Tapas for 16 in Barcelona

[alabama ghost]

Hi!

 

We'll be in Barcelona on May 14 and are looking for a good place for our group of 16 to go for tapas. So many of the places seem to be a stand up bar kind of place but we'd like one where we could all sit together and order. It would be great if we could find a place that would take reservations, too.

 

Anyone with a recommendation?

 

Thanks,

Pam

[cruisegermany]

In the old days, these small snack items were used to cover glasses of wine to protect them from falling leaves or insects. Today tapas are still snacks and the entire fun is to pick your favourite ones from the display at the bar. Better that one with tuna, this one with ham, this one look mouthwatering and even this one here with salmon! Well - I'll have them all :-)

 

Tapas are mainly taken at the bar - this can also be fun when you're travelling with 15 other people. My advice: don't do too much of planning, just walk and let Barcelona mesmerize your senses, stop wherever you like and if you chose to walk a bit off the beaten paths where the locals go, you'll find the more authentic lifestyle and food instead of tourist traps at Placa Catalunya, Passeig de Gracia and other popular locations.

 

Be spontaneous and live the moment. Barcelona is bursting with lovely places to eat! Enjoy your tapas!

[Pet Nit Noy]

We'll be in Barcelona on May 14 and are looking for a good place for our group of 16 to go for tapas. So many of the places seem to be a stand up bar kind of place but we'd like one where we could all sit together and order. It would be great if we could find a place that would take reservations, too.

 

Anyone with a recommendation?

 

Look at Centric Canalla (Mayor de Sarria, 95). This is one of the restaurants/bars in the Centric group. I know this place has a large back room since I attended a private party held there. The private room doesn't have quite the atmosphere of the smaller rooms at the front of the place, but that seems a small thing to give up for good food and enough space for the group.

 

There are two additional wrinkles about this place. The web site is entirely in Spanish (maybe Catalan) with no option to switch to English. My host is bilingual so he could have coped in either language. You'll have to explore whether someone at the restaurant will be able to help you if you aren't fluent in Spanish/Catalan.

 

I've provided the address of the place, but both Google maps and the web link to a map from the restaurant's own web site don't seem to be right. The first takes you to a location on Carrer Major de Sarria located far away from any familiar streets or landmarks. The restaurant's web site takes you to the headquarters of for the Centric restaurant group. Useless. Trip Advisor's map shows the location as being off La Rambla closer to the Placa de Catalunya end of that street, which would be a great central location. Specifically, the icon shows the restaurant located near Carrer des Tallers. Thinking about where we walked, I think the Trip Advisor location is correct, but, clearly you'll need to have that pinned down.

 

Here's the URL for the restaurant:

http://www.gruposantelmo.com/restaurantes/el-canalla-y-el-villano/

 

Notice that the name of the restaurant in the URL is El Canalla y El Villano. However, if you look through all the photos on the web site, the name painted on the window of the restaurant is simply El Canalla.

 

Sorry my recommendation comes with so many issues, but your large group is a mismatch for the size of typical tapas places in Barcelona. Straightforward restaurants would open up more possibilities.

[MADflyer]

My absolute favorite place for tapas in all of Spain is Ciudad Condal. While sitting 16 together at the same table would be tuff, I would think they could get you in the same section together.

 

http://en.yelp.ch/biz/ciudad-condal-Barcelona

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d1059712-Reviews-Ciudad_Condal-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

 

They have a location near plaza Catalunya and then a second location further up in the Eixample. It is larger and both popular with tourists and locals alike.

[campolady]

Hi!

 

We'll be in Barcelona on May 14 and are looking for a good place for our group of 16 to go for tapas. So many of the places seem to be a stand up bar kind of place but we'd like one where we could all sit together and order. It would be great if we could find a place that would take reservations, too.

 

Anyone with a recommendation?

 

Thanks,

Pam

 

Tapas are meant to be eaten stood at the bar not at a table.

 

Some places will serve them at tables (at a higher cost) but on a first come first served arrangement not with pre-booking. A table for 16 will not be easy to find as it would be regarded as a restaurant booking not for Tapas.

Edited April 12, 2014 by campolady

[samavarcruiser]

Seating in a pre-booked restaurant can't be more opposite to the authentic "tapas spirit".

Tapas is not really typical from Barcelona, so most tapas bars are just tourist traps.

Have fun planing and look for something different then a Tapas :)

Edited April 12, 2014 by samavarcruiser

[MADflyer]

*Notice to OP, I posted my recommendation, but just felt urged to provide some additional information for those viewing this thread with regards to tapas.

 

 

Spain is one of the most innovative and diverse culinary cultures in the world and is inspiring chefs the world over.

 

Along with this movement, the tapa, while maintaining traditional roots has expanded to include a wide variety of establishments and by many is viewed more as a style of 'dining' then just a bar hopping amenity.

 

Ciudad Condal is very 'authentic' but has taken the best from all regions of Spain and improved upon it. They also staff a great number of the local Philippine community so English is never a problem. The white jacketed waiters(& waitresses) serve tapas in the most professional manner.

 

The 'tapas' style of dining is now of course available globally.

 

In Madrid one of my favorite places is a fusion place Le Cabrera, where a French chef has fusion-tapas. Then I enjoy the 'stand at bar' or sit at 'table' at the very 'traditional' Bocaito.

 

http://bocaito.com/en/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d1950164-Reviews-Gastrobar_Le_Cabrera-Madrid.html

 

While I do not personally know such a place in Barcelona, the tapa has even been taken to the highest level with the recently Three Michelin stared Diverxo in Madrid. This along with the many Basque variations on the tapa have been taking the culinary world by storm.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d1029107-Reviews-Diverxo-Madrid.html

 

 

Even here in Switzerland a 'tapa style' social restaurant and bar is now among the most popular in Lausanne.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188107-d4041174-Reviews-or20-Eat_Me_Restaurant-Lausanne_Vaud.html#REVIEWS

[alabama ghost]

:DThanks for all your help. Keep it coming! We were there about 5 years ago and a group of 12 of us just went out, found a place where we could all sit down. We ordered various types of tapas, passed them around, pitchers of sangria, had a great time! Had no idea this was against the tapas tradition, just had a great time! Some of our group have difficulty waking long distances which is why we wanted somewhere we could just send by cab if necessary. We'll be on the Azamara Quest and most likely will have a shuttle to the foot of Las Ramblas, so any recommendations close to there or where some can go by cab? We don't necessarily need to pre-book a table, just wanted to go somewhere it was possible to sit down.

 

Thanks so much!:cool:

[MADflyer]

A good place down in that area. Not my personal preferred zone, but is closer.

http://www.loscaracoles.es/

 

They have a tapas menu for every 4 guests that can be ordered to get a sampling of specialties.

 

Also, Fideua a small pasta version of Paella is very typical to the region. Touristy, but can turn to left from there and head over toward Barcelonetta.

 

100s of choices.

 

http://www.calpinxo.com/en/

http://www.merenderodelamari.com/index.php?lang=en#

 

and then some simpler places out toward Barceloneta.

http://www.larros.es/

[4774Papa]

There is a great place located a short walk North of the square where the Cathedral in the Bari Gothic region is located. There is a covered market there. Located on the corner of a large market about 100 yards east of the Cathedral Square, across the street from the Gothic area. The name of the restaurant was Cuines Santa Caterina.

 

For dining in the evening, the restaurant ATN, just off Las Ramblas (north end) near where there are some Roman tombs, is excellent.