Barcelona: Tapas 24 & Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

My dreams of dining at El Buli will never be realized now that the famous restaurant of Ferran Adrià  has closed it’s doors. I tried desperately to get reservations at Tickets, the tapas bar in Barcelona Adrià opened with his brother. Reservations for a group of 16 was impossible so I tried it for 4 and even just for myself but it was fully booked months in advance.

Left with no hope of eating Adrià’s creations I did the next best thing. I ate at Tapas 24 owned by Carles Abellan who worked at El Buli for seven years and worked with Adrià at two other  restaurants. Abellan later opened his own restaurant, Comerç 24 and later on the more casual Tapas 24.

Tapas 24 or TapaÇ24 was located just a couple of blocks from Casa Batlló and around the corner from Passeig de Gracia and I walked to meet my cousin Sharon who was already there.

The 125 square meter restaurant was in the basement of a building.

The tiny space was maximized well. Every available space was used for small tables or a communal table like the one we occupied.

The menu was in Catalán but we managed to make out some of the words and I also had an idea on what to order based on reviews I read online.

Tapas 24 menu

The menu was printed on an envelope that held the fork, knife and napkin.

The menu of the day was also right beside us not that we understood it. We would have ordered more food if there was an English menu.

Of all the sangrias we had in Spain this was my favorite. Citrusy yet potent.

SANGRIA DE CAVA €16

Our very last anchovies!

Fried Anchovies €7.50

This may look like regular croquetas but it was the best I’ve eaten. The flavors of the Iberian ham were  evident in the pillows of thick, velvety bechamel sauce. I wanted to order more but Sha convinced me there were more goodies to come and she was right.

CROQUETES DE PERNIL IBÈRIC (Iberian Ham Croquetas) €2

One of their most famous dishes is the Mc Foie Burger, a burger patty in a thin and crisp bun with a side of foie gras dip which I slathered on my burger. It was pretty good but the foie dip wasn’t as flavorful as I expected.

MC FOIE-BURGER €9.50

Shrimp from Huelva are very famous in Spain for their sweet and delicate flavor. These were served simply with salt.

GAMBA DE HUELVA €9

We asked our server for his recommendation and he pointed at Bikini Comerc 24 and even though we didn’t have any idea what it was we heeded to his suggestion. When it arrived I saw a simple ham and cheese sandwich.

BIKINI COMERÇ 24 (Ham & Cheese sandwich) €9.50

With one bite and a loud groan I sank my teeth into ecstasy.  Salty jamón ibérico paired with a mild cheese with flecks of black truffle in between buttered bread. It was pure delight and something I wish I could eat every single day of my life. It was definitely my favorite dish that night.

I’ve been looking for this dish everywhere and finally I found it here. Simple french fries topped with good chorizo and a fried egg.

XORICOS OEUS DE PATATA (French Fries with chorizo & fried egg) €12

The best way to eat it was to get a little of everything in your fork and relish the flavors and textures in your mouth.

I was so glad my last meal in Spain was also one of the best. I want to try Comerç 24 the next time I go back to Barcelona. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone going to Barcelona. It’s a MUST!!!

After dinner we went to the famous Magic Fountain  of Montjuïc for some free entertainment.

At first I wasn’t that impressed since I’ve seen the spectacular fountains of The Bellagio in Las Vegas.

We stayed for almost an hour and was treated to different sets of music from classical to the 80s which we really enjoyed. True it wasn’t as grand as The Bellagio’s fountains but it was fun to watch too.

Tapas 24
Diputació 269 Barcelona, Espana
telephone: 93-488-09-77
website

Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
Pl.Carles Buïgas, s/n, 08038, Barcelona, Spain

Winter: (October to April)
Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Music sessions: 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM

Summer: (May to September)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 pm to 11:30 pm
Music Sessions: 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM 11:00 PM