Here is another article to help you with your Eating requirements, while you are staying visiting the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We will be adding something new every day, so keep coming back.
Eating and Drinking Tips
Coffee and a pastry make for a typical breakfast in Catalonia. Ordering coffee can be a complex art, but the most common varieties are "café solo" (espresso), "café con leche" (plenty of milk) and "café cortado" (just a bit of milk). Expect to pay around €2 for a coffee and croissant; it'll cost more in a hotel, of course. Breakfast hours run from around 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Most restaurants have a set three-course lunch menu that's good value, but you can always order à la carte or just nosh on "bocadillos," the sandwiches that are a Catalan national treat. Lunch runs from about 1 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m.
Catalans, like all Spaniards, eat dinner late; 8 p.m. is considered early.
Almost all the restaurants below feature full bars. Expect to pay €2 to €3 for a beer and around €5 for harder stuff. The local beer most commonly on tap is Estrella Damm; ordering a "caña d'Estrella" gets you a glass of the good local stuff.
Where to Eat and Drink
The new convention center has 49 restaurants, including fast food and sit-down options, different international cuisines, vegetarian, Kosher, and Halal food. You still might want to leave the convention center, though—whether you arrive before the venue opens in the morning, you want to take a break, or just want to try out a local business.
Fortunately, the Fira is surrounded by restaurants, mostly north and east of the venue. We got local recommendations and tried the best.
The city of Barcelona has world-class dining, of course. The city tourism board offers a free restaurant booking service at a kiosk just inside the Fira's North Entrance and the South Entrance, letting you book tables at 170 restaurants. Once your reservation has been confirmed, the restaurant will welcome you with a free glass of cava when you display your Mobile World Congress pass.
Restaurants Near the South Entrance
Nuclo
Avenida Joan Carles I 58, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 233-4989;
Hours (Monday to Friday): 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Lunch menu: €26.50, Tasting menu: €49.20
Right by the entrance to the convention center, the award-winning Nuclo offers world-class, international cuisine using local, seasonal ingredients. Chef Jordi Narro worked with the legendary Ferran Adrià . Expect creatively reinvented Spanish cuisine, with dishes like crayfish tartare with corn foam being followed by a fish of the chef's choice in a crayfish jus. See what he did there? There's even narrative. Reservations are absolutely essential, as far in advance as possible.
Spiral
In the Porta Fira Hotel, Plaça Europa 45, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 297-3500;
Hours: Lunch 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dinner 8 p.m. to 11:15 p.m.
Entrees: €10 to €21
If you can't get into Nuclo, Spiral, on the ground floor of the Porta Fira hotel across the street, is your next best bet. Like Nuclo, Spiral offers wittily reinvented traditional Spanish food: a forest of asparagus dusted with Parmesan "dirt," for instance, or little pasta pockets stuffed with a mildly sweet pear jam. When I went, service was attentive and occasionally delivered surprises, like an unexpected amuse-bouche of strawberry sangria. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Palmer
In the Renaissance Hotel, Plaça Europa 50-52, L'Hospitalet 08902
+34 (93) 261-8000;
Hours: Lunch 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dinner 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Lunch menu: €24, Entrees: €13 to €28
The most dramatic setting in the area, Palmer perched up on the 14th floor of the Renaissance Hotel and promises truly business-class service. When I ate there, though, both service and food were off; there was no host to greet me, and my monkfish "all cremat" (a popular local sauce with garlic and white wine) was unpleasantly chewy. Things are sure to improve with time, though, as the hotel is brand-new and just getting on its feet. Reservations strongly are recommended.
Narandam
In the Fira Congress Hotel, Carrer de José Agustín Goytisolo 9-11, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 267-1800;
Hours: Lunch 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dinner 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Lunch menu: €24
The hotel restaurant in the Fira Congress Hotel, Narandam has a long wall of bright windows, letting light in. The menu combines Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian influences, so you can get Galician octopus, steak with Port wine sauce, or pasta puttanesca. The approach to the hotel is a little less classy than with the Porta Fira or Renaissance, though, and the Fira Congress looks like it could do with a bit of a sprucing-up. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Atlantida
In the Hotel Solvasa Barcelona, Carrer Ciencies 98-100, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 503-5090;
Hours (daily): Breakfast 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Lunch 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dinner 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Entrees: €9.95 to €21
The least imposing of the local hotel restaurants, Atlantida is in the basement of the Solvasa hotel a few minutes' walk southeast of the Fira. The menu is basic, hearty and simple: steak, sausage, grilled fish, and squid, for instance. Free Wi-Fi is available.
Casa Varela
Carrer Blas Fernandez Lirola 82, 08908 L'Hospitalet
+34 (93) 431-9205
Hours (Monday through Friday): 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; (Saturday): 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Lunch menu: €9.95
A very traditional, family-run restaurant right near the South Entrance, Casa Varela gets very good reviews from locals. The menu is a mix of local specialties and European favorites; you can get pasta, roast chicken, fish stew or even Wiener schnitzel. While the owners don't speak much English, they're used to doing corporate events for the companies in the area; make a reservation if you want to make sure there's room.
Piripipao
Carrer Arquitectura 20, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 421-1203
Hours (Monday through Saturday): 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Entrees: €7 to €20
Highly recommended by the staff at the nearby Marriott AC Hotel Som, Piripipao is an upscale neighborhood restaurant with a classy Spanish menu. Expect the usual tapas and entrees like sesame-crusted tuna and beef tenderloin in a port wine sauce.
Panaderia Bolleria Cabré
Carrer Aprestadora 106, L'Hospitalet 08902
+34 (93) 422-6610
Hours (Monday through Saturday): 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Most pastries: €2 and under
This family-run establishment offers pastries so fresh and light, they practically float into your mouth. While it's a bit of a walk from the convention center, it's worth it for specialties like an apple tart cuddled in a buttery cloud of phyllo dough. The owners also run a small sit-down cafe down the block.
Glub
Plaça Europa 41, L'Hospitalet 08908
Hours (Monday through Saturday): 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Breakfast: €2.20-€5, Lunch: €11
The pleasures at Glub aren't necessarily the food: this relatively nondescript neighborhood restaurant is right across the street from the Fira and has both plenty of seating and Wi-Fi. Breakfast there wasn't much to report about, but as I said: plenty of seating, and Wi-Fi. It's a good place to base yourself if you're too early to get into the show. Bar Mediterraneo, next door, is very similar, keeping the same hours and also featuring Wi-Fi.
Bar Restaurant Maxi
Carretera del Prat 30bis, Barcelona 08038
+34 (93) 296-8410
Hours (daily): 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Entrees: generally €9.75 to €18; tapas: €4 and up
Want to eat and drink like a real local? Stop by this better-than-usual tapas joint (shown above) right down the street from the convention center. It's full of locals, but has an English-speaking waiter and menu, and the patatas bravas and piquillo peppers are a significant notch above the quality you can get at the tapas places at the mall. Entrees focus on shellfish, with a massive mixed-seafood "marisco" platter feeding four for €42. Reservations are recommended if you don't want to end up eating at the bar.
Mangia e Bevi
Gran Via 16, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 259-0972;
Hours (Monday): 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., (Tuesday through Thursday): 8 a.m. to midnight, (Friday and Saturday): noon to midnight
Pizzas: €11 to €14; meter-wide pizza: €48
Pizza is the specialty at this clean, brightly-lit neighborhood restaurant on the other side of the mall from the convention center. And if you're bringing a party, the pizzas get big: they showed me the wooden board on which they cook pizzas 36 inches in diameter. Like any good pizza joint, this one delivers, if you can't manage to leave your booth. A full bar and coffee are also available.
Niza Xurreria
Carretera del Prat, off Carrer Energia
+34 (647) 809-580
Need a snack? This food truck has been serving churros since 1952. Churros start at €2, waffles at €3 and you can get french fries, too. The truck is out during daylight.
Cafe Glacé and Muxia
Amadeu Torner 40 and Aprestadora 113, L'Hospitalet 08902
Cafe Glacé +34 (93) 263-5364, Muxia +34 (93) 263-0594
Cafe Glacé Hours (daily): 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Muxia Hours (daily): 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sandwich and beer: €5.10; Muxia lunch menu: €13.80
Up Amadeu Torner street across Plaça Europa you'll find these two neighborhood cafés with an important specialty: they both have Wi-Fi. As you'd expect from the name, Cafe Glacé is mostly ice cream and crepes, with a small indoor area and many tables out on the street. Muxia is a more traditional Galician tapas restaurant with a full bar, lunch and dinner menus, including a menu translated into English.
Granvia 2
Carrer de la Literatura 1, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 259-0050;
Hours (Monday through Saturday): 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Entrees: Prices vary, but usually €10 to €20
The gigantic mall opposite the convention center has an unusually pleasant food court. Unlike most mall food courts, it's outside, with a series of heated tents protecting diners. Food options include an udon bar, two Italian pasta restaurants, a decent Basque restaurant called Baskonia, and an entirely industrial tapas place, Barnatapa. It's not exactly a meaningful cultural experience, but it's food, and it's easy.
Within the mall, the main highlight is Wi-Fi. The mall's two Jamaica coffee shops and giant Carrefour supermarket radiate free Wi-Fi to everything nearby, including the tasty Andreu jamón bar on the basement level directly across from Carrefour. I'd go back to Andreu.
Restaurants Near the North Entrance
Granja Elena
Paseo Zona Franca 228, Barcelona 08038
+34 (93) 332-0241
Hours (Monday through Saturday): 7 a.m. to noon, (Monday through Friday): 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrees: approximately €20
The best restaurant in the area, Granja Elena (shown above) has the atmosphere of a small local bar but offers world-class food. Expect traditional Catalan dishes like fish croquettes and roasted artichokes, but raised to the next level. My croquettes were cloud-light, and my artichokes were fork-tender and fell apart into a black sausage soup, giving a bit of a feeling of noodles in gravy. The restaurant sources ingredients locally whenever possible. With only 28 seats and a faithful clientele, reservations are essential, at least a week in advance.
La Vid
Carrer Foc 44, Barcelona 08038
+34 (93) 289-6347;
Hours (daily): 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lunch menu: €15.30
The huge, practically brand-new La Vid restaurant sits right across from the North Entrance of the convention center, making it a prime target for corporate events. You'll pay a little more for the atmosphere and location than you would at other similar restaurants in Barcelona, but I was happy for the business-friendly ambiance and multilingual menus. The traditional Galician menu is seafood-heavy, and I had a melt-in-my-mouth whole sea bass with a very citrusy vegetable ragout on the side, and chocolate crepes for dessert. A full bar, tapas and sandwich menus are also available.
Acquit Ibèrics i Café
Avenida Granvia de L'Hospitalet 1, L'Hospitalet 08908
+34 (93) 432-8483;
Hours (Monday through Friday): 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Lunch menu: €9.35 to €12.20
Right by the City of Justice complex, the brand-new Acquit bistro clearly caters to health-conscious lawyers. (Also, with the name.) Expect traditional tapas but also a lot of fresh salads and fish.
La Sal Del Port
Carrer Foc 84, Barcelona 08038
+34 (93) 007-5988
Hours (daily): 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lunch menu: €10.50
A new breakfast and tapas bar just off the Passeig de Zona Franca on the way to or from the North Entrance, La Sal Del Port is friendly and clean, although nobody there speaks English. Breakfast is run-of-the-mill pastries, lunch a range of traditional specialties like roast chicken or monkfish in romesco sauce. The usual tapas are also available, along with a full bar. It's a good place to meet people on the way to App Planet or the Theatre District.
Forn de Pa Praga
Corner of Energia and Foneria, Barcelona 08038
Hours (Monday through Friday): 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., (Saturday and Sunday): 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Pastries: €1 to €2; sandwich and juice: €3.40
Looking for coffee and a croissant on the way to the North Entrance? This bright, sunny cafe on a nearby corner is a good bet. The pastries are of decent quality, and they'll slap together a range of sandwiches, too.
Dietary Restrictions
Vegetarians: The main tourist office on Plaça Catalunya has a free booklet called "Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants in Barcelona," with 63 vegetarian-friendly restaurants listed throughout the city. Restaurants are tagged as vegetarian or vegan. In general, it's not hard to get tasty meatless food in Barcelona, as items like potatoes, piquillo peppers, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, and artichokes are mainstays of any tapas menu. However, ask a waiter to make sure animal oils aren't used in preparation.
Kosher: There's one Kosher restaurant and one Kosher grocery store in Barcelona. They're both in the Sarrià neighborhood. The restaurant is Delicias (Santaló 125, 08021 Barcelona; (93) 201-0904;) and it will deliver to hotels. The supermarket is Isamar Kosher (Avenir 29, 08021 Barcelona; (93) 200-3375;)
Halal: Halal diners shouldn't have a problem in a city where fish rules many menus. For halal meat, Gràcia is honeycombed with Turkish and Lebanese restaurants, and there's a large Pakistani presence in the Raval neighborhood.
Gluten-Free: The Carrefour supermarket in the Granvia 2 mall directly across from the convention center has a gluten-free section. You can also get a list of gluten-free restaurants from SMAP Celiacs de Catalunya.
Source: http://www.pcmag.com by Sascha Segan
If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2014 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 647 044 889, because you can be sure we can do it.
