Where to eat in Barcelona: El Portolés

It's not chic. It ain't cool. It's not snob. It's small. Smoking is allowed. Menu is written on a rusty blackboard. Waiting services are efficient, yet not overwhelmingly friendly. It's not comfortable. It's quite loud.

However, this IS the place anyone should go eat if ever in Barcelona. El Portolés, C/ Diputació, 375.

So why should one set foot there? Because this IS Barcelona. It's a local restaurant for locals. This is where locals go eat. Because it's typical yet not pretentious.

Food is excellent and rapidly served. Cuisine is nothing but traditional. The menu basically entails anything that may be considered typical Catalan (botifarra amb seques) or Mediterranean diet (salad, fresh fish, vegetables...). And most importantly, as well, prices are more than reasonable.

So if you are not a local, you may wonder why one may see a line outside this small place even before 2pm (which is pretty early for a lunch in Barcelona). Just don't wonder any more, get in and enjoy! It won't be the best food ever, neither will it be the most elegant room you'll ever enter. Nonetheless, you'll be a local for a while. You'll see the typical atmosphere of a Catalan restaurant. You'll eat the stuff locals eat on a daily basis. You won't be ripped off. In sum, you won't be fooled by the design of the place into a standard rum-of-the-mill quality meal for guiris, local slang for foreigners.

And you'll eat pretty well. Very well. Even more, you'll see probably one of the few waiters that does not need to take notes at all. And he won't mistake! Furthermore, English is not spoken, so you may have a chance to practise your Spanglish!

So if when travelling you like getting to know the places rather than merely visiting stones and museums, this is one place you definitely have to go. You won't be disappointed. What's more, you'll want to go back! (In any case, there must a reason why my dad has been eating in this place thrice a week for the last 20 years). And don't forget to ask for your carajillo de Baileys before leaving!