Barcelona with mum, where to go?

[Luna2308]

Hello everybody,
I know that restaurants in Barcelona have been covered quite a lot here and I've enjoyed reading all of your posts, but i still would like to ask some questions.
I am going to Barcelona with my mum in mid March for five days.
We'll be staying either in El Borne or the Barri Gotic, so very central. Walking distance to places would be great, but not a must.
Now i am a big foodie, love to eat, try new stuff and cook as well. My mum does like food but is not as crazy about it as me, so she won't be willing to spend big bucks on meals.
I would love to get some input from you guys on what restaurants or food places I shouldn't miss.
I definitely want to try some typical catalan food, we both like seafood (especially mussles and scallops), pintxos, tapas, desserts and maybe one nice but affordable place on our last night, so I guess places like Cinq Sentits (sp?) or Comerc24 are out of the running. Is there any place that's really good but not as pricey? I also would like to know what's good for breakfast and where.

Thanks so much for any input, greetings to everybody

Luna

[PBSF]

Breakfast in Barcelona usually consists of coffee/chocolate and a pastry; sometimes a toast rubbed with tomato and drizzle with olive oil or a boccadillo. No need to trek too far but whatever looks inviting near where you are staying at. In the Barri Gotic, there are many cafes on c/de la Llibretera and c/Petritxol (Dulcinea is popular for chocolate and churros). Forn del Pi on c/Ferran has good coffee and pastries. Escriba on the Ramblas has some of the best pastries in Barcelona with a small quiet sitting area in the back. In El Born, the Placa de Comercial is lined with good cafes and also on c/Argenteria. If you happen to be in the Eixample, Forn de Sant Jaume on the first block of Rambla de Catalunya has some of the most decadent breakfast pastries. Also has small counter seating. For something more substantial such as tortilla and bocadillos, go to one of the counters in the Boqueria or the very good Tapac24 on c/Diputacio 269, which opens early in the morning.

Tapas/Pintxos: most tapas and pintxos places are crowded, noisy and standup/bar stool seating. I don’t know if it would be suitable for your mom. Some that have comfortable seating and a large enough menu to make a whole meal without moving from one place to another are: in Barri Gotic, Taller de Tapas on Placa Sant Josep (another one on c/Argenteria in El Born) is easy to negotiate with decent food. Bar del Pi, also on the same Placa, has lots of atmosphere and a small back sitting area. El Irati on c/Cardenal Casanas is good for pintxos. Santa Maria in El Born has excellent eclectic tapas and lively industrial setting. Also Little Bestiari, C/Fusina 3 is very good and comfortable. Worth a trek to the Eixample are Paco Meralgo, La Cerveseria Catalana and Tapac24 (counter only). One has to be careful in eating tapas, cost can add up fast.

For good inexpensive/moderate price traditional Catalan food: Can Lluis in Ravel, Café de L’Academia, Cometacinc and Agut in the Barri Gotic. Senyor Parellada in El Born has a large moderately price menu, nice airy comfortable setting, a good mix of locals and tourists and mostly good food. I think this place would suit your mom. Make sure you reserve and sit in main room and not the plain upstair balcony. Foxo and Goliard are couple of good, inexpensive places in the Eixample. Don’t expect out of the world food but simple good cooking.

I think many of the modern Catalan restaurants in Barcelona represent good value. The smaller tasting menu at Cinc Sentits is around 45E (that includes tax and service). There is a simple lunch set menu at around 25E which is a great bargain but make sure they are still offering it. Another good choice is Olive whose tasting menu is around 45E. I would definitely try to do one splurge meal in one of them.

[epiways]

The Cerveseria Catalana and Ciudad Condal, both in the Eixample, are good, popular with the locals tapas places. The Ciudad Condal is one block up from the Plaça de Catalunya on the Ramblas de Catalunya; the Cerveseria is a few blocks further up. Both have tables in the back, much preferable to standing at the crowded bars. Good raciones, fresh seafood and daily specials. Try to go early or late to beat the crowds.