Little Plates of Barcelona - TapaÇ 24

Diputacio 269
Barcelona, Spain
Tel: +34 934 880 977

Tapas are a great way to eat. They are miniature foods that are straightforward in taste since there is no space for side kicks. As an eater, you can also flirt between plates without guilt to take in a myriad of flavours and textures.

Barcelona was my first glimpse into the Spanish way of life with tapas. And in my books, it is a good habit to pick up. Delicious morsels that are washed down with some bubbly cava or alcohol of choice, what’s not to love? And with some great company, that is even better. But even if I had to do it alone, I would.

This bar was initially hard to navigate through without English since the menu is neither in English nor in Spanish but only in Catalan. But there are universal languages such as pointing to objects of your desire or making the appropriate animal noises or just throw caution out of the window and point at random items on the menu.

The place had a good buzz. They take no reservations so go early if not wait in line like the two of us did. Peek through the glass windows to survey happy faces and the food on offer but try not to stare. The anticipation, I think, is part of the experience.

They sat us by the bar, and we used our limited Catalan vocabulary of “cava” to start with and then the paper bag menus were presented.

Having read about this place, we know that the bikini C24 – truffle flavoured ham and cheese grilled toast – along with the McFoie – a mini hamburger with foie gras served with a foie gras mayonnaise – are the house signatures, and the for the rest we pointed to what people were eating and guessed with KD’s knowledge of the Spanish language.

The house signatures are “…mmmh!” good. A little injection of gourmet into the everyday fare is a fun and yummy, which should explain why they are a mainstay on the menu. I also discovered artichoke chips. Impeccably fried and lightly snowed with salty flakes these are a seasonal crisp that I consumed at every chance I got. Other plates such as stewed tripe with garbanzo that only I ate and persuaded KD to dip her bread to mop up some sauce, that she did enjoy, stood out from the rest.

* see the whole set here.