This restaurant was literally right next to our stay in Barcelona--skipping it felt like a crime,…read moregiven the rave reviews. So, on a rainy afternoon, we gave it a shot. We arrived just after lunch opening and were the first customers. The guy at the counter was... efficient. He simply told us to pick what we wanted, tossed it in a bin, and that was that. No explanation of pricing or preparation methods. When we asked how they'd cook it, he casually offered "fried or grilled." Obviously, we chose grilled--why fry fresh seafood? We picked two giant prawns, two octopus tentacles, and two fish (since hubby can't have shellfish). He asked if we wanted salad or soup--reviews hyped the soup, so we went with that. Then he handed us a receipt, told us we were order #3, and sent us to the bar. At the bar, we ordered two sangrias and a water. The bartender asked if we wanted bread and sauce. Sure, why not? We assumed they were included. Surprise! The tiny baguettes cost €0.50 each, and the mystery "house sauce" (a questionable mix of thousand island and horseradish) was an extra €1. We only realized the charge when we saw the total: €73. Oh well, too late now. Then came the food pickup experience--chaotic, to say the least. The server practically barked at us to bring our receipt, aggressively crossed off items, and handed over soups and octopus, crammed onto a greasy tray. No effort at plating, just food haphazardly dumped onto plates. The second round--grilled fish and prawns--was more of the same. Now, the verdict: Soup (5/5) - Delicious and reasonably priced at €6. Would order again. Bread & Sauce (0/5) - Not free, not worth it. Hard pass. Octopus (€31.80 for two tentacles, 1/5) - Overpriced, greasy, and drowning in molten salt. Basically, eating a sodium bomb. Grilled Fish (€10.50 & €8.50, 3/5) - Decent, but unnecessarily oily. Grilled Prawns (€5.59, 0/5) - Mushy, not fresh, and borderline inedible. Final thoughts? Not worth it. With so many incredible food spots in Barcelona, why waste your meal quota here? If you want quality seafood, go to Cervecería Catalana--we spent €5 more, but a meal a thousand times better. Spend wisely and eat like a king.

[Food] - Oysters: Fresh and good with lemon…read more - Anchovies: Not our favorite as it was very fishy and oily tasting despite adding lemon. I've had fried anchovies before but this was too heavy for us - Octopus: This was a bit oily but but not as much as the anchovies. Potatoes were nice and soft and absorbed all the sauces. - Small Clams: My favorite dish out of all we've ordered. Although the clams were small, the sauce it was cooked in was delicious! [Service] - Line up, order what you want, some seafood have various cook styles so they will ask you which you'd prefer, pay, find a table, and pick up at the pick up window once your buzzer goes off. [Ambiance] - Mainly indoor seating with 2 tables outdoors [Overall] - Would come back again as I love this kind of seafood eateries! Will definitely try other dishes next time as well

Or Llotja (as written in Catalan)…read more On my little day trip to Palamos, my friend insisted that I must hang around to check out the fish market. It doesn't open until after the day's catch is hauled in - so at around 4:30, the boats start unloading their hauls. One of the biggest food scandals in the United States lately has been about fish fraud: cheaper fish being sold as their more expensive cousins. But this isn't an issue (fissue?) here. You are getting fresh fish, and it's all whole, so you can see what kind of fish it is (as opposed to the filets or steaks that are sold in American super markets). I'm not the biggest seafood fan, but I was definitely impressed.

Well, the title says it all. If you feel like some good oysters while browsing the Mercato, then…read morethis is the place to get them. There are other stalls who sells them, but we found this one the best of them. Oyster in different sizes - the biggest ones go for 4.50 each, but very much worth it. Very fresh, very tender....the flavour of the sea. Get them straight-up or with some lemon juice or tabasco. Also the fresh sea urchins are a delight for seafood lovers. And for 3.50 each well priced. Regular oysters go for 7 Euros...for 3 pieces. All in all a great place to grab some fresh-out-of-the-sea oysters and urchins. A very good choice here at the Mercat.

I was looking for a place where I could find 'exotic' vinegars in Barcelona ... With no luck, until…read moreI found this gem! The people working here are super friendly and helpful. You can even sample the vinegars before you buy them. I bought some mango, fig, date and cherry vinegars among others and the were all mind blowing. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to add new and special flavors to their recipes.

One of our highlights of our trip to Spain. We couldn't have found a better place to buy souvenirs…read morebefore our trip back home. I originally found this place on chowhound. It was listed as a must visit for souvenirs and I added it to our itinerary. My friends were a bit hesitant to come here with me because they had no plans to buy any oils or vinegars but after our awesome tour and guidance from Carlos, one of the business owners, they were ALL IN. Carlos thoroughly explained every single product in their store and answered questions like how everything was made, ingredients, quality, etc. We got to taste everything our hearts desired. I ended up buying a couple bottles of white truffle oil, hazelnut oil, date vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. I've never tried such a wide variety of oils and vinegars and trust me when I say this but it's going to be the best thing you've ever tried. Who the hell knew date vinegar existed? It's so sweet, thick, rich, and so delicious. I have no idea how to use it but I wouldn't mind drinking a spoonful everyday. Their balsamic vinegar seriously changed my life. It's so thick and so tasteful just on it's own. I need to throw out my market bought vinegar at home. Once you pick out what you want, you choose the type of bottle and size. If you're traveling, they'll seal the bottle and if you're gifting it, they'll wrap it nicely for you. Superb customer service! We were so hungry after shopping here, Carlos gave us some restaurant recommendations and even called the restaurant to reserve a table for us. He's so hospitable and awesome! Highly recommend this shop!