Barcelona travel blog
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Enjoy Fascinating food at Ghanaian Capital Accra
0149 days
Western Africa is a mesmerizing region of Africa boasted with tons of great countries worldwide known for its beauty and culture. These countries are perfect for studying the culture and heritage of Africa and you will found the pure lifestyle of Africa here. People in these countries follow the original culture of Africa and are pure hearted and very delightful towards tourists. Among all of them, Ghana is the most amazing country has all of these features and is located at the bottom western end of Africa.
Ghana is lush with many amazing cities that are very renowned among voyagers and are most visited cities in entire Africa. Even the epicenter of Ghana, Accra is the most desired city for great vacations with family and friends. Accra is not only great city in terms of sightseeing and hotspots but is also in the good books of food hunters and has tons of decent restaurants that serve delightful traditional and international cuisines. Take cheap flights to Accra and enjoy dreamy vacations while enjoying delicious food of Accra. For more details just go to www.crystaltravel.co.uk and check out the best part of Accra
Arrival, Transportation and Hospitality in Accra
Book Cheap Flights tickets for Accra from Crystal Travel and deboard at Kotoka International Airport which is the primary gateway for the tourists visiting Accra and other neighbor cities from rest of the globe. From there you can rent a car for commuting around on a very cheap rent from many agencies available there. Hop in and drive away towards the city to enjoy fascinating and flattering hospitality of Accra at their resorts and hotels. Book your vacations from Crystal Travel and Tours and leave rest of everything including hotel reservations, transportation and car facilities on them.
Top 5 Restaurants in Accra
With Cheap Accra flights, you can enjoy all the colors of Accra including exotic beaches, fascinating landmarks, historical monuments and many other hotspots all are just step away from decent restaurants in the city.
Pull out some extra bucks by taking discounted flights to Accra to spend over mouthwatering food of Accra served in tons of restaurants spread all over the city. There is a list of some great restaurants to follow for delicious food:
The Republic Bar & Grill – This restaurant is the most authentic and famous African restaurant located at Kuku Hill serves a huge range of African cuisines with lipsmacking taste on a very reasonable price served with lightning quick service.
Asanka Local – This is a great African restaurant located at Osu serves a huge variety of African cuisines cooked in traditional way with exact same flavor. You can enjoy this food very much along with elegant ambience and decent gentry.
Club +233 – This is another fascinating African restaurant at Ring Road serves marvelous African food with indescribable food with flattering service and elegant sitting area.
Mamma Mia – A great Italian and Seafood restaurant at Osu serves a huge variety of delicious food which is hard to find anywhere else in the entire city.
Le Tandem – This restaurant is the most authentic French restaurant in the city located at Cantonment serving a great menu of French cuisines with same taste and decent gentry.
Accra is one of the most famous and the capital city of Ghana. This city is worldwide known for its vibrant lifestyle, rich culture and diverse range of arts and tradition. This city is a desired city for the backpackers looking for a perfect holiday destination. From beaches to monuments, museums, landscapes, art galleries, adventurous parks and tons of other stuff can be easily find here. This city is very well known for food and it can be witness at the restaurants scattered all over the city serving delightful food. Take last minute flights and enjoy the most amazing vacations with family and friends while enjoying delicious food of Accra.
Cocktails and drinks in Barcelona
0391 days
Certain places in Barcelona are so wonderful that when you have visited them once, you want to go there again and they are definitely in your must visit list for the next time you are around. Among these places is the Japanese restaurant “Nakashita”, which is situated in the El Borne district. The place works every day and is open for lunch and for dinner. The place is not like the rest of the Japanese restaurants that are tourists oriented. Even if not being run by a Japanese, but by a Brazilian chef, the place features the classic Japanese meals, made of fresh products including fresh fish, maracuja, oysters, etc. The food combinations are impressive and all very tasty. There is a menu for the week days, which though not being cheap, offers a real delight to those who love that kind of cuisine. The service is quite good as well.
Another place to consider for your holiday in Barcelona is a bar called “Cala del Vermut”, which is a small bar, situated in El Barrio Gotico area and works every day but on Sundays. The bar is very cozy, with special atmosphere and is nicely decorated with photos from the early 1970’s. The thing to try here is the draft vermouth and the anchovies, which go well with the cold tapas of prawns and sea-snails, ham, etc. Approximately 100 meters from the bar, there is a restaurant with the same name, where one can sit and enjoy a larger meal or have a romantic evening. Some 200 meters away, there is also one other car with hot tapas and different types of cheese. This place is located near the metro station Urquinaona and many shops.
The other place to consider while in the city of Barcelona is called “Bar Oller”, which is situated in Eixample district, working every day but on Monday. This nice bar is better known as “Pep’s” after its former owner. The bar was first opened back in year 1929. It is quite peaceful place to have a coffee and a breakfast in the morning and for the afternoon it offers a nice terrace with a lot of sunshine. The bar is quite busy in the evenings, when people come here for a beer or two, to meet their friends or to listen to some good music. Here you can meet writers and musicians, photographers and journalists, etc. Besides the drinks you can also get tapas of various kind, cheese, meat slices, etc.
The last place to be presented here is called “Bar Pastis”, which is to be found in El Raval neighborhood. It is open every evening and has interesting interior, being modeled after a bar in Marseille. The place works since year 1947. This is a cozy bar with paintings on the walls and music by Edith Piaf, for example. If you want you can try absinthe here, but you can also go for cold draught beer, French wines and spirits of various kinds. The bar is quite a romantic spot and is set very close to El Cangrejo.
Culinary delights in Barcelona
0404 days
Barcelona is an overwhelming city with plenty to keep you occupied, amused and thrilled. If you happen to travel to this amazing city these days, you can check the dining out places that we present here. The first place to be mentioned here today is called “Tram Tram” and it is a family owned restaurant located in the area above the Diagonal district. The place is ideal for a family gathering or for a romantic evening out. It works every day but on Mondays and is open for lunch and for dinner. The food served here is typical for the Catalan cuisine like seafood paella and suckling pig, for example; the wine list is excellent, the music played is nice and relaxing and the service is impeccable and very personalized. You can go for a fixed menu that includes a starter, a first and second course, as well as bread and a dessert or if you prefer a plate of different types of cheese or you can order something from the menu. The restaurant is not big, but is nicely furnished and very cozy. It has a lovely terrace and some private dining places as well.
The second place to be presented here is a restaurant called “Gelonch”, which is located in the Eixample neighborhood. It is open for lunch and dinner every day but on Mondays. The place is special, it offers fabulous food and the choice in the wine list is mind-blowing. The atmosphere inside is very pleasant, a bit retro, but with contemporary approach. Here you can have a lunchtime menu and a special evening menu, you can also choose from the rest of the regular menu list as well.
Among the dishes to try here is the lemon confit and the iced mint, as well as the apple coconut foam and the caramelized cream… wow, mouth-watering, even as I write it down! Among the rest of the meals to try is artichoke with mushrooms, pizzas, and so on. Whatever you decide to go with, you will be nicely surprised with the taste and you will have great time here, which you will remember afterwards.
The last on our list today is called “Rouge” and this is a nice bar and snacks place, set in Poble Sec area. It works every evening, but on Mondays and has a very interesting atmosphere that reminds you of Pedro Almodovar movies. The bar is set near the theatre El Molino and is arranged with copies of paintings from the old masters and the impressionists. There are comfortable sofas inside, nice armchairs, low lighting, everything to get you into the mood of a nice and relaxing evening. The people who visit the place are usually artists and poets, designers and film makers. The atmosphere is not pretentious, but friendly and the music is nice. Sometimes there are also live performances.
Tasty dining in Barcelona
0419 days
On focus here will be several nice and cozy places to dine at in the city of Barcelona, which are characterized by tasty menu, excellent service and reasonable prices. The first bar on our focus this time is called “Quimet I Quiment” and it is placed in Poble Sec area, which is quite busy and lively part of Barcelona city.
The tourist will find here some great tapas, but do not expect to find tables here, people just stand around inside or outside in front of the bar. The place also serves Belgian bottled beer and locally produced cava. The tapas are made of seafood and vegetables, caviar and cold meats, as well as of cheese. This place is great to visit before the actual meal you have elsewhere. It will provoke your senses and appetite. The place closes early on Saturday and is not open on Sundays. It is also closed in August, when many other places in Barcelona also close.
Now, a good restaurant to go to for a nice lunch is called “La Rita” and it is placed in the Eixample district. The restaurant has linen tablecloths and china plates, as well as very polite waiters, but you should not think that the place is posh. It is a great spot to have a long lunch with friends and catch on your lives. There are special lunch menus for less than ten euros that include three courses plus water, wine and bread. You can also go for several meals of your own choice. The vegetarians can enjoy their own menu including huge salads and special desserts. This nice restaurant is positioned near Paseo de Graica and is open every day.
Since you are in Barcelona, you will want to go to a traditional restaurant and why not try the Basque place “MAiTEA”, set in Eixample district. This restaurant works every day but on Sundays. The menu here includes more than a hundred varieties of tapas, which are of excellent value. You can try different slices of bread with numerous options of toppings, so you can pick the ones that you like and these could be cheese and bacon, smoked salmon and crab, goat cheese, quince jelly and quail eggs and so on. Hot plates are offered too by the staff and they usually include mini sausages or bacon, or small hamburgers with cheese. The price is the same for all tapas and you pay when you go depending on how much you have eaten.
Now, since you are in Spain, you will most probably want to try some the traditional paella. A good place to do so is a lovely restaurant called “7 Portes”, which is placed in El Barrio, the Gothic District of Barcelona. Open every day for lunch and dinner, this restaurant serves tasty local specialties and fantastic choice of wines and cava. The food prepared and served here is very tasty and besides paellas, one could try other traditional meals that are based on seafood and meat. Note that it is good to have reservation for this place to avoid waiting for a table.
Easter celebrations in Barcelona
0432 days
A major festival for the entire Christian world, Easter is being celebrated all over the globe, marking the painful crucifixion and the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ. That day on the calendar, however, marks the faith of people in the religion and in the good things that are yet to happen to the human mankind. Being among the holiest days for the Christians, the Easter week is celebrated in various ways around the world, even so the general spirit and atmosphere of the holiday remain the same, even if the traditions might vary from one place to another. When Barcelona, and Spain in general, are concerned, we should note that the Easter celebrations follow some old rituals that come to show that the country had a serious and long religious history. The Easter celebrations start with the beginning of the Easter week, which is locally called Semana Santa, and the first day that marks it is the Palm Sunday, while the last one is the Easter Monday. The other days that are to be mentioned are Ash Wednesday, then Lent and Good Friday. On all these days, actually during the entire Easter Week, are being organized different Easter traditions and religious rituals.
Austria Palm Sunday
For example, on Palm Sunday all people in Barcelona and in Spain in general go to mass in the morning, while children are given palm leaves and are blessed by the priest. On that day some of the local churches organize a parade that resembles the way Jesus Christ entered into Jerusalem. People carry olive and palm branches. Then, on Ash Wednesday is organized a ceremony, during which the ashes are placed on the worshippers’ foreheads to show a sign of remorse. This ceremony symbolizes the return of the Christ and the circle of life. After the Ash Wednesday starts Lent, during which the worshippers in Spain are being asked to observe fasts and penitence on Good Friday. As the Lent ends, then start the joyful celebrations, which culminate on Easter Sunday. On that day in Spain are being arranged certain events that are not popular elsewhere. For example, in the area near Seville are made rag dolls of famous people that are placed in different parts of the village that are later torn to pieces, while in other parts of the country these dolls, which are locally known as the dolls of Judas, are set on fire.
The day of the Easter Sunday in Spain is quite special. On that day the godfather gives to his godchild a cake that is called La Mona. On that day are also being made special Spanish dishes – torrijas, made of warm bread dipped into milk, egg and sugar and fried in olive oil. The torrijas are served with honey and syrup and also with wine. The festive table on Easter is also arranged with other typical dishes, but the ones that are most happy with the Easter holiday are the children, who get a lot of sweets.
Great food and cocktails in Barcelona
0447 days
The city of Barcelona is famous for its cosmopolitan atmosphere and the incredible night life, but also with its many trendy bars and great restaurants. Of course, there is something for everyone here depending on the things that one likes or the budget. I have recently found a few nice places that I want to share, so that to give you an idea about the places that you can visit while in Barcelona. The first snack bar on my list is called Cala del Vermut. This is a small bar with cozy atmosphere, open each day but on Sundays. The interior is very pleasant and the drinks offered are numerous. Next to the bar is located the restaurant zone with the sitting area, where are served some very tasty meals, tapas and cheeses.
This photo of Cala Del Vermut
This photo of Cala Del Vermut
Those travelers that like the seafood should visit La Paradeta restaurant, where one could try mussels and prawns, crab and lobster, squid and octopus. All the meals are prepared in an excellent way, the service is great and the atmosphere is very relaxing. The restaurant is good for couples and families and can be quite packed on Sundays at noon. The place is not very fancy when the interior is concerned, but still it is clean, with good service and great food. If you happen to like the Japanese food, then go to Wok Yutaka II restaurant in Eixample district near Sagrada Familia, which is open for lunch and dinner every day. The food that is offered here has no competition at all. The service is very fast, but it could be quite crowded. So, if you ignore the noise, you will get a great meal. For example, you can try oysters, squid, octopus, and prawns, as well as sushi and makis, and noodles… I love them all. The place is not only yummy… it is cheap as well.
la paradeta
Those that are looking for a decent bistro bar could try Josephine, which is located in Eixample District near Passeig de Gracia. This is a great place for a lunch, as it is tasty and has a budget menu. The choice is from three dishes and bread, as well as water or a glass of wine and a dessert. The décor is very pleasant as well. Another wonderful place for a cocktail or two is Boadas bar in El Raval district placed very close to Ramblas are, which happens to be the oldest cocktail bar in Barcelona and which offers a choice of more than 60 different cocktails. The place is classy, so you have to wear smart clothes. The last place to mention is called Bodega E. Marin and it is a nice bar, but also a shop, where you can buy local wines or cava. Various wine tastings are organized as well, that come with some tapas with sausages, etc. The spot is located in Gracia region and is set near John Lennon Square and Abaceria Market. It is closed on the weekends.
Barcelona: a few interesting restaurants to try
0461 days
Barcelona is a city with cosmopolitan feel and this is valid for each aspect of it, including the dining options. There are a few nice places to eat that I found out in the last weeks, which deserve to be mentioned here. These are places that differ in style, meals and price, but are all interesting choices to consider, when you have a few days in this lovely Spanish city. The first restaurant to start with is called “Elisabets” and it is located in the El Raval neighborhood. It works every day of the week from early morning until the late evening. The quality of the food served here is impressive, while the prices are quite reasonable. Elisabets is very popular with the students and the young professionals living in Barcelona and is a very chic place for meeting friends for a nice meal and a drink. The meals I recommend to try are potatoes with Bolognese meat, black pudding, spicy sausages, toasted bread with tomatoes and oil. Here are also served coffee and pastries, as well as sandwiches and pizzas if you are in a hurry.
Another of my favorite dining places this month is called Ikibana and it is a Japanese-Brazilian restaurant, placed in El Borne district in the city of Barcelona. This place has a very interesting interior and a specially arranged floor, where one can see fishes flowing beneath one’s feet, which could be quite amusing for the children. One can also enjoy the huge screen showing pictures from the life in the ocean. Another interesting thing to be pointed out here is that you can watch how the chefs are preparing your meal. The choice of sushi here is impressive and the price is more than reasonable for this type of cuisine. The food served here is excellent and the service is great, while the atmosphere is relaxing and pleasant. This restaurant needs a reservation in advance, otherwise you will have to wait a not to get a table. The place is open each day for lunch and for dinner.
Brasserie
A restaurant with Catalan meals that deserves to be mentioned is “Can Josep”, which is situated in Eixample neighborhood. The restaurant works from Monday to Friday and it offers simple meals of a wonderful taste. The food is prepared by the owner himself, who is famous for using fresh ingredients while cooking. The restaurant comes with a new menu each season and all the dishes offered are just excellent. The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed, just what you need for a nice dinner out. The restaurant seems to be very popular among the locals, thus a reservation would be worth to made, especially on Fridays. Another interesting place that is not to be missed is the Brasserie “Flo”, which is placed in El Barrio Gotico neighborhood near Palau Musica Catalana. It is open every day for lunch and dinner and the food served here is really impressive. The evening menu includes a bottle of wine for two and comes at a very good price. The place is good for all kinds of visitors, couples, families and friends.
Romantic restaurants for St. Valentine’s Day in Barcelona
0496 days
As the St. Valentine’s Day is on our doorstep, there are some very nice and romantic restaurants that you can visit, if you happen to be in the city of Barcelona in the middle of February. We have four nice dining places near the Barcelona apartments to present here and each one of these nice restaurants will offer you some very tasty meals, served by attentive and professional waiters and will provide you with a nice and very relaxing atmosphere. The first place to be presented here is called Ubeda and it is located in the part of Eixample neighborhood near Casa Comalat. The bar-restaurant is part of a small chain of three restaurants, all coming with a nice art décor, creating a lovely, intimate and relaxed atmosphere for a few drinks and a light meal. Among the dishes to be tried here are the small frying pans called sartens, the black pudding called Morcilla, etc. The wine list is quite impressive as well. Both the drinks and the dishes are reasonably priced. This restaurant is closed on Sundays. The second restaurant that we offer for spending a nice dinner on St. Valentine’s Day is the “Elche” restaurant, where one can order wines and dishes from the area of Alicante. Family-run, the restaurant is working since year 1959 and could be found on Poble Sec. The must-try meals here are the starters and the rice dishes, which the owners are so proud of. Other meals that deserve attention are fried artichoke, asparagus, octopus, prawns, etc. The choice of wines is excellent as well.
This photo of Ubeda
This photo of Can Kenji
Elche
If, however, you want to impress your loved one with something different and special, you can bring her to a Japanese restaurant. We have two nice Japanese dining places that you can choose from. The first one is the restaurant “Can Kenji”, which is placed in the Eixample neighborhood, working every day but on Sundays. This highly recommended Japanese restaurant is managed by a Japanese chef, who definitely knows what he does in the kitchen. The food served at the Can Kenji restaurant is very tasty and fresh, the service is excellent and the prices are affordable. Our recommendation is to make a reservation in advance, to avoid disappointment as the place will be quite crowded for the holiday. The other Japanese restaurant that we will present here is called “Bouzu” and it is situated in the El Raval neighborhood in the city of Barcelona. The visitors can try Japanese tapas here, but they have to make a reservation in advance, since the place is quite small and there are no many seats available. The menu of the restaurant however is quite impressive and it features some palatable meals that are not the typical ones you will get in the other Japanese restaurants around the world. The dinner at the Bouzu restaurant is based on tapas or small dishes of Japanese specialties that are served in this typical Spanish style. The food here is not that cheap as near the Madrid accommodation, but it is worth the money paid. If you still want to try these meals but are on a budget, you can visit the place at lunch, when there is a lunch menu at some very decent price.
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Dine out in Barcelona and enjoy it
0567 days
November is not of the months that people usually love. It is cold, the Christmas is not there yet and everything that awaits you is work. Yet, if you happen to travel to Barcelona in November and want to enjoy yourself, there are plenty of things you can do. This cosmopolitan city has a great cultural program with various concerts, opera and theatrical performances, the museums have different art exhibitions and so do the art galleries near your Barcelona apartment. The night dance clubs are there for you, lively and full of happy people. Before that, however, you need a good place to dine. Thus, i will present here three very different options, which will give you an idea. These places will enchant you for sure, especially if you like to try different tastes and cuisines.
The first place to be presented is Casa Albert, which is set on Place de les Olles, a small square, which is far from the tourist crowds and which serves some typical Spanish and Catalan meals. Visitors should know that the place is open Monday to Friday from 8 o’clock in the morning until 15.30 o’clock in the afternoon. And has a palatable lunch menu with bread, water and table wine at a very good price. Casa Albert is located very close to the Santa Maria church and is a great place to try local and cheap local meals. Usually, the choice is of five soups, five or six second courses and a great selection of desserts, for those with a sweet tooth like me. Reservations are not necessary.
Now that you have tried something from the local cuisine, the other two options will bring you to other places on this earth. The first restaurant is called Kathmandu and it is a Nepalese restaurant, placed in the Eixample district. The place works every day except Sundays and is open for lunch time and for dinner. It offers daily menus, which are below 10 Euros per person. The Nepalese Kathmandu restaurant is reputed to serve the finest curry in the city of Barcelona, as well as a great variety of vegetarian meals. The restaurant has a simple decoration, but the meals are excellent and the Indian beer should be tried.
The other place that provoked my interest and is now to be presented is the Wok Yutaka II place, which is a great Japanese restaurant. It is located in the Eixample district and is open every day for lunch and for dinner. There is also a lunch menu for under 10 Euros per person. The food served is very delicious and fresh including the oysters, the mussels, the clams, the prawns and the octopus, the dining zone is spacious and the choice of beverages is excellent. The place is good for those who want to try sushis and makis, rice dishes and sashimis, noodles, etc. Wok Yutaka II Japanese restaurant is located close to Sagrada Familia and could be a good starting point for some sightseeing for those coming from their Madrid apartment rental.
Clubbing in Barcelona this November
0573 days
The city of Barcelona is a great place to party and go clubbing. There are so many music venues and clubs here and the concert places are just amazing. There are however, a few places that one will not find in the tourist guide books and brochures on Barcelona. These places are usually visited by the locals and they are really great.
Those who love black music and groove melodies should check the Marula Café, which is rather a club despite its name. The music played there also includes soul, funk and disco, but also house and hip hop. The atmosphere is intimate and pleasant, the dance floor is always full and there is even a free entrance every Sunday. The Marula Café club is placed in the Gothic Quarter, on Escudellers Street.
For those who love jazz music, there is one very nice place in Barcelona that should not be missed and this is the Harlem Jazz Club in the Gothic District. The jam sessions are great on Tuesdays and on Wednesdays, since the musicians are real professionals. There are many concerts being organized here and when there is no live music, there is a DJ party.
Now, those who love to party not only during the weekends, could try the Apolo club, where play some very good DJ’s. The place is in between the underground indie clubs and the mainstream clubs. The only thing to watch out are the prices, that could be quite high. Thus, better try the happy hours on the bars in the Gothic Quarter and then go to Apolo for some good music and dance. The place opens at 21 o’clock and is better to be entered before midnight, as the queue can become quite long.
Yet, there are people who love the classic disco clubs and they should try the Magic Club. The place is not one of these modern, new and extravagant clubs. But it is a great place for those who love rock music. The place is set in El Borne area, on Paseo Picaso and it stays open until the morning. The selection of drinks is impressive; there is a great choice of both spirits and beers. The place is not large though, so if you are not into rock and not into small clubs better find another place.
A place which is very popular among the locals that love indie music is Fantastico club. The place is a gathering point where one can have a few beers while enjoying the music with friends and then go to a dance club. The place has been recently renovated and welcomes many popular DJs and local bands of pop, rock, folk and psychedelic music. Usually on Thursday nights are organized acoustic concerts and sometimes there are even some poetry nights. The Fantastico club is located in the Gothic District and is open from Wednesday till Saturday at 22.30h in the evening.