Restaurant: Toto

Toto
C/ Valencia 246 (Eixample Izquierda)
Tel. 934-67 67 29
http://ilovetoto.es/

Toto is right accross the street from Cornelia and next to Crusto bakery. The decoration is really nice and thought through, but I can't help but think that I've seen this style in so many other restaurants in Barcelona in the last 2 years. Surprisingly, the owner of Toto is the same as Crusto's, which explains the excellent bread basket.

While in most Barcelona restaurants all the interesting dishes are on the starters menu and the main courses are just a fill-in, in Toto the main courses are the best part: Heavy meat stews with generous gravies and side dishes, everything well cooked and tender. Perfect food for a cold winter's night!

The staff is very sweet and they clearly want to make the clients feel welcome, but unfortunately fail in their task. Aperitifs come after first course, white wine ordered for first course comes together with the red ordered for the meat etc. Nothing too bad but not correct either for these prices.

Restaurant: La Malandrina

La Malandrina
Carrer de l'Almirall Cervera, 5 (Barceloneta)
Tel: +34-603621939

If you ever crave for a good steak in Barcelona, this Uruguayan restaurant offers an authentic atmosphere and good value for money. The staff is really frendly and with barely 10cm between the small tables you will most probably end up sharing your opinion on the day's meat with the neighbors.

One of the best things about this restaurant is that there are people having dinner already at 19:30. For peak lunch hour or dinner, a table reservation is highly recommended.

E's favorite: Vacio al punto with cream potatoes.

Restaurant: Ikibana

Ikibana (Japanese-Brazilian)
Paseo de Picasso 32 (Borne)
tel: 932 956 732
http://www.ikibanagastroclub.es/


Japanese-Brazilian? Japanese style food, Brazilian drinks and good relaxed service!
Menu de degustacion recommended.

Restaurant: Indochine Ly Leap

Indochine Ly Leap
c/Muntaner 82
tel: 934 511 796
http://www.indochinebarcelona.com/


Ly Leap offers you oriental atmosphere with very nice food to match it!
Ask one of the tables surrounded by water - and ladies, you might find it bit tricky to get to those tables wearing a skirt...

Restaurant: Mosquito

Mosquito (dim sum)
c/ Carders 46 (Borne)
tel: 932 687 569
http://www.mosquitotapas.com/


Dim sum, dumplings and good selection of beer - enough said! Do book (well) in advance!

Restaurant: Tapas 24

Tapas 24
c/ Diputacion 269 (corner of Passeig de Gracia)
http://www.tapas24.net/


Carles Abellan's tapas "bar" - same family as Comerc24, but much more relaxed atmosphere.
Bikini (ham&cheese sandwich) is a MUST...
No table reservations, try to come early to catch a table without queueing.

Restaurant: Komomoto

Komomoto (Nikkei: Japanese-Peruvian)
c/ Princesa 35 (Born)
tel: doesn't really matter, they don't take reservations

They don't take reservations, so come early (by 9:30pm) or be prepared to wait by the bar with some excellent drinks.

Ceviches are must! (the meat one is also nice) - in addition, go easy on traditional sushi and try the other great stuff on the menu. [they give you the menus and a piece of paper and a pen, then you just mark the numbers of the dishes you want and hand the paper to the staff]

Restaurant: Cornelia & Co

Cornelia & Co
c/ Valencia 225 (between Balmes and Rambla Catalunya)
tel: 932 723 956
http://www.corneliaandco.com/

Cornelia is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just for a coffee or glass of wine. It's combination of deli, picnic store, cafe and restaurant - and a cheese room just to make sure all fronts are covered!

Restaurant: Tempura Ya

Tempura Ya (Japanese)
c/Muntaner 153 (between Corsega and Rossello)
tel: 934 193 182

One of the "historical Japanese restaurants" in Barcelona, not cheap at all but you still get good value for your money as they serve excellent food! Yaki udon is a must for starters. Booking a table recommended.

Verdejo goes well with Japanese food

Restaurant: Senyor Parellada

Senyor Parellada (Catalan)
c/Argenteria 37 (Borne)
tel: 933 105 094
http://www.senyorparellada.com/

Traditional Catalan dishes in a nice atmosphere with a good service, for dinner on Friday or Saturday - do book in advance.

Restaurant: Dolso

Dolso
c/Valencia 227 (close to Rambla Catalunya)
tel: 934 875 964

As the name suggests, known for their desserts - but also serve good creative cuisine. Lunch highly recommended!

Restaurant: L'olla de Sichuan

L'olla de Sichuan (Chinese / HOTPOT ! ! !)
c/Aragon 224 (Plaza Dr. Letamendi)
tel: 935 031 888

After last autumn's trip to China and all the great food experiences from there, hotpot being one of them - it was GREAT to find a hotpot serving restaurant right at your home square!

Very popular among Chinese, which is always a nice sign - and no wonder, hotpot is very good and variety good. Choose the broth flavors (make sure either one of them is hot) and you are set to go. If you like spicy food, ask for some more "picante" sauce to add to your hotpot or just to dip.

Good for lunch, good for dinner!

Our "modest" Sunday lunch

Restaurant: Kin Sushibar

Kin Sushibar
c/Provenca 97
www.kinsushibar.com
tel: 933 630 791

Good variety of sushis, nice atmosphere and ok prices - sounds like a nice place and it is!
Downstairs you feel more like in sushibar, upstairs more like in a restaurant - you choose.

Downstairs

Some of our sushis, upstairs

Restaurant: Tafi

Tafi (Argentinian)
c/ Corcega 68 (between Entenca and Rocafort)
www.tafi.es
tel: 934 196 930

We have a great Argentinian meatshop at our plaza, they have really good beef - so went there to ask where do they think one can have THE best steak in town. "Easy, in our restaurant - Tafi."

Nothing fancy, but hey - it's all about great, quality steak. Sorry about the pic, couldnät find any decent one (we use the blog to record the contact details for ourselves :).

Creps Barcelona

Creps a Barcelona (creps)
www.crepsabarcelona.com
4 locations, we tried the boqueria one

Perfect take-away food: creps, either salty or sweet. One with goat cheese, salad (or was it spinach) and honey was absolutely great! Plus their package for take-away is really handy. Do try when doing your shopping at boqueria - or as a quick snack between some shopping.

Restaurant: Il Montello

Il Montello (Italian)
Via Laietana 42
tel: 933 103 526
www.milisa.com

Il Montello belongs to the same group as "Al Passatores" and offers Italian food. Pizzas are very good, but there is something in Bella Napoli (in both of them) that still will remain the #1 place for pizzas for BCNjoy.

Restaurant: La Tomaquera

La Tomaquera
c/ Margarit 58 with c/Magallanes (Poble Sec)
tel: -

La Tomaquera offers good food in taverna atmosphere - serving and hazzle is like a side show.
Snails are they speciality. Go early or be prepared to wait for a good while before you get a table.

Restaurant: PimPam Burger

PimPam Burger ("fast- BUT GOOD -food"
c/Sabateret 4 (Born, just off the c/Rec)
www.pimpamplats.com

PimPam Burger offers quality hamburgers made of good and fresh ingredients - simple and VERY tasty! You find it just off the calle Rec (where PimPam plats is).

S&S enjoying their burgers...

Restaurant: Cervecería Catalana

Cervecería Catalana (tapas)
c/Mallorca 236 (close to Rambla Catalunya)
tel: 932 160 368

Cervecería Catalana offers a great variety of good quality tapas - in a busy and nice atmosphere. Be prepared to wait for a while to get a table, but with some cava the waiting is not that bad at all, check the pic below. Place is always full during lunch and dinner time; plenty of locals, but also visitors as the place is appearing in variety of guides.

Waiting for the table with some cava can be quite fun

Our jolly Jan 1st -lunch

E checking out what to try next

Restaurant: Tuset (27)

Tuset
c/ Tuset 27 (close to Balmes/Diagonal)
tel: 932 009 129

Tuset is part of the Corest Slow Foods (L'Olivé, Paco Meralgo, etc...) and offers a really nice atmosphere for a dinner - warm evening at the terrace! However, with 100e for a dinner for 2 you could expect more. Or then it's just the "above Diagonal" prices - anyway, setting is nice and food is good... perhaps not just worth the full price.

Our table at terrace

Coffees in the rain...
[photo by Alessandro]