Where to eat in Barcelona?

[Tryingtocatchup]

hi, can anyone recommend any good places to eat in Barcelona? Going from sat to tues with dh and children 8 and 5. It's my 40th - so would love to have a nice meal one night but not too fancy - really excited about much cava and tapas though also, so recommendations where the children would also be happy would be really welcome.
Staying in El Born.

Lucky you. There are so many places to eat I always find it confusing. Everyone tells you not to eat on La Rambla because it's over price tourist fare. That may be true but I also have had a starving child you couldn't wait whist we found the "recommended" tapas bar.
So my recommendation would be a whole road along which there are loads of nice places to eat and drink - the Carrer de Joesph Anslem (Rambla end) which turns into Carrer Ample towards El Born. The Carrer La Merce is a small side road that has some places too. It runs parallel to the main road by Port Vell.
This road has Pulpo a good tapas bar (stools round the counter only and cheap 1Euro a glass wine) La Dentielle is a lovely restaurant with top rate food but a 15 euro set dinner if you have a budget. Further down is the pink Panther bar which is very olde worlde with cheese and ham up the walls and no front so you can spill onto the street

Lastly the beach has some excellent restaurants that are nightclubs at night. They are nothing like Uk our grotty dives I promise. We did Shoko which was amazing and had the most fantastic sangria.The waitress insisted I spent longer just sitting looking at beach when I couldn't finish lunch. You will "enjoy dessert in half an hour" she said. Can you imagine anyone in England suggesting you spend longer taking up a table! They are about 10 mins walk along if you cross the road to the beach by Port Vell. Great for the children as they are actually on the beach.

Have fun

Thanks so much for this. Some really great sounding recommendations. Like the price of Pulpo and La Dentielle, and Shoko sounds a must with the children on the beach.

Was organised as a surprise which someone let slip at the weekend so am now very very excited about turning 40!

WOW what a lovely thing to arrange for you.
Another thing you might want to think about with the children is that Barcelona is very very busy. As the proper restaurants (as opposed to tourist type places) open at 8pm they are frequently packed out until 1am. It is quite hard to find good places (ie recommended or guide book places) open at normal supper times at 5-7pm. It might be wise to do like the Spanish and have big long lunches.
Lots of the attractions stay open late so you can do them first and last thing around lunch maybe.
Be careful on Sundays and at lunchtimes - lots of things shut and aren't open till 4 and Sundays can be quieter than you would think.

That's really useful advice I wouldn't have thought of, thanks. Brilliant idea - nice long lunches, back to being tourists then maybe kids to bed and much cava and tapas at the flat. Have been dieting for being 40 - clearly a crisis - so very excited to be indulging at last for a few days!

Yep you can certainly indulge this weekend! Ah the Cava and as cheap as chips. (literally in this case!).
Before I take over this thread totally could I just leave you with another tip with children. Transport is very easy in Barcelona but if you can't walk somewhere taxi's are cheap, plentiful and get you a stress free view of the city with children. Less chance of stuff getting nicked on then on the metro too.

For instance we went to the amusement park Tibidabo. Up on the side of the mountain, the recommended route in guide books etc took over an hour and E20 for the various metro,bus, funcular up there . Taxi back 10 mins E11 .

It sounds decadent but there's nothing worse then dragging tired children around when you want to see the next Gaudi masterpiece!

Wow, another great tip thanks. Without that we probably would have thought it too extravagant to take a taxi but at that price it's well worth it for happy children - and will add to the treat of it all as well.
Cava, cava and more cava. Have already added paracetamol to my "must buy before we go" shopping list!

Can I suggest the Bus Turistic it is only a few Euros and you can hop on and off visiting all of the tourist sights (sagrada familia, guell parc etc). you catch it from the placa de Catalunya the massive square at the top of the ramblas (not beach end). Sorry that doesn't recommend anywhere to eat but just wanted to say in case you didn't know about this.

To Eat:
El Gran Cafe is a really nice restaurant for a birthday treat, it is off Carrer de Ferran (Gothic Quarter) which is about half way along Ramblas, I think it's the junction of mcdonalds. Also there is the Schilling bar down there which is nice for a drink. Placa Reial is a really nice square off Carrer de Ferran and there is a great restaurant called El Taxidermista (sounds sinister but centuries ago there was a taxidermist there) and one called six something? will try to remember, but Placa Reial is well worth having a walk round as there are lovely bars/restaurants and performers.

I'll have a think to see what else I can remember.

Crikey I would never have imagined that the bus Turistic was so reasonable - we had someone offering us a similar bus in London for about £16 each recently. Another brilliant suggestion and really kind of you to reply. I think we will definitely go for that.

And restaurant suggestions sound good as well thanks - will look up El Gran Cafe as that might be just the ticket for Saturday night when we've arrived and want to celebrate.

Have just bought cagouls for the whole family hoping that this will actually bring on sunny weather when we're there!!!

The Carrer de Joesph Anslem (Rambla end) which turns into Carrer Ample towards El Born. The Carrer La Merce is a small side road that has some places too. enjoy your stay in Barca :)

As you are heading down La Ramblas towards the sea, on the left hand side quite near the bottom there will be signs for the wax works museum... Don't go, it's shit. But next door to the museum is a bar, El Bosc de les fades. It's absolutely amazing, it's all done out like a fairy grotto with toadstools to sit on, teeny water fountains and beautiful lights.

Well worth a visit for a glass of cava look