Please help! I need to make reservations for my parents for dinner in Barcelona!

[yomyb]

So my mother wants my help for dinner reservations for one night in Barcelona, problem is all I did while I was there all I did was eat tapas and that is not their thing. They want the traditional dinner experience but it can't be too pricey, I am thinking about $50 per person without wine? I would like to send them to the Barri Gotic or El Born so they can get to see that part of the city. Please help me help my poor mom. Thanks!

[PBSF]

Some good moderately priced traditional Catalan restaurants with some atmosphere in the two areas:
Barri Gotic:
Cafe de L'Accademia
Can Culleretes
Cometacinc (decor is more modern)
El Taxidermista (the only decent place to eat in the Placa Real; good for outside dining)
Agut: great old atmosphere
El Born: is more for hip, informal tapas/pintxos places rather than traditional Catalan food
Euska Ettxea: the back of this pintxo place serves good Basque food
Senyor Parallada: big and lively, sit in the main floor and not upstair
All the above will have tourists as well as locals, therefore, one can eat well if one orders the Catalan specialities and not the timid grilled/fried food that are geared for International visitor. Be careful walking in the Barri Gotic at night as some streets are deserted. Keep in mind that restaurants do not open for dinner until 9pm. If your parents want to eat earlier than that, it will have to be tapas places. You will not need to make reservations too far in advance for any of the above. Get them to the Eixample where are better moderately priced places.

[yomyb]

Thank you thank you!
Senyor Parellada was the only non-tapas place I went to while there and we didn't love it. We loved the actual restaurant, so beautiful and lively, but not so much the food. What did we miss? What should I recommend they order if I send them there?

Thanks!

[PBSF]

Senyor Parellada is what you've experienced: it is a nice, airy, comfortable room with decent food at very moderate price. Because of the large extensive menu, have to pick and choose: escalivada, bacalla, squid, sardine, duck with figs or pears, the baby goat. Given your budget and locations, my recommendated restaurants do not serve exceptional food but decent to good with lots of atmosphere (and also comfortable). If your parents want exceptional food, they will have to get out of the Barri Gotic or El Born and increase their budget. Surprisingly, Barcelona is not loaded with great traditional restaurants, especially in the Barri/El Born.

[yomyb]

Thanks PBSF.

Ok so I will send them to these for the second night when they will closer to that area (maybe they can one for lunch and another for dinner).

But the fist night I am between L'Olive and La Dama which are closer to their hotel. Thoughts on these?

[PBSF]

L'Olive and La Dama are both very good. La Dama is quite traditional without being stodgy and in my opinion, the better restaurant. L'Olive is more innovative and a little less expensive. Either case, you'll being stretching your budget and much more at La Dama. With wine, it would be difficult to eat at La Dama for less than 175E for two. It really depends on how much your parents are into food (precise cooking with the best ingredients) or they're into more of a nice dining experience.

[yomyb]

Well they do not drink so that helps quite a bit... Thanks for the reply. I am thinking they should do La Dama for one special night and then less expensive places the rest of the time....

Thanks again for your help!