2940.
Price: Pta2500/EUR15. Wine: Pta875/EUR5.
Mama Café
Microwaves and processed or tinned foods are strictly prohibited
in this stylish, fun vegetarian café-restaurant located
in the Raval district, just off Las Ramblas. Using only the
freshest ingredients, a range of innovative dishes, such as
melon gazpatcho, are prepared daily. The use of bold, rainbow
colours, recycled materials and laid-back sounds creates a happy,
informal atmosphere.
Carrer Doctor Dou 10
Tel: (93) 301 2940.
Price: Pta2500/EUR15. Wine: Pta875/EUR5.
Sikkim
Inspired by their travels to India, the owners have transformed
this former grocery into a high temple of exotica complete with
an abundance of candles, buddhas, wafting incense and rich,
mood enhancing colours. The food is nevertheless Mediterranean,
albeit complimented by ingredients from further afield, such
as mangoes and yukka. Sikkim caters handsomely for vegetarians
and carnivores alike with a decent range of dishes, including
roast shark, vegetable risottos and homely cheesecakes.
Plaça Comercial 1
Tel: (93) 268 4313.
Price: Pta3500/EUR21. Wine: Pta1000/EUR6.
Vildsvin
Urban Barcelona meets old Czechoslovakia in this chic, fusion-inspired
cerveceria situated near the Generalitat, where modern furnishings
and original 19th-century features are stylishly juxtaposed
to pleasing effect. The menu is an intriguing mix of Eastern
European dishes, such as Hungarian goulash and traditional Spanish
platos and tapas. A wide range of beers and also wine are available.
Carrer Ferran 38
Tel: (93) 317 9407.
Price: Pta2500/EUR15. Wine: Pta1000/EUR6. |
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