I must admit I have not been very lucky so far in my search for a good place to eat in Barcelona. When I have to decided not to rely on the guide and look for a restaurant on my own, indeed, I have never been very satisfied with my pick. Of course, it is not that I have been treated badly or the food was completely disgusting. Although, for one reason or another, I have never been so pleased with the meal to end up saying that I would soon return in the same place. I was sure that this sort of curse was going to end on the day of my tour for La Barceloneta, an area which is quite renowned for its restaurants and tapas bar. Not quite so: unfortunately, once again I had to content myself with a meal which was not completely up to standard.
Actually, this time I had probably made the right pick, as the good locals are so abundant in the narrow streets of La Barceloneta that it is almost impossible not to come across in one of them at least. And indeed I had found a tiny tapas bar, called La Cova Fumada, which looked really inviting. Unfortunately, the place was so small and crowded that people were literally queuing in front of it in order to gain a seat. Being quite hungry and not in the mood to stand waiting, I kept searching, and finally picked out, not very far away, another proimising local, a small but cosy bar called Bitacora. Also in this case, though, there was apparently no room for me, so I had to content myself with the bar La Tasqueta, located right opposite the former one.
Right from the outset, I had the feeling that once more I had not been very lucky with my pick. The setting, indeed, though not unpleasant was not particularly looked after. Similarly, the service was quite polite but it was possible to hear unpleasant discussion in the staff room. On this basis, I thought it better to limit my order to just a portion of patatas bravas, awaiting the outcome of this first dish. Actually, the bravas were not that bad, probably home-made, but nothing special, while the sauces were not home-made at all. As a result, I decided to put an end to my meal at La Tasqueta, leaving for other people to try the several tapas available from the menu. For truth's sake, I must add that the price, at least, was quite reasonable. Therefore, I think the place is not particularly bad, but wandering for the alleys of La Barceloneta you may easily find a few better locals. Provided they are not already crowded.