Is the Hype Real? Part II
These Viral Barcelona Spots Are Worth Your Time and Money
Sales from our digital zine and any new paid subscriptions for the month of March and April will be going to Liberty Ukraine! Please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only $30 a year. That’s like one shitty cookbook! Upon becoming a paid subscriber you will receive a copy of my Burnt Basque Cheesecake Cookbook Zine!
This is Part II of my Is the Hype Real? series. In my previous post, I shared three places that are currently incredibly popular in the city of Barcelona. My goal is to offer an honest review of Barcelona’s most viral spots so you know whether to spend your hard earned money and limited time waiting in those barely moving lines.
I am reviewing places that are trending with tourists (primarily English speakers due to the influence of English language food and travel media and social media) but also places that are viral and loved by residents of Barcelona, Catalans, and visiting Spanish speakers as a result of local food media and social media.
I stood in line so you don’t have to.
Today we continue with two more spots.
Bar El Tomàs de Sarrià
You won’t find a hoard of tourists here. At least not yet. Bar El Tomàs is located in the heart of the barrio (neighborhood) de Sarrià. No where near the touristy center, the neighborhood of Sarrià has been able to shield itself from the mass tourism that is running rampant in the Gothic Quarter, el Born, el Raval, La Barceloneta, and even Gracià. Tourism certainly keeps some places alive, but this place doesn’t appear to be in any threat with how absolutely bustling the crowd is there. Brush up on your Catalan or Spanish, have a little self awareness, and get ready for an amazing experience!
Bar El Tomàs gained its mass popularity with the locals, visiting Catalans, and folks from nearby regions of Spain when a local foodie Edu González (@bravasbarcelona) deemed them the best place for patatas bravas in all of Barcelona.
Edu wasn’t lying. When I first had them back in 2014, they had me coming back every trip. And so of course I visited them again this March.
The vibes have not changed. Sveta and I were among the few non-Catalan speakers in the whole establishment. Patatas and other tapas, and lunch menu deals kept flying out of the kitchen. We got there around 2pm, at the height of Catalan lunch hour rush. We got a table at the very back of the place next to the kitchen doors, literally where all the action is.
We ordered two drinks and a round of patatas bravas of course. The potatoes were perfectly cooked with a melt in your mouth-like texture covered in a in house made aioli with a perfect punch of raw garlic. Just see for yourself.
Keep in mind that Bar El Tomàs like most Catalan establishments is closed between 4pm and 6:30pm.
Pro Tip: My favorite way to get here is a leisurely walk from the Sants train station. Obviously you can ignore this if you have a metro ticket you need to use up, but to me there is no better way to fall in love with the city than through walking as cliche as that may sound. It is a lovely walk, you have my word.
Bonus Pro Tip: If you arrive and the place is packed. Try going to their sister restaurant just around the corner called Restaurant Ivorra 10. It’s owned by the same folks and you can of course try their delicious bravas there too!
This is a must visit spot for any potato lover.
Food Quality: Superb and Unchanged
Ambience: Retained Traditional Vibes (mostly locals with few tourists)
Return on Investment: High
La Plata
Everyone knows this spot. It has been on endless English and Spanish food television programs. This place was also famously frequented by Anthony Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain had a close working relationship with food writer and co-founder of Roads & Kingdoms, Matt Goulding, who is based in Barcelona.
It is impossible not to stop by here. Even when the place is bursting at the seams with people, literally overflowing onto the streets it sits on. The food has never been bad, not one off day in my experience. I have eaten there at 11am and at 11pm. The quality is always consistent.
This might be due to the very limited 7 item menu at La Plata. My order is always the same; pescaditos (fried little fishes), butifarra (a type of Catalan sausage), and a simple salad made of perfectly ripe tomatoes, white onion and Arbequina olives.
Most important of all is their exceptional house vermut. I always get a bottle to go because that way I can always have a piece of La Plata just a reach away.
Pro Tip: If you like to experience La Plata as empty as it gets, I suggest you visit early morning right when they open. I like to grab a bite there mid day, a pre-lunch appetizer if you will anytime between 11:30am and 12:30pm.
You can’t mention La Plata, without mentioning Pepe Gómez. You won’t find a more hospitable host. Make sure to stand at the bar so you can chat with Pepe since he has over 50 years of knowledge working and lets be honest running the place.
Food Quality: Superb and Unchanged
Ambience: Retained Traditional Vibes (mostly tourists with few locals)
Return on Investment: High
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IF THERE’S A VIRAL SPOT IN YOUR CITY THAT FALLS INTO THIS SAME CATEGORY OF CONTINUING TO PROVIDE QUALITY FOOD AND EXPERIENCE EVEN AFTER THEIR MASS POPULARITY. HAS THE HYPE EVER PROVEN YOU WRONG?
Very interesting!