The next installment in what’s become my weekly post about my trip to Spain is all about the food. Did I mention that we had fabulous food during our two weeks in Spain? Pretty sure I did and it’s true! I tried to take photos of the great food we had but sometimes I forgot. I did get some good food shots and some come with stories too.
The food markets in Spain are filled with seafood, meats, nuts, candy, fruits, vegetables as well as food stands where you can sit at a counter and have a little snack while you do your fresh food shopping. We went to three of these markets but for one of the markets in Madrid we were there too early. I had hoped to find a leather goods shop at this market near the Lavapies metro stop but it was too early on Sunday morning and there were only a few stands open, so I did not take photos. But I did get a few photos of the other two markets we visited. They were Atarazanas market in Málaga and La Boquería in Barcelona. Click on any image in any gallery to see a larger photo and the gallery itself.
Atarazanas market in Málaga:
La Boquería, Barcelona:
We had tapas frequently as meals but we did have some other meals too. For example, the best paella I ever had was at Cafe Varela in Madrid and the service there is impeccable. They also have an excellent breakfast buffet which is pricey so Miss M and I only went once and absolutely loved it! Hubby did not want to join us that morning. Another great meal was at Vinoteca Moratin in Madrid where we ate with my blogger friend from Te Veo en Madrid. You must reserve a table for this restaurant as it’s very popular and not very big. My friend made our reservations two weeks in advance. Another fabulous meal that we enjoyed was at Pura Brasa in Barcelona. We liked it so much that we went back a second time two nights later and it was just as good! We had a fun waiter at Taverna del Bisbe in Barcelona which, by the way, has THE best crema catalana in the known universe. Take my word for it. We had fun and delicious eating experiences all over Spain.
What follows is a conglomeration of some of the food we had in Spain, a couple of restaurant shots and a few people shots.
Food in Málaga and Córdoba:
Food in Madrid:
Barcelona food:
This last gallery consists of what is now a special place for us. Hubby had his first boquerones here six years ago when we stopped for refreshment after sightseeing in Barcelona and he’s been eating them ever since. Taverna del Bisbe is right next to the cathedral so it was easy to find. Hubby attempted to tell the waiter about his initiation into boquerones but I don’t think he understood. He smiled a lot and was a most jovial server. When I started to order one crema catalana he asked “Una?” meaning “only one?” sort of giggling. I laughed and answered yes. Miss M and I had the same desserts that we had six years ago as well and once again, they were excellent. When we paid and started to leave our waiter shook each of our hands and thanked us profusely. He was so much fun on our last day in Barcelona. Here’s what we ate at Taverna del Bisbe:
Eating in Spain is one of the highlights of traveling there. I have not had any bad food ever in Spain. I highly recommend all the restaurants that I mentioned above. Cafe Varela and Vinoteca Moratin in Madrid, Pura Brasa and Taverna del Bisbe in Barcelona. Casa Aranda for churros y chocolate in Málaga and definitely try something sweet from Lepanto in Málaga. We also had nice meals at El Viejo Pop and Tapa Tapa, both in Barcelona. One rule of thumb we use when looking for a place to eat: are there many locals eating there? If there are, you’ve probably found a good spot. We also take a look at the menus to see if there are enough items that are appealing.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my food tour. What is your favorite from the photos above? Or if your favorite is not shown here, do tell me about it. I’d love to know your favorite foods.
travels with toby 