Eating through Spain and Portugal
A trip around Spain, taking in Barcelona, Madrid and Granada, and ending in Lisbon, Portugal, is packed with gastronomic delights and adventure
An ochre-yellow light accents the Sagrada Familia’s odd angles, strange corners and looming cranes. Sitting on a bench overlooking one of Barcelona’s most famous buildings the cerise strawberry helado from a nearby heladería or ice-cream parlour is sweet, cold and refreshing after a hot day traipsing around the packed city.
The area crawls with tourists and tapas restaurants nakedly profiteer from both their ignorance and the proximity to Gaudí’s masterpiece-inconstruction.
Sadly, Spain’s delightful food scene is laced with expensive, oily and tasteless mimics. It’s easy for the unwary traveller to be lured in by their deceptively authentic-looking interiors and miss out on the real gems: the jamon glistening ruby with strips of ivory fat, the coin-like slices of creamy octopus, and the simple but delicious pan con tomate — a thin slice of toasted sourdough rubbed with a slice of tomato.
Here are meals and restaurants burned into my memory from my honeymoon tour of Spain and Lisbon.
Barcelona
I loved and hated this seaside city. It’s on a million bucket lists and jammed with a revolting number of tourists dumped ashore by the passing cruise ships.
When we were there, the antitourist riots had just ended. They were fuelled by residents’s anger over unsustainable growth in the tourism sector that includes rising rents for locals, the effects on their everyday life and increasing pollution. But the city was still peppered with anti-tourist graffiti and (little did we know) slowly simmering with the rage that would coincide with the Catalan independence movement.
The city’s energy swept us up and wrung us out, with some memorable meals on the way. If nothing else, a fresh fruit juice from the food market La Boqueria should be on your list. Here are some other spots (and dishes) you shouldn’t miss.
La Paradeta: This unpretentious eatery has echoes of Kalk Bay in its approach to seafood: fresh and sizzling. The long queue snaking down the quiet street gives a good idea of the affordable deliciousness inside, but what we didn’t expect was the weird and wonderful array of marine life to choose from — razor clams, lan- goustines, crabs as big as your head. Select a raw something from their countertop, take a seat and wait for the freshest meal of your life.
Bar del Pla: This slice of heaven, nestled in the hipster neighbourhood El Born and metres away from the Picasso museum, cannot be missed. Creamy mackerel with shiso leaf and beef cheek were two tapas that should be on your bucket list.
Quimet y Quimet: This bar is as big as a broom cupboard and specialises in tapas made from tinned food. A firm favourite were the anchovies with peaches, olive oil-drenched razor clams and fat white asparagus topped with salmon and cheese.
Madrid
ramen. By the time we left the street was filled with hopefuls queuing for a meal. We spotted the pork buns on every table.
Chocolateria San Gilés: Who can visit Spain without eating churros? This crispy fried pastry is delicious dipped in small glasses of thick hot chocolate, but many locals have it with an espresso instead.
Granada
This small Spanish town has been occupied for millennia. Its cobbled, tiled and narrow crooked streets are fit only for pedestrians and are populated with wide-eyed feral cats. With a heavy Moroccan influence, you’ll find an authentic lamb tagine hits the spot after wandering the market souks or, best of all, a shawarma filled with olives, feta and the usuals.
At €6 for a meal and drink, my regret is that I had only one of the creamy Granadian shawarmas. Best of all, tapas are free with every beer you order.
It’s easy to fill up on unexpected deliciousness, such as crumbed eggplant chips, simply by ordering a drink or two. My favourite treat was cassata, a rectangular slab of ice cream served in a cone from Heladería los Italianos — especially delicious after a day walking the legendary fortress and palace, the Alhambra.
(Fun fact: Granada means “pomegranate” and you’ll spot pomegranates all over the official city insignia and signage.)
Lisbon