I’ve actually eaten tapas before, but only in Toronto and Berlin. As such, I didn’t really think any of those times could be counted as an “authentic” experience. No matter how much you’d like to convince yourself, nothing is ever better than the real thing.
To truly experience regional cuisine at its very best, you need to go to the source. So in order to lose my “tapas virginity”, I needed to head to Spain. Along came September, as well as my birthday, so I made my way to Barcelona for a week.
Thanks to suggestions from awesome people online, I decided that my first tapas outing would be at Tapas 24.
Eating At Tapas 24 In Barcelona Spain
When I arrived, the place was jammed packed and the hostess informed me that a wait for a table may be up to an hour. I shyly admitted that I was by myself. Instead of the usual look of surprise, she said “Lucky you, we have a spot at the bar.”
Settling in, my first order of business was to order a glass of wine and decide what I was going to eat. To my delight, the menu items were written on a cute little chalkboard. Since my comprehension of the Spanish language doesn’t extend much beyond the basics (like hola and hasta mañana) to the slightly more sophisticated (una cerveza, por favor), I required the help of my waiter in translating the details of the menu.
What did I end up ordering? A strange combination of food to say in the least. But if you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you’re already aware that I’m weird. My only vegetarian dish was aubergines dipped in honey and lemon. Absolutely freaking delicious!
Then I had some Korean chicken wings. I’m not sure how this qualifies as a tapas item, but it’d been a long time since I’d had either Korean food or chicken wings and I couldn’t resist trying it out. Awesome was the fact that the bones had already been removed and I could eat chicken wings like a “real lady”, using my knife and fork. The wings were pretty darn good, but I’d expected them to be much spicier.
Lastly was a deep-fried rabbit! Yep, I went there – I’ve eaten horse meat before so this wasn’t a stretch. Gnawing on piece after piece of rabbit wasn’t easy though. Unlike the chicken wings, there was no way to be dainty or elegant. I was a trooper and made it through, much as if I were eating a messy döner kebab in front of the guy on our first date. The rabbit was disappointingly bland, saved only slightly by the tasty dipping sauce.
For the amount of money I paid to eat at Tapas 24 in Barcelona, I’d have expected the food to have tasted so much much better. If anything, I now have another excuse to return to Spain in order to make up for this bad first-time encounter with tapas. I should have known better right? The first time is never that good.
Have you been to Tapas 24 in Barcelona? Do you have any other suggestions about where to eat in Barcelona?
Location
Good To Know
1) If you need somewhere to stay while you’re in Barcelona, check out options with booking.com.
Booking.com2) Looking for something to do in Barcelona? Go on a guided tour.
3) If you like travelling in Europe as much as I do, give some of my other articles a read:
- Journey To Middle Earth At The Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland – Go deep underground on a journey to “Middle Earth” to see the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland, which includes a cathedral made entirely of salt.
- Some Exciting Things To Do in Edirne Turkey – Why visit Edirne? A magnificent mosque, Ottoman cuisine, a rare Jewish synagogue, & more. Read this guide of things to do in Edirne Turkey.
- Visit Burano Italy: A Guide About What To Do & Where To Eat/Sleep – Visit Burano Italy – let this photo-filled guide be your inspiration about what to do and where to eat/sleep on this dreamy Italian island.
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I find tapas restaurants to be really hit or miss. As is tapas in general in Spain. It’s always fresh but I don’t always like the way it’s prepared.
@Andrea – really wish I had a better experience there. Maybe next time!
Ahh the look you get when you say table for one… is killer lol!!! It does make things easier though….
Im glad you got to finally eat tapas in Spain… ah they are so good & come in many shapes and forms!!!
@Jaime – True, but definitely gets easier after a while. And I snagged that table.
I need to return to Spain. Hoping Madrid next time.
I’ll be traveling alone, as is my M.O., and if I wants the phoode, I’m gonna go git the food, all funny looks be damned. 🙂
Cheryl, I’m sorry that the experience in Barca wasn’t up to par. However, it is possible to have a good first experience.
I’m completely biased, because I broke bread in Granada in southern Spain. It was a relatively simple introduction, but I hadn’t “simple” food taste that delicious in a very long time.
In Madrid, I had a friend take me on a “tapas tour” which was excellent, because not only I was able to try out a specialty in every joint, we ended up at a mid-sized place and we had our fill of different tapas not found anywhere else.
@fotoeins – thanks for the comment. I’m long over that look and I know they think I’m weird, but I dine alone in romantic or popular places nonetheless. I’m all about the food. And it gives you a chance to people watch!
Glad you had a better experience. Hopefully, my next visit to Spain will be a better one. 🙂
I love tapas in Spain. Particularly the pintxos in the Basque region. Glad you got to experience it finally. And, congratulations – now that you’ve had it, you’ll keep craving it, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
@Sherry – thanks! Glad I finally got to try it as well … just wish it had been better. So for now, no cravings. 🙂
I’m still laughing about your last line 🙂
That’s a good way to look at it. Need to go back and try again.
@Stephanie – Well, I aim to please and am glad I was able to make you laugh! Ha ha.
Your last line made me burst out loud. I can’t believe they weren’t good. I’ve had good tapas in Germany and in Canada as well, so would have thought they would have been amazing in Spain.
@Laurel – Ha ha. Glad you got a lunch time giggle. 😀
You should’ve seen some of the weird tapas I’ve eaten in Berlin and Dresden! Really really strange. I hope to visit Madrid on my next visit and mayyybbbe, just maybe it might taste better.
Well, at least all of the pictures make them look really tasty? I’m off to Spain in January and I plan to make the trip tapas-tastic….the only ones I’ve had before were in Dresden, so it’s time for the real deal!
@Jackie – I had tapas at a resto in Dresden as well! Maybe we were at the same place? 🙂
The aubergines were super good and the remaining dishes were OK! Hope you have a fun time in Spain, good tapas or not. 🙂
Ha ha, Love this post! Tapas really make the world go round – at least make my stomach super happy! Glad you lost your virginity – they are addicting!
@Jade – thank you! It was a fun post to write … I was giggling when I clicked on the Publish button. I’m hoping my second time will be better. It has to be … just has to!
Love the sound of the aubergine! I’ve not been to a Tapas bar but would like to. Always afraid I’ll walk out hungry