Blavis

Barcelona

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DESTINATIONS spain barcelona Dining Blavis

Blavis

Tucked away on a small side street, Blavis offers a truly unique culinary experience in an intimate and cosy atmosphere. The owners, Paco and Marc, are an attentive and warm duo. Together they offer simple yet mouthwatering tapas dishes with Italian and Japanese influences. The place is indeed small and seats only 18 people, so booking in advance is highly recommended.

Dining

The easiest thing is to divide Barcelona's overwhelming range of restaurants into two categories: the new and the old. Some of the world's most modern restaurants, managed by the world's most innovative chefs (the most famous is Ferrán Adrià) can be found here, but there is also traditional Catalonian cuisine, which, despite being heavy on occasion, includes very good vegetable dishes: samfaina, a kind of ratatouille; escalivada, grilled, peeled peppers, aubergines, and onions; espinacs a la Catalana, spinach fried with garlic, pine nuts, and raisins, among others. Best known is the simple rustic pa amb tomàquet: a slice of bread with olive oil, salt, and freshly crushed tomatoes. "The new ones" in particular may be expensive, but many of the best-known chefs' apprentices have now opened their own lower-priced restaurants. Generally speaking, "the old ones" provide better value for money, although even the traditional restaurants know how to charge. You should always reserve a table in Barcelona, and dinner here is not served until 9 pm.