Eat at Paco Merlago because I said so

I’m still working through my many photos from my adventure at 41° but wanted to stay on a roll with Barcelona and put out a quick and easy post.

I had 46 restaurants on my Barcelona map, all highly recommended from many different sources from all over the internet.  Because of the advance research I do on trips, I don’t spend a lot of time when I’m traveling hemming and hawing over what to eat which leaves me more time to slow down, relax and soak up the city.

Paco Merlago was a short walk from my apartment, which is a big plus after a long day of walking the city.  It gets very busy  so we decided to go early to get there before the rush.  Lucky for us, locals eat late, so early was a bit after 8pm, which is actually a normal dinner time for us!  I was a bit disappointed because it seemed that most of the diners were not local, but now I realize that had more to do with the timing of our visit as the locals started streaming in after 9:30.

In a city with a few tapas bars every block that virtually serves the exact same menu, how do you know which is better than another?  Well, this time it’s because I’m telling you that the tapas at Paco Merlago is a notch above the rest.  Or at least I thought it was very special.

The quality of food, coupled with the relaxed and friendly atmosphere makes Paco Merlago a great choice.  So much so, we went back on our last night in Barcelona to sample more of the food.  I wanted to experience the meal fully, so no photos from that night, but additional dishes from that night that were winners included the bomba (spicy potato fritter) and navajas (razor clams).

Paco Merlago – C/Mutaner 171 (@Corsega), Barcelona, Spain