One of the first things you should get straight at Bar Fidel is that this is *not* a Spanish…read morebusiness; it's a Catalan one. The owner will hit you over the head with this fact. I know it's a big deal and I know people have bad days but this gentleman was in a mood if ever one was. On one hand, I was happy with the non-touristy, local experience I was getting. On the other one, I found myself longing for a touch of tourist consideration.
Even though Catalan is the word of the day at Bar Fidel, you won't get (too many) bad looks by speaking in Spanish. Try to avoid speaking in English. Also, avoid ordering sangria. Not only is it not an option, it makes the owner not want to suffer fools and to complain about people coming to his city and wanting such 'pedestrian' libations. Get your wine and keep it moving. You're at a local's pub, so keep it simple: salad, sandwich, wine, and/or beer. These are your choices... and I had all four. Were I to come back, I would settle on a liquid diet. My crab salad had much too much mayonnaise (you know how I feel about mayonnaise) for my tastes and my salmon baguette - while an interesting mix of fish, dill and roquefort cheese - was, ultimately, too pedestrian for a dinner item (although as a lunch item and paired with a beer, it would have been a good fit).
The onus was on me to do more research. I didn't. I thought I did but I didn't. My ill preparation, however, was compounded by the awkward atmosphere I felt from the owner. I always advocate going off the beaten path and trying to get a more local feel of a city. If I were to come back here, though, I would make sure I did it with a local... who spoke fluent Catalan.
