Be not afraid. Although in the ever-so-trendy neighborhood of El Borne, Bar del Pla will reward your efforts. This is probably the best tapes I’ve had in Barcelona. The chorizo y asado and squid ink croquettes were simply amazing. As in, crispy outside, smooth inside, flavor bombs. Their octopus bombas were great, though eclipsed by the grilled octopus. And of course they have the fantastically fresh l’Escala anchovies – is that even a question? You can get on tap local favorites like Estrella Damm, but they also carry one of Barcelona’s on-trend craft beers in rotation. Although I’m a craft beer fan for the most part, when in Spain I want the traditional offerings – some of the best clear beers on the planet. A real revelation here was the xampis wasabi: a salad of paper-thin mushrooms with strawberries and a well-balanced wasabi dressing. Sounds crazy, looks crazy, tastes awesome. This place is a must – it was hard to resist eating there every day. Most recent visit July 2015.

Address: Bar del Pla, Carrer Montcada 2, 08003 Barcelona, Spain