La Sidreria

I have been living for almost four months in Vilanova so far, and one thing I have definitely learnt is that if you are looking for a snack, a drink, or a quick tapas, you may go in for one of the several locals on the Rambla. On the other hand, though, if a proper meal in a real restaurant suits you more, you had better head for the area located on the right side of the Rambla (with your back turned to the sea), namely that street which lead to the oldest part of the city, la Geltrù. Or you may as well have a walk along Carrer dels Caputxins, whose final stretch is called Carrer del Comerç: you will find a series of cosy squares with restaurants, some of which will doubtlessly suit your tastes.

One of this squares is Plaça dels Cotxes, where the restaurant la Sidreria is located. Overcoming the first puzzled impression produced by a nearby police signal (of course, nothing to do with the place), I went in to enquire about the local, which indeed looked quite tempting. Despite being quite small, the inside is very characteristic, with green bottles hanging from the roof and creating a proper atmosphere. In case you are not able to find a table inside, though, or if you just want to enjoy the sunshine and the outdoor setting (as it was my case), it is possible to ask for a table outside. It will cost you an additional charge of just one euro per person, and given the homely ambiance of the square it is probably worth.

Though I have not mentioned it yet, the abundant menu and the very reasonable price were two factors which doubtlessly influenced the choice: just 10 euro for a complete meal (first and second course, dessert and bebida (drink) included). And the quality of the food really lived up to the expectations. Despite the abundance of inviting alternatives, I opted for ravioli with Roquefort as first course. Quite curious about trying the foreign version of one of the specialties from Emilia, my homeland, I was not disappointed. The ravioli were then followed by hamburger with chips as main course. This choice may appear quite commonplace, and even more weird due to the fact that I had discarded a series of delicious dishes such as bacalao with sauce, fresh fried fish or scrambled eggs with Majorcan sobresada. The waitress's promise me a hamburgesa casera (homemade hamburger), though, I was not let down, as both the meat and the chips were really tasty.

The meal was finally topped by a mouth-watering crema catalana. Incredibly enough, it has been the first time I have eaten this typical dessert, which proved to be in line with the previous dishes. At the end of the day, I would definitely recommend La Sidreria, not only for the cheap price and the good quality of the food: besides the comfortable atmosphere, indeed, we were also attended by a kind (and multilingual) service.