First off, we never came here for a full meal. Just drinks and tapas. The atmosphere here is…read moremellow: lighting a tad dim, TV's placed throughout but not loud or distracting. There's a full bar and although it seemed to get consistent business, was never crowded. This makes it great for either warming up before a big night out or a chill place to relax over a few drinks for those days you might want to refrain from going too hard.
I should say we didn't find the alcohol selection particularly exciting: a couple variations of Leffe, Guinness and of course, no local tap lineup would be complete without Estrella. Pricing was slightly less expensive than what you would pay at bigger restaurants in the area - I believe the Leffe was about 4€ for a healthy pour. We probably paid 5€ at other places nearby. Advertised happy hour specials changed regularly and were a good value.
Although we didn't have the opportunity to drop in for lunch, we did try the tapas which, while not exceptional, were still pretty tasty. The tortilla patatas were my favorite and I suppose the fact that I remember them at all is probably notable. I wouldn't be able to tell you the tapas value for price because I don't think we ever paid for them . . .
Which is why El Otro is getting four stars today. We only ever sat at the bar here and although we didn't chat a whole lot with the bartenders, they were always very friendly - regularly checking in with us to make sure we were satisfied. They were patient and seemed receptive to our (often sad) attempts to order in Spanish.
Whether taking shots with us or offering a sample of the tapas - all on the house - the bartenders always made sure to show their appreciation for our business and friendly attitude and we made sure to show our appreciation by tipping at the end of the night - something we almost never did in Barcelona.
If you happen upon the Gracia district, stop in, be friendly and they'll treat you right. Customer service like this goes a long way when a lot of other bars and restaurants are taking their tourist customers for granted.
