Tapa Tapa

There are millions of bars with tapas in Barcelona. Well, not millions, but probably close to that number. And a lot of them have same or similar name, that has to involve the word tapa. The examples that I have encountered so far, are Atrapatapa, Tapa Tapa, Apat Tapa, and so on. Not much creativity there, if you ask me, but they obviously have to tell the potential customers, that they are selling tapas.

So, during my stay in Barcelona, I have tried out several tapas bars. And I somehow bumped into this one by accident. I was visiting another attraction nearby, and when crossing the street, I noticed this place. Since it seemed interesting, I decided to see what exactly they offer, and for what price. And I was not disappointed! The restaurant's name is Tapa Tapa and I think that the tapas that I had there, were the best ones so far. No, who I am lying to? They definitely were the best tapas that I have ever had! And honestly, the location of Tapa Tapa is not bad either. So the title of this entry is totally right.

Where is Tapa Tapa located?

There are a lot of things that are awesome about the Tapa Tapa restaurant, but one of them is really more than a big plus. So, restaurant Tapa Tapa is situated almost opposite one of the Gaudi's famous masterpieces in Barcelona, called Casa Batllo. And there is another Gaudi's masterpiece close to Tapa Tapa, situated just slightly further away that Casa Batllo, called La Pedrera, but is also known as Casa Mila.

To get to Tapa Tapa restaurant, all you have to do, is find a metro station, called Passeig de Gracia, and the Casa Batllo. Casa Battlo should be behind you, and if you look in this direction, Tapa Tapa will be right in front of you. It is impossible to miss it, since there are huge letters with the name Tapa Tapa right above the entrance. Or, you can simply look for a restaurant with a big crowd of people there.

Inside and outside Tapa Tapa

The first thing that I noticed at Tapa Tapa, was quite a lot of people there. So, this is mostly a sign that a certain place is good. Therefore, I decided to give this place a try. When I arrived there, I read what they offer first. And guess what, they offer over one hundred different kinds of tapas! And what is even better for me, all the names were also written in English. What more would you possibly want?

Also, next to each tapa, there was a number. So, when placing your order, you can simply just say the number, without worrying whether you will pronounce the name of the tapa right or not. And, what is even more awesome, and is pretty common in all tapas bars in Barcelona, is the actual picture of the tapa next to each choice. This way, you know what you will get. So, when I have made my decision, I started to search for a good place to sit.

Of course, I wanted to sit outside at first, since this street is very beautiful, and it could also be a great spot for people – watching, but as you probably guessed, all the tables outside were full. For a few seconds, I thought that I would wait until someone leaves, so I could fullfill my wish and sit outside, but then, I did not do it, because of two reasons:

1. The first reason is that it seemed nobody will leave soon enough. After all, most people were still ordering food and it could take a while for me to get an available table, which brings us to the second reason.
2. The second reason is quite obvious – the food itself. I was not very hungry, because I only ate my lunch a few hours ago, but when I saw all that tasty tapas, and also smell them, I could not resist and wait any more. So I gave up and went inside, where I luckily found a place to sit.

   

At first sight, it seemed that I will not have any more luck inside, because the first thing that I saw, were all the occupied tables. But then, I looked closer and noticed the stairs at the back of the restaurant. And when I saw a huge dining room up there, I was speechless. Because, honestly, I thought that this is just one more in line of those small tapas bars, which can accept thirty people at most.

But guessing from what I saw, Tapa Tapa has space for over one hundred people. And believe it or not, I barely found a place to sit! But despite the fact that this place is huge, and there were a lot of guests inside, the temperature was just right, which is awesome.

What caught my attention when I entered Tapa Tapa, were two parts, where they were preparing tapas, and I could see all the ingredients. And at that moment, I felt like I have not eaten for at least a year! Too bad that they were behind a glass wall, otherwise I wuld definitely try to grab some of them and hope that nobody would notice me.

Maybe this part is here with a reason - to boost your hunger even more!

But back to my hardly found place to sit. The tables are small, because it seems like they want to accommodate as many people as possible, and therefore, quantity is more important than quality. But keep in mind that this is only true for the tables, not for the tapas!

I was surprised, how effective the waiters are in Tapa Tapa. I only spotted three of them, they are super friendly, and your tapas are ready before you can say Tapa Tapa. I have quite a lot of bad experiences with crowded restaurants, when the waiters are rude, probably because they have a lot of things to do, but I am really glad that Tapa Tapa is an exception. After all, I went there without a lot of thinking, and I would be very disappointed if the waiters' behaviour would ruin a nice experience. But obviously, they are more than professional in this restaurant. And this is one of the reasons, why I will definitely come back again soon.

So, after placing my order, it took exactly two minutes to receive my drink (sangria, of course), and another five minutes to get the tapas, which is super fast. And as soon as I saw my plate, I knew that I have made a great decision, both with choosing this restaurant and this particular tapa.

Tapa Tapa's tapas

As I have already mentioned, you will definitely have a hard time choosing the tapas to order, since there is so many of them. Well, unless you would like to find the cheapest option. Because there is not many of them in the low price range (the cheapest one cost about five Euros), and this time, I have decided not to look about the price, but I will choose the tapa that will sound the most tasty, regardless on how much it would cost.

Well, I have obviously picked one of the most expensive ones, but unintentionally, of course. It just seemed so tasty, and even the picture showed this tapa as a perfect dish. So, I have chosen a tapa, called 'L'Escala anchovies with virgin olive oil', and it cost me 7, 85 €. If you consider the size of the tapa that yu get, this is quite a lot, but as soon as I tasted it, I immediatelly forgot about the price. Because, with that taste, I would even pay one time more, if I had to!

I somehow prepared myself for disappointment of a small portion, but when I received my tapa, I was surprised in a positive way, because the portion was much bigger that I thought it would be. And what is even more awesome (and I almost could not believe that this is atually happening in Barcelona), is, that I got three slices of crunchy bread with my tapa. For the sauce, of course. Free of charge. Yes, I still cannot believe it.

But back to my perfect tapa. First of all, it looked so well that I almost did not want to eat it. Then I tried, and I had to use all my self control to eat it slowly and enjoy every single bite. The anchovies were just perfect, they were melting in my mouth. They were not too salty, and olive oil (with a few pieces of olives) was a perfect addition. Seriously, you have to try tapas in this restaurant!

The sangria that I ordered, was also very good. Well, which sangria isn't good? The only downside is, that I only ordered a small portion of 2 dl, and I must say that it disappeared quite fast. But this can only mean one thing – it was good.

After finishing my plate, full of heaven, I was seriously thinking of ordering another one. But then I thought that I must try to keep fit. After all, those tapas must contain some serious amount of calories. And you already know, how much trouble am I having with climbing those hills in Barcelona!

The good things…

Basically, everything is good at restaurant Tapa Tapa. The size, the food, the staff friendliness… and the decoration. Judging this place by its outside part would make you think that there is no decoration inside. But there is – it is simple, but beautiful. I do not know how else to describe it, but sitting in Tapa Tapa gives you a very spanish feeling.

… and the not so good things:

Well, the biggest downside at restaurant Tapa Tapa is, of course, the amount of guests. If you are a bigger group, you might have to wait for an available table. But it is totally worth the wait. And, after all, so many guests can only mean two things: either the food is great, or everyone is wrong. And in this case, the first option is the right one.

The second downside was a bit more serious, and I hope that they have fixed it by now. So, when I was there, the toilets were not working, which is a pretty serious problem, if you ask me. But honestly, even if I would know it in advance, I would go there anyway. After all, the tapas are just too good.

A short conclusion.

Having a tapa in Barcelona is an absolute must. Having a big portion of an awesome tapa can be rare, but luckily, I have found a perfect place that offers both. Even most of the prices at Tapa Tapa are slightly higher, there are still some tapas that are cheap (below five Euros), and, after all, you should also consider the quality of food that you get. As I said, I would pay even more for my tapas, they were that good!