Barcelona Itinerary 7 night in May - any suggestions?

[CN150]

Hi,
Thanks to all the info on this forum and using some guidebooks, here's an itinerary I came up with for my week in Barcelona. What do you think? Any suggestions or comments welcomed. I will be going to Madrid for a week after Barcelona, so I tried to get the must eat places in Barcelona.

Monday - arrive in Barcelona in the morning
Lunch and dinner open, depends on energy level

Tuesday - explore las Ramblas and surrounding area
Lunch at Bar Pixntos and El Quim
Dinner - ?

Wednesday - explore the Eixample
Lunch - Tapac 24
Dinner - Alkimia - have reservations

Thursday - explore Montserrat
Lunch - ?
Dinner - ?

Friday - explore Born area
Have reservations at Commerc 24 for both lunch and dinner. Thinking of cancelling the dinner
reservation since it's a seat at the bar
Dinner - Cal Pep

Saturday - Day trip to Girona or somewhere else?

Sunday - explore Baceloneta
Lunch - Can Majo - have reservations

Monday -
Lunch Hisop - have reservations
then take afternoon train to Madrid

Places I'm thinking of adding: Moo, Fonda Gaig, Can Gaig, Tram Tram, La Paradeta, Quimet & Quimet, Cinc Sentits, a Flamenco dinner show
I tried to get El Cellar de Can Roca and Tickets but no luck.

Thanks

It will be me and my husband traveling on the trip. We are in our early thirties. I'm a major foodie and he's basically willing to go along with whatever I choose since it's my birthday trip :) We usually watch Bizarre Foods and No Reservations and replicate their itinerary.

I'm wondering if we should have more dinner reservations since it will save some stress in finding a restaurant last minute, but then it ties up our schedule.

[Roysen]

Here is the schedule from my week in Barcelona last a few weeks ago:

Wednesday dinner - Llucanes - Wonderful (my favourite of the trip).

Thursday lunch - Botafumeiro - Wonderful
Thursday dinner - Arola - I had high expectations but it didn't quite reach that level

Friday lunch - Rias de Galicia - Wonderful
Friday dinner - Lasarte - I had high expectations but it didn't quite reach that level

Saturday lunch - Moments - Wonderful
Saturday dinner - Koy Shunka - Wonderful

Sunday lunch - Cal Pep - Wonderful
Sunday dinner - Blanc - Wonderful

Monday lunch - Moo - Wonderful
Monday dinner - Evo - Wonderful

Tuesday lunch - Dos Cielos - Wonderful
Tuesday dinner- Shunka - Wonderful

Wednesday lunch - Tapas24 - I had high expectations but it didn't quite reach that level
Wednesday dinner - Tickets - Wonderful

Thursday lunch - Set Portes - Wonderful
Thursday dinner - Alkimia - Wonderful

Enjoy,
Roysen

[Aleta]

Roysen,

Could you say a little more than either 'wonderful' or 'had high expectations'? Maybe tell us what dish you liked so much that your experience was wonderful? Or what caused you to feel that a place didn't reach that level? Thanks.

[Searching4Dunny]

Yes, please share more detail. There are many of us with trips coming up soon and would appreciate more info as to what you liked or disliked about the restaurants, what dishes you tried, stand outs/let downs, price (if you feel comfortable), ambiance, etc. Hope you don't feel TOO MUCH pressure now! ;-)

[Roysen]

Okay, I will. Just give me a litte time to remember back on the details. I didn't make notes, so I need to sit down and do that now. I'll be back with more detail later this week.

[Aleta]

Roysen,

When you do your food report, pls start your own thread so that more people will notice it and read it. Your dining list is like a Who's Who in Barcelona Food! I don't know anyone else who has actually dined at Rias de Galicia one day and Botafumeiro, the next. Or both Shunka and Koy Shunka, for that matter.

As much as I love to eat and do a good job about it, I don't think I'd be able to eat lunch at Moo and dinner at EVO. Moreover, I'd like to know your secret to keeping all the experiences separate. All that fine dining, hours apart, would give me both indigestion and temporary memory loss. I want to hear how you do it!

Thanks.

[Roysen]

Aleta,

The secret is not to think about tomorrow. Live now! I go to a restaurant to have a good time, not to write a report about it. If I don't remember exactly what I had a few days ahead I really don't care as long as I enjoy my time during the meal.

Another thing I would like to add is that I am a foodie. I don't really care about fancy interior, great view or the differance between great and good service. It is the food that matters.

I will create my own thread.

[Roysen]

I have been scolded in another thread where I plan a trip to Tokyo for not sharing more about my experiences in Barcelona from the trip mentioned above. I would like to point out that when I was in Barcelona I was not a member of this forum. During my restaurant visits I was not prepared to write anything about my visits. Several of the restaurants didn't have English menus and a lot of the ingredients I wouldn't know how to name in English since English is not my native language.

Since it is now quite a while since I returned from this trip and because I wasn't prepared to write anything, didn't take any notes or pictures and since I had two great meals every day much of what I experienced is a blurr. Of course I do remember some standout details but I am not sure those details in themselves would be of any help to you. That is why I have not come back with a trip report as promised and it is also why the comments I initially made have not been more detailed.

The fact that we went out drinking almost every night after dinner did not help making it easier to remember details.

I do believe like I wrote earlier that it is living in the moment which is important. What you can remember later is not equally important and any of you or I should not go to a restaurant and take notes and pictures unless it is our job or we owe it to someone. It will distract us from the experience and make us enjoy the experience less. At least that is what I think.

[Parigi]

If you had not used information on this forum, your live-for-the-moment-etc. non-sharing is understandable. And no one would expect you to share your experience in that case.

Whenever I have used the info of the generous contributions on this forum, I always wrte a report afterwards in order to give back a little to the general info-sharing here. It is my very small way of thanking them and updating their info.

[Roysen]

Please understand that is not my intention to not share. I would gladly share if I had made notes and could write something useful. I am also in total agreement that once you have inquired about or used information on this board for your own benefit it is only good manners to return the favour. Which I would have done also if I had known about this forum when I was there and made notes.

I would also like to add that if any of you have any questions in regards to any of the restaurants I visited, please don't hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer.

What I am trying to say with the live-for-the-moment don't-take-notes comment is that I usually don't bring my notebook around to every restaurant I visit and write down my impressions. This is something I only would do if I know I am going to write something about my visit. This was not the case in Barcelona. It would have been if I had been a member here at the time. I also think that making notes could be a distraction to the experience. So i would prefer not to but would do it anyway to share the information here now that I am a member.

I will be back in Barcelona during a week in september/october. I will write about the restaurants I visit then which will probably be some of the same as last time, but since I will travel with four other people and renting an apartement this time I assume there will be less restaurant meals and more home cooking.

[Parigi]

“What I am trying to say with the live-for-the-moment don't-take-notes comment is that I usually don't bring my notebokk around to every restaurant I visit and write down my impressions.”

Then I totally agree. I don't take notes, I don't even take photos. too self-conscious an experience is a lesser experience.
And often during an especially enjoyable meal, even my most die-hard shutterbug friends, half way through the evening, say: oops forgot to take pics! That is the unmistakable sign of a successful evening.

[mkfisher]

My one suggestion for people with trips coming up (we just finished 5 days in Barcelona)...

La Paradeta - this place is amazing. We had the mussels marinara, a few crabs, and some giant prawns. It was my favorite meal in Barcelona. We live in Boston so we're used to some pretty excellent seafood, but this meal was perfect in every single way. Washed it down with two large San Miguels.

[Aleta]

Mkfisher,

Glad you had a great trip. Next time, try the local Catalan brew, Estrella. San Miguel is from the Philippines. Here's a funny advert for Estrella with Ferran Adria!

http://www.estrelladamminedit.com/en/...

[mkfisher]

We had Estrella too, don't worry. Also had some Moritz. San Miguel was our favorite, though

[Roysen]

Make sure you get the bear served in glasses chilled in the freezer (which is a Spanish speciality) and which really makes a differance.

[CN150]

Oops I meant I was going to Montjuic on Thursday though Montserrat sounds lovely. :)

[Aleta]

CN,

If you are going to Montjuic on Thursday, that would be a good time for Quimet i Quimet and the flamenco show of El Tablao de Carmen.

[Aleta]

Re: TIckets, if you are really interested, don't give up so easily. There are walk-ins and last-minute cancellations. A friend recently visited and managed to get in.

[CN150]

Thanks for the tip. I'm booking the flamenco show Thursday night and will wander over to Tickets to try to score a table. Quimet Quimet is close so I'll go there if Tickets is not available. :)

[Heeney]

Tickets is worth making the effort for a walk-in.
I HIGHLY recommend getting a reservation for Bar 41 Degrees. Much easier to get into. You can request them to make you a "tasting" of their El Bulli snacks. Very very good and a great backup if you miss Tickets.

[sass]

Anything I can't miss at 41 Degrees? I was shut out of Tickets so made a 9pm reservation at 41 Degrees and can't wait. I'm very much looking forward to the olives but haven't read much about the rest of their menu.

[Heeney]

Olives are a must. So are the Parmesan ice cream sandwiches, and the crisp seaweed with quinoa.
Honestly, tell the waiter you want them to make you a highlight tasting and they'll give you each a tasting of about 10 snacks, most of which come from elBulli. Then pick 1 or 2 desserts. By them you'll have had most if the snack menu save a few.
We did that and had 2 cocktails each. It was about 100 euros for the 2 of us. You may also be able to schmooze your way into Tickets if you have the appetite for it.
Have fun! Wish I was going back right now. :)
You can read my report on 41 here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/786873

[Parigi]

Roysen's extensive answer reminds me: CN150, how was your trip? You were in Barcelona in May, no? Looking forward to your update.

[Luna2308]

Hi CN150,

You have definitely a few great places planned. A few thoughts:

You write you are going to Montserrat on Thursday, I assume by train?! Definitely take the cable car up to the monastery, amazing views! We were there last October and I knew there wasn't too great food options up on the mountain, so we went to La Boqueria the day before and bought some great jamon, cheese, salchichon etc. Next morning we bought a fresh bread and later in the day took the little train up the steep mountain behind the monastery and had a great picnic with the most amazing views, nice walk afterwards...can definitely recommend it.

Sunday:
Barceloneta is great to hang out on the beach, people-watch etc, but I'm not sure there is enough to see for a whole day....you could go to Barceloneta in the morning, explore a bit, have lunch then take the cable car across the harbour up to Montjuic - lots to see there (Fundacio Miro, Castle,...). After, take the train down at the far end and you are in walking distance to Quimet i Quimet - great place, bring some time and an empty stomach, lots of yummy things to try.
You could do it the other way 'round as well, start at Quimet for lunch and end up for dinner in Barceloneta....

[Aleta]

Luna,

Quimet i Quimet is NOT open on Sunday.

[Luna2308]

Hi Aleta,

You are absolutely right, I knew it was closed on Sunday. Guess I got mistaken with the Montserrat - Montjuic thing etc.

CN150: I still think it could be nice to combine Barceloneta and Montjuic though, maybe on Thursday then?!
You wrote you had reservations at Alkimia, La Sagrada Familia as well as the Hospital Sant Pau are very close to it, so if you are interested in them you could maybe visit there beforehand. Or go to Parc Güell for sunset and take a short cab ride to Alkimia after.
If you are interested in Gaudi, you might want to visit La Pedrera and Casa Battlo, many good places such as Paco Meralgo are not too far away (open on Sunday, so that might be other options for Sunday afternoon...).

Barcelona is such an amazing city, there is lots to see and it can take up more time than anticipated with getting to places etc., especially of you are combining it with lots of great food...