La Boquiera is a must visit for food lovers. It is one of the world's best food markets. You can find it in the La Rambla, Barcelona's most popular pedestrian shopping area. I was in awe with the colourful stall displays of sweets, meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. You could be happy just to soak up the busy market atmosphere but I'm sure you would be seduced with the amazing smells of food permeating in the market and end up at one of the amazing food bars in the market.
Walk straight down the market and you will find Barcentral. It is famous for fresh seafood dishes cooked right in front of you. The bar is almost always full and the wait is about 5 to 10 minutes long to get a seat. The staff speak good English and are very helpful. A staff was outside the bar to make sure I was in line to get a seat.
As soon as I sat down, Sandra was quick to wipe down the counter and replace the used paper mat with a new one. She was very friendly and took my order straight away. I could see that all the customers enjoyed their food immensely and everyone looked satisfied. Tourists were also taking photo of their food and the surroundings, myself included.
I started off with my Estrella beer, which had a crisp and refreshing taste. This is my favourite Spanish beer and goes well with seafood and tapas. It was a shame that not all restaurants had Estrella. The best time to have it is whilst having your tapas outside in the sun really.
The fried potato chips were fried to perfection and had rough bits of salt on it. I didn't have any problem finishing it as it tasted great. I actually wanted Patatas Braves (Potato cubes in a spicy sauce) which is a signature dish in Spain but they sold out.
Next I had the Tortilla or Spanish Omelette. I am guessing it had corguettes in it. Surprisingly the Tortilla was savoury in a seafood kind of way. Maybe the chef thought that the ingredients could make it taste like seafood, very sophisticated I have to say.
The dish was also served with Tomato Bread, a simple yet tasty dish; a perfect accompaniment with any Tapas dish. It was rustic and I wish they gave me more. I could live with tomato bread and Spanish red wine alone.
The main dish was the Seafood Mix which had mussels, clams, prawns, razor clams and squid. It was cooked to perfection . It had a light coating of olive oil and herbs but the taste of the seafood was the star of the show. This dish sums up Barcelona food really well; really fresh ingredients cooked in a simple and fast style to bring up the natural taste of the ingredients.
What is great about La Boquiera is that Barcentral is not the only great food bar in the market. I also went to Universal which was just as excellent in its own way. Make sure to bookmark my blog or subscribe by e-mail. Adios , till nextime!
