Ranjan P.
Yelp
Our last night in Barcelona, we didn't want to take a taxi and given it was raining, couldn't fathom walking far, and literally walked the equivalent of a quarter black in the maze like Gothik district from our hotel. Stumbled into this cozy, charming dimly lit little place with bricks as walls, and wrought iron hooks on the walls for coats. A tiny bar with gold appointments and old world gilded dark burnished wood tables. Warm, intimate, lit with flickering candles ... this is the epitome of romance. Loved they were playing '70's and '80's music, which we're of the generation to remember those good ole days :-) We sat there primed and ready to eat. We ordered several tapas: fresh anchovies in olive olive: Catalonian tomato bread; toast point with ratatouille & toasted sardine; tuna and garbanzo bean salad. All this sounds yummy, right? Yup, that's why we ordered them--sounded good and delish in theory. Problem: the flavors were flat and disappointing, lackluster, almost inedible. We noticed that everyone was ordering a bottle of wine, and maybe that's the key? To drink so much, that the food magically gets soaked in liquor? We don't drink and didn't have that home court advantage. We almost forced ourselves to eat it, because we were starving, it was late and not many places were open. We filled up on the bread and drank a ton of water. Though the waiter asked if we wanted dessert, I couldn't imagine this maneuver would be any more successful than the appetizers and entree. We skipped it. Overall, the food was beyond disappointing, a bit like the emperor has no clothes. Despite all this, I loved the hushed atmosphere and ambience, quiet and intimate, where conversation is possible without straining, no din, even in a packed restaurant. The service, also, was also excellent. Bottom line: if you want to sit in a gorgeous, romantic little place, something out of a storybook and have a drink, maybe share a bottle of wine, perhaps a bite of dessert, you'll likely leave happy and drunk on life :-)