To walk through Barcelona with the palate, nothing’s better than doing it in the “vermouth” time, and tasting a classic in terms of accompanying such a unique drink: the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes).
A simple dish but that has a legion of experts able to trace a route with the best establishments where to taste them. We say it’s a simple dish but it has its secrets, the first is the potato whose type and variety truly make a difference, it’s not the same to fry a mealy version more adequate for mashed potatoes that another which is harder and resistant, usually present in an excellent stew that stays long hours cooking without melting. Ways of frying and also the used oil are nuances of taste that turn the tables towards some tastes or others.
But what truly makes the difference is the sauce, that’s why they are called patatas bravas. A sauce that needs to have the exact dose of spicy so it doesn’t mask the raw material. We always say the same, be careful with the sauces (of any kind) because a lot of times they’re used to mask more than to enhance.
It’s all about giving the necessary touch to turn some simple fries into a valuable dish, ideal to accompany a midday drink.
We can replace the vermouth for a beer, a glass of wine or even a Bitter, but the patatas bravas can’t be changed for olives or cockles, they are a complement but not an alternative.
Barcelona has a series of bars with a charm that popular wisdom has put in the altar of this potatoes snack. That’s why we suggest that you open your Zolty app and choose the closes vehicle so it takes you to a route. Here we give you some ideas of what can be a map of the best tastes:
We start by the neighbourhood of Sarrià, and what could be better than El Tomás de Sarriá fixed in the list of more recommended. We go down to the centre and we stop in La Taverna del Clínic, their patatas bravas have been awarded multiple times. We go to the sea zone and we find the Sant Antoni Gloriós, a classical cellar in Barcelona. If you like them more powerful and tasty, La Esquinica in the Passeig Fabra i Puig is also a referent. But if there is a place you must not forget is the bar La Fuente, a simple place which quality-price relation is indisputable.
Most probably you’ll have your own criteria and palate, what’s your favourite place to taste some exquisite patatas bravas in Barcelona?