Advice on my Paris-Barcelona-Paris restaurant itinerary Sept-Oct

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Back in Europe for the first time in 3 years. Three week trip, with the beginning and end in Paris, with 5 days in Barcelona in between (any suggestions at all for Barcelona much appreciated!). Staying in the upper part of the 6th for the first week, in the 11th near Parmentier the final week

I’ve done my homework here (and CH and John Talbott’s site previously) so my first week is fairly developed. Only some of the final week is. Trying to ensure only one “big” meal per day most days, with the occasional two entree-plat-dessert meal days thrown in. Trying to have oysters (for me) with a light fish/salad meal for my wife every 3 days. In the second week in particular, planning to have more sandwiches (or equiv) for many lunches. Oh, and Breizh Café twice because my wife loves it, and I’ll have oysters there once!

What I’ve got so far [Parn, please cover your eyes for Mon 9/26… :wink: ]:

Mon 9/19 Lunch: – Dinner: Jeanne-Aimée or Le 122
Tues 9/20 Lunch: Montée Dinner: Huguette
Wed 9/21 Lunch: Breizh Café Dinner: Virtus
Thur 9/22 Lunch: Mordu Dinner: Chez Michel
Fri 9/23 Lunch: La Condesa Dinner: La Rotonde
Sat 9/24 Lunch: KGB Dinner: Liquide
Sun 9/25 Lunch: Toscanino (Italian sandwiches) Dinner: Le Relais de L’Entrecote
Mon 9/26 Lunch: Huitrerie Regis Dinner: Josephine Chez Dumonet

9/27 - 10/1 In Barcelona

Sun 10/2 Lunch: – Dinner: Pierre-Sang Oberkampf
Mon 10/3 Lunch: Breizh Café Dinner: Granite
Tues 10/4 Lunch: Chez Alain Miam Miam Dinner: Abri
Wed 10/5 Lunch: ??? Dinner: Clown Bar
Thurs 10/6 Lunch: Le Clarence Dinner: Istr
Fri 10/7 Lunch: Le Fleur de Pavé Dinner: Canard & Champagne
Sat 10/8 Lunch: ??? Dinner: ???
Sun 10/9 Lunch: ??? Dinner: ???

Montée, La Condesa, JCD, Pierre-Sang, Clown Bar (& Breizh, Regis) are places we’ve been before. Open to alternatives to Montée and Clown Bar, but the others we’re probably doing. Virtus, Granite and Le Clarence (for my wife’s birthday) are also basically locked in as our 3 “splurges”. The rest all very much open to change.

Only want 2 - 3 trad meals all told. Considering Bouillon Republique near our place for the final Sunday. Was hoping for Origines the first night, based on Parn’s recommendation, but they’re already fully booked at dinner.

Planning to go at least once to the Marché des Enfant Rouges the final week, and trying to figure out where to squeeze in La Grivoiserie (another Parn suggestion) week 1.

My wife doesn’t eat crustaceans, foie gras or offal, so tasting menus at the most challenging/adventurous or no-choice places are out. Otherwise, open to new/different/interesting experiences, especially those unlike we can get here in CA.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

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You may want to look at this page on the L’Abri website:

NOS MENUS SONT SURPRISE ET LEUR COMPOSITION CHANGE RÉGULIÈREMENT.

NOS RECETTES CONTIENNENT DU GLUTEN, DE LA VIANDE, DU POISSON CUIT ET CRU AINSI QUE DES FRUITS DE MERS. DE CE FAIT, NOS MENUS NE CORRESPONDENT PAS AUX VÉGÉTARIENS, VEGAN, CŒLIAQUE, PERSONNES INTOLÉRANTES AUX POISSONS, LÉGUMES CRUS ET CRUSTACÉS.

MERCI DE VOTRE COMPRÉHENSION, N’HÉSITEZ PAS À NOUS CONTACTER POUR PLUS INFORMATIONS.

Not what you see much of any more in Paris, but there it is.

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Thanks. I actually had seen that. It’s a relatively inexpensive meal. Yes my wife might not be able to eat a course, but will probably take our chances. For a more expensive meal I wouldn’t chance it.

The heads-up much appreciated!

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Hi @andygottlieb42, I’ll respond to the Barcelona query and look forward to your Paris review. Looks great to me, though I could only eat one big meal like some of your days a day.

I was in Barcelona last September, and Capet, a favorite I had tried the last time I was there, was still splendid. It’s a real restaurant, as opposed to a tapas place, and I would describe the cooking as modern Spanish. Crazy delicious in my opinion, so if the menu appeals, I would definitely make a reservation: http://capetrestaurant.com/our-menu/?lang=en

For a lunch (or a breakfast), if simply grilled fish and seafood appeals, I highly recommend the Barceloneta gem: La Cova Fumada, C. del Baluard, 56, 08003 Barcelona, Spain (not marked with name, so just peek inside). N.B. It is only open Monday-Friday from the morning through afternoon, when fish runs out. Right now, Trip Advisor is showing evening and Saturday hours (and not that it is closed for August, which it is), but this has never been the case in my experience. Fresh grilled sardines, small clams, shrimp, langoustines along with pan con tomate and the other option a garlic smeared bread are all delicious. If you go in the morning, you can get warm mulled wine with your sardines, and the waiter will pour something alcoholic into your coffee. Shared tables are sometimes a thing, very, very casual. Mornings, you wouldn’t see any tourists!

For tapas I still liked Tapeo (don’t miss the pork ribs) and Bar del Pla, both on C. de Montcada, and for seafood tapas: Bar Canete and Paco Meralgo. I’ve never reserved at any of them except Paco Meralgo, but see you can reserve at both Canete and Tapeo online too, and could call Bar del Pla. You should be able to get a place at any of them, if you go lunchtime; at dinner I’d try booking. Tapeo has a second location where I’ve never been.

Finally, if you will be there on a Sunday, I’d book one of the nice fish restaurants that have terraces on Barcelona; make sure to book a table outside. My favorite is Can Majo (though Can Sol I’ve seen recommended before, but just haven’t eaten there). Make sure to book early for a Sunday lunch, as this is a traditional kind of meal for Spanish people, and make sure to specify the terrace. At Can Majo, again I love the little clams, simply cooked in olive oil and parsley. And although they do make paella here, it is not such a traditional Barcelona dish. I would go for the soupy rice with lobster, shelfish fideua (this is actually noodles that look kind of like rice, delish), or whatever they are offering as a special in the way of a rice dish. I also like the baby squid. Really never had anything that wasn’t fresh and delicious here, and eating out on the terrace is truly a Sunday treat. N.B. Lots of restaurants are closed Sunday evenings (including Can Majo). Paco Meralgo is open Sunday nights, and I will usually book Can Majo early and Paco Meralgo late on a Sunday. Only way I can eat the two meals, though both can be on the light side with the fresh fish and seafood!

Hope you have a splendid trip; Report back, please! (I am back in Barcelona for a few days around Christmas.)

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P.S. Sorry, just reread your post and realize your wife doesn’t eat crustatceans, so no soupy rice with lobster, etc. for you (as this a dish to share), but plenty of other fish dishes or a meat and rice dish, maybe…never had, but guessing it wold be good there!

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Re: Barcelona
First a STRONG recommendation: Mont Bar.
Dishes are seasonal and available a la carte (small dishes), so my May 2022 visit may be entirely different menu. We had
Glass Roederer champagne
Glass Cava Mestres
2020 Knoll Gruner Veltliner (Federspiel not Smaragd )

Crispy chicken skin & squid
Beetroot eel &caviar
Crispy jalapeño w corn
Tuna (this dish a failure ) supposed to be in a uni sauce, but came on a shiso leaf; minced with crispy topping.
Artichoke flower w anchovy & passion fruit sauce
Red prawn w mussels & king oyster mushrooms
Morels w laurentia seaweed cream
Suckling pig terrine w Cantonese sauce

Lavender twister
Strawberries, piquillo peppers and vanilla

Because we mostly went for tasting menus which probably won’t work for you, I’ll speculate on a couple more places.

First (a splurge?) Enigma has just reopened with an a la carte menu. I was there pre-COVID and would have returned, except still hadn’t reopened in May. In ‘before-times’ it was a multi-course experience, but will possibly be even better as an a la carte.

Secondly, my contacts in Spain urged me to go to Taberna Noroeste - but too late for us to reserve. It IS a tasting menu, but they claim to “adapt to certain intolerances and allergies”. Again, this is top of our list for next visit.

Enjoy!

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Thx for the recommendations. We we’ve been once for 6 days, and while I’ve heard of some of your reds, don’t think we’d been to any.

I did try fiduea and wasn’t a big fan; give ma a crusty paella any day!

I’ll check out your recs, and be sure to report back.

Thx much

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I will check out all 3. From your description, Mont Bar sounds great. Thx!

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Your Paris itinerary seems well researched.

Barcelona: I always go back to L’Olive, Ciudad Condal, Cerveceria Catalana, Petit Comite. All in Eixample.

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We did two of the tasting menus last time, and plan to do one this time. There are so many (small) courses in the tasting menus in Barcelona that even if there’s a course or two my wife won’t eat it doesn’t bother her (and means extra bites of lobster or foie gras for me :slight_smile: )

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Problem with paella in Barca is that it almost certainly won’t be “crusty.” Your wife won’t eat the crustaceans in any case.

Hope you have a great trip!

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It has been a number of years since I’ve been to Barcelona but I absolutely loved Disfrutar. I also enjoyed Enigma though less than Disfrutar.

I’d also recommend Can Valles with the same caveat of my experiences being dated,

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2nd Mont Bar - love that place!

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We had a fantastic dinner there in 2019

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Teoric in BCN is less formal but no less delicious restaurant.
https://teoric.cat/

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Booked at Enigma. A la carte menu looks fantastic. Will of course report back how it was

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Hey - two out of two recs. Glad to be of help.
When we were at Enigma the seafood ‘section’ (we moved from station to station) was the highlight. But everything was excellent.

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nice, when we went in 2019 there was no a la carte. but overall experience was great.

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When we were in Barcelona in 2013, one of our favorite places was Cal Pap. But we had to stand in line for an hour to get seats.