On our third day in Barcelona, Sugarface and I tried getting into the Picasso Museum, which is free the first Sunday of the month but the line was so atrociously long, we figured we could just spend the day wandering in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. I loved taking in the architecture and narrow alleyways. We made up for Picasso Museum by exploring the Barcelona City History Museum or Museu d’Història de la Ciutat, which provided a modern gateway to the expansive catacombs of Barcelona. The labyrinth-like Roman ruins were a wonder to explore underneath the city!
After we left the undergrounds of Barcelona and when sundown approached, we remembered our friend Amy recommended the bombas at Tapas 24. Bombas are fried potato balls, only three of my favorite things. We walked to Tapas 24 and found a line out the door. It moved pretty quickly and we made friendly conversation with the Dutch family in line after us. They vacation to Barcelona every few years and it was a 1300 km drive. It took them about 14 hours!
Tapas 24 will forever be my first experience of tapas in Spain. We ordered the bombas, the inspiration for our meal and enjoyed them. Again, what’s not to enjoy about a fried potato ball? We followed the balls with a classic and popular tapas dish, the patatas bravas, fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli.
We also ordered the bikini sandwiches. These pressed ham and cheese sandwiches are a Catalonian dish and its namesake is the Bikini concert hall in Barcelona. The bikinis we ordered from Tapas 24 had a black truffle spread, which made them even more indulgent than the usual gooey ham and cheese sandwiches.
Then we went with two restaurant specials. Lamb skewers and the deep-fried hake. Lamb skewers were a nice meaty counter to the potatoes and starches. Wonderfully seasoned and tender.
Finally, I’m glad the deep-fried hake came out last, as it was my favorite dish from our evening. Listed on the menu as fried, I envisioned a battered and deep-fried fish, but the hake was lightly seared so the fish was delicately undercooked. It melted in my mouth and reminded me of pork belly. I giggled in glee when I ate the hake lettuce wrap.
We were seated outside next to the sweet Dutch family I mentioned earlier. They were kind enough to snap a photo of us!
Stay tuned. More about tapas elsewhere next blog post!
Tapas 24 in Barcelona Spain
Carrer de la Diputació, 269, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 88 09 77
http://www.carlesabellan.com/mis-restaurantes/tapas-24/
For more about Barcelona, check out the Barcelona tag.
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