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Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Traveling To Europe This Year? Caveat Emptor: Here's What You Need To Know
BARCELONA, CATALONIA, SPAIN - 2024/07/06: An anti-tourism placard is seen during the demonstration. ... More More than 3,000 people demonstrated against the tourist overcrowding suffered by the city of Barcelona and in favor of tourism reduction policies. The demonstration involved symbolically closing hotel establishments, bars and restaurants while heading towards Barceloneta, one of the neighborhoods that suffers the most from the presence of tourism. (Photo by Paco Freire/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Even if you manage to push your way through the crowds of tourists in Barcelona and Mallorca this year on vacation, you may now find yourself spritzed by a local with a water gun who wished you'd stay home. Because of a shortage of resident apartments, Barcelona's municipal government will eliminate 10,000 short-term B&B rental licenses by 2028. And in many European capitals locals are carrying signs reading 'TOURISTS GO HOME.' In Japan, where tourism records are being broken because of a weak yen, Kyoto banned tourists from entering certain streets, and in Paris the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs Elysée has a line outside that stretches down the block, and Asians are only allowed to buy a single one of their most popular bags. Japanese tourits queue up 13 December 2000 at the entrance of a Louis Vuitton luxury store on the ... More Champs Elysees in Paris. The store's management allows each client only one purchase to avoid illegal resale of its products. AFP PHOTO JEAN-PIERRE MULLER (Photo by JEAN-PIERRE MULLER / AFP) (Photo by JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty Images) The growing antagonism towards tourists is in the face of still-growing travel––the World Travel & Tourism Council projected that this year 142 countries out of 185 will set records, especially to Europe, spending $11.1 trillion and accounting for 330 million jobs. VENICE, ITALY - AUGUST 02: Tourists are crowded near a canal near St. Mark's Square on August 02, ... More 2023 in Venice, Italy. UNESCO officials have included Venice and its lagoon to the list of world heritage in danger to review, along with Ukraine's Kyiv, and Lviv. The UN cultural agency deems Italy not effective in protecting Venice from mass tourism and extreme weather conditions. (Photo by) So why the complaints? It's simply a story of locals being overwhelmed by foreigners who stifle the local way of life, cause lines to get into major museums as long as at Disneyworld, cause unbearable traffic jams, inhabit converted apartments where residents once lived and utterly change the true ambience of a city like Venice, which has now become little more than a theme park of singing gondoliers, souvenir shops and pizza parlors. Up until recently, once less-trammeled cities like Lisbon, Milan, Valencia and Reykjavik were sensible alternatives, but now, they, too, are engorged with foreign travelers. But now, even Iceland, with a population of less than 400,000, is on target to get 2.5 million tourists in 2026, and more than two-thirds of its Airbnb's were once long-term apartments. I have visited Europe four times in the last eight months––Spain, Austria, Italy and Croatia––and one thing I did not find was any anti-American attitude, though anti-Trump feelings run high. So, if you get squirted with water in Barcelona (it will cool you off this summer), it's not because you're from the U.S. but only because you and millions of others from around the world are upsetting the locals' tolerance for crowds, noise and discomfort. If you do plan to visit Europe this summer here are some considerations to keep in mind: CEFALU, ITALY : Tourists in street scene and souvenir shops in coastal town of Cefalu in Northern ... More Sicily, Italy. (Photo by) ● If you've never been to Europe's major cities, by all means go, but expect crowds and high prices for hotels and BnBs. Check the on-line sites like Trivago, Expedia and Travelocity for places within your price range. If you do go to Rome, Paris, Madrid and Athens, August is the month their populations take their own vacations, so crowds will not be so bad. Be aware that all the Mediterranean countries will be very hot, and waiting on lines can be daunting. ● If you've already visited major cities, stay away from them now. Rent a car or take advantage of Europe's superb train service to travel from small city to city at your leisure. In my last trip to Italy I drove up the Adriatic coast through Puglia and Abruzzo stopping in wonderful cities and charming small towns like Bari, Lecce, Vasto, Sulmona, Scanno and others whose tourist numbers are nothing close those of major cities, and each has its own distinctive charms. ● You may or may not need it, but obtain an international driver's license from AAA for about $20 before leaving the U.S. Some rental car agencies will not rent to you without one; most will but they caution that if you are stopped by the police they will ask for one. ● Always make reservations for hotels and restaurants, even in smaller cities and especially on weekends when the locals flock to their favorite tavernas, trattorias and rathskellers, as well as country inns and resorts. COLMAR, FRANCE - OCTOBER 9: Traditional Alsace Kougelhopf cakes on display at a delicatessen on ... More October 9, 2019 in the city of Colmar in the Alsace region of eastern France. Alsace is famous for its unique Germanic-inspired cuisine, the high number of picturesque villages, churches and castles, the Vosges mountains and its vineyards with the 170 km of the Route des Vins d'Alsace. (Photo by) ● The regions outside of the major cities usually offer different cuisines you should definitely try, like the Alsatian cooking of Strasbourg, the Provençal food of Nice, the Dalmatian specialties of Dubrovnik and the Austrian fare in Graz. The food of Sicily is as different from the food of Tuscany as Boston's seafood is from San Francisco's. Series of typical italian pasta Linguine al pesto with green beans, served in ceramic handmade ... More plate, wood tray, parmesean cheese and basil leaves, White raw background,. (Photo by: Costanza Sigismondi/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) ● I am happy to report that, generally speaking––Venice, Zurich and London excepted––restaurants prices are still amazingly low, even though the US dollar is struggling against the euro. It is still easy to find a terrific tagliatelle al pesto in Liguria for $12 to $15, and you can hop from tapas bar to tapas bar in San Sebastián, Spain, for three or four bucks per item. Fish is often priced by the grams, and many dishes, like turbot or suckling pig are priced for two or more people. ● Wine and beer is not marked up in most European countries as much as in the U.S., especially if you drink French wine in France and Italian wine in Italy. And although it was once risky to order the house wine (vino della casa in Italian), today you can always be assured that it will be a good, usually local, red or white, sold by the glass or sometimes in a carafe. Rarely do such wines cost more than $20. ● Bobby Moore preparing for the opening of his own public house called Moore's at Stratford Broadway, ... More East London. He is wearing a bowler hat and false moustache. Bobby Moore plays fro Fulham at this time. Picture taken 17th November 1976 Bobby Moore preparing for the opening of his own public house called Moore's at Stratford Broadway, East London. He is wearing a bowler hat and false moustache. Bobby Moore plays for Fulham at this time. Picture taken 17th November 1976 . (Photo by Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty Images) Yet again must I address tipping in Europe: In Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Greece and others––tips are not expected at restaurants because a service charge is already included in the bill (servis compris in French). If, as an American, you still feel guilty, leave five or ten percent of the bill, never more. In the UK one does not tip at a pub, and, increasingly restaurant bills include a 12% service charge. If not, you might want to tip that amount. You can round off your taxi cab bill as a gesture. Passengers queue to check-in for flights at the Schiphol Airport on 29 July 2022. - Schiphol has ... More been struggling with a shortage of security guards and baggage handlers for some time, and in combination with the increased flow of holidaymakers, this shortage has led to large crowds. - Netherlands OUT (Photo by Freek van den Bergh / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo by FREEK VAN DEN BERGH/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) ● Airlines are telling the truth when they advise you get to the airport three hours before your flight, especially if you're flying economy. The sheer size and Piranesian maze of major airports these days makes for long lines at the counter, security, passport control and gate. Getting into a foreign country for a non-EU citizen can also be daunting, but getting back to the U.S. has now become pretty easy if you've got Global Entry membership though the on-line U.S. Customs and Border Control Protection site.
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Telegraph
The 22 best restaurants in Barcelona
Barcelona's impressive food scene covers all manner of cuisines. Head to the maritime district of Barceloneta if it's paella you're after, but if you want traditional Catalan dishes it's best to stick inland, in, for example, the Barri Gòtic or Gràcia, where you'll find tiled dining rooms and plenty of pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato) and hearty stews. Tapas are not a Catalan speciality, but can still be found – from time-honoured classics on charming squares to deconstructed versions at those restaurants created in the aftermath of the gastronomic revolution spearheaded by superchef Ferran Adrià. Below our expert shares her favourite restaurants in Barcelona, including affordable menus and five-star venues. Do note that many restaurants close for a period in August, and occasionally the whole month. Find out more below, or for further Barcelona inspiration, see our in-depth guides to the city's best hotels, bars and nightlife, attractions, shopping and things to do for free, plus how to spend a weekend in Barcelona. Find a restaurant by type: Best all-rounders Can Culleretes The second-oldest restaurant in Spain, with a mention in Guinness World Records. Can Culleretes has been around since 1786, and many of its waitresses act like they have too. These redoubtable matrons chivvy customers into one of three main dining rooms, tiled and hung with oil paintings and photos of happy patrons, and then serve them no-nonsense but tasty Spanish dishes at really good prices. Try the wild boar stew, the suckling pig or the seafood 'pica pica' of plates to share. It can get busy with tourists, however, so you might want to book a later table. Area/neighbourhood: Barri Gòtic Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Recommended Casa Delfín Casa Delfín used to be something of a Mediterranean greasy spoon, serving deep-fried fish to workers, and there was much hand-wringing when it was sold and spruced up. The new owners did a great job, however, and preserved the spirit of the menu as well as many of the features of the bright and airy interior. Try chickpeas, spinach and black pudding to start, perhaps, followed by liver and onions with sherry or roast lamb with rosemary and thyme. The terrace is the place to sit, if the weather allows, and is open year round. Agua There is a line of similar restaurants along the seafront here, but Agua is the most fun for its laid-back atmosphere, sunny, split-level dining room and large, lively terrace. It does get quite busy, but there's a comfortable reception area with a bar, where you can order something to nibble on while you wait. The main menu covers the Mediterranean basics, from paella to spankingly fresh fish, along with really tasty steaks, creative salads and plenty of child-friendly dishes. Book well ahead for a table on the terrace, which sits right on the edge of the sand. Back to index Best for families Bella Napoli di Raffaele A hugely popular Italian restaurant, known for its pizza but it's a crime not to try its other dishes (the gnocchi, for example, or the linguine con bogavante – lobster) and a range of Italian craft beers. The Neapolitan waiters move adeptly through the packed dining areas, and are famous for their charm – they will guide you through the menu, but it's hard to go wrong. The Sofia Loren pizza is a favourite, with provolone, rocket and bresaola, and the house pizza with aubergine, basil and parmesan is also good. Leave room for the homemade tiramisu, which is superb. You can also get pizzas to go. Area/neighbourhood: Montjuic and Poble Sec Contact: 00 34 93 442 50 56 Opening times: Mon-Sun, 1.30pm-4pm, 8pm-11.30pm Prices: ££ Reservations: Recommended Pepa Tomate A sunny corner café and restaurant, with a cheerfully eclectic approach to décor. There's a short list of dishes that manages to cater to most tastes, whether you're after a fat burger and chips, a toasted sandwich or something a little more sophisticated – truffled tortilla, for example, or cod tempura with padrón peppers. Portions are generous, but leave room if you can for the creamy tiramisu, served in a Kilner jar. It's a great place to come with children, with a playground just outside and friendly waiters who will provide crayons to draw on the paper placemats. Envalira The place to come for good old-fashioned cooking in an unpretentious setting. It's not going to win any design awards, but Envalira can't be faulted on value. The speciality is paella and other rice dishes (such as arròs negre, the Catalan version made with squid ink), but this is also a good place to try dishes from all over Spain, particularly Galicia. Try, for example, tarta de Santiago, the Galician answer to bakewell tart. The restaurant is brightly lit and austerely (un)decorated, but if you book a table at the front near the bar you'll feel a little less hemmed in. Area/neighbourhood: Gràcia Contact: 00 34 93 218 58 13 Opening times: Tue-Sat, 1pm-11pm; Sun, 1pm-5pm Prices: ££ Reservations: Recommended Gelateria Italiana Deliziosa The last few years have seen a tidal wave of ice cream parlours opening in Barcelona, but for most people this family-run gelateria will always remain unbeatable. A refurb saw away with the olive-green wood panelling and 1960s fonts, sadly, but the ice cream is still made and sold fresh every day, with the purest ingredients. It's hard to pick a favourite, but the fig is a speciality, and the liquorice is good for novelty value. There is a second, smaller branch in the Born at Placeta de Montcada 12, near the Picasso Museum. Back to index Best for cheap eats Les Quinze Nits The Andilana group now owns an impressive nine restaurants around town, and though they all have different names, they all work on the same principles – extremely elegant dining rooms in attractive old buildings, with creative Mediterranean dishes at budget prices. These include all manner of fish and meat dishes, and some colourful salads. Les Quinze Nits was the first branch and continues to be the most popular, with queues snaking across the Plaça Reial (there is a no-bookings policy), but you can always try your luck at nearby branch La Fonda (C/Escudellers 10), which may have a shorter queue. Bormuth A split-level tapas bar that opens out on to two streets. Bormuth is friendly, lively and has reliably good food. The selection of tapas includes fresh options such as lentil salad and tabbouleh, along with all the classic croquetas, tortilla and so on, but my favourite is the fried aubergine drizzled with honey (a Cordoban recipe). Get there early for the tables on the street or in the open-fronted section facing the handsome façade of the Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria. Mosquito Mosquito seems to change its identity every few years, but the basic concept is cheap, quick and good Asian food. For the time being, that means Chinese dim sum, with a few other dishes from around the continent – Japanese gyoza dumplings, Thai curries, and noodle dishes – thrown in for good measure. My favourite is the Vietnamese pho (a steaming beef broth into which you stir herbs, chopped chilli and beansprouts to taste), though sadly this is only available at lunchtime. It can get quite chaotic in the cramped bar area – book one of the tables at the back if you can. Elisabets Elisabets is a wonderfully old-school place, with little by way of decoration but for a few old radio sets dotted around the walls. It specialises in the sort of food your grandmother used to make. No-frills, huge portions of osso buco and other stewy delights are served up as part of the fixed-price menu, though there is an à la carte menu, too. Note that Elisabets is only open until 5:30pm. Back to index Best for fine dining Shunka An excellent Japanese restaurant hidden down a side street near the cathedral. Time was, you would often see Ferran Adrià in here. However, a shake-up a few years ago meant that some of Shunka's finest chefs were moved to a new branch round the corner, Koy Shunka, which promptly gained a Michelin star, and this one was slightly relegated to second position. This one is far cheaper, however, and does what you'd expect – all varieties of sushi, tempura, teriyaki, noodles and plenty more – and well. Reserve a seat up at the bar surrounding the kitchen for a really good show. Area/neighbourhood: Barri Gòtic Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Recommended Alkimia There is a kind of alchemy going on at this restaurant where the deconstructed, theatrical takes on Catalan standards show Ferran Adrià's influence. An opening salvo of deconstructed pa amb tomàquet (the traditional bread rubbed with tomato) in a shot glass is just the beginning. Jordi Vilà is a serious chef, with a Michelin star to prove it, and his dining room has a serious air. The restaurant sits within the microbrewery and gastro space of the Fábrica Moritz, and has a separate dining area – Al Kostat (At The Side) – with a simpler, more accessible (read also: cheaper) menu. Area/neighbourhood: Eixample Contact: Prices: £££ Reservations: Recommended Compartir Little sister to the distinguished Disfrutar (currently at the top of the World's Best Restaurants list and at which you are unlikely to secure a table without some serious forward-planning), Compartir is run by the same team and has a similar approach to playful haute cuisine – at a lower price tag. Its cavernous dining room is fun and relaxed – driftwood is suspended from the ceiling and elegant deco curves are balanced by rustic Catalan tiling – and a complement to dishes that look as good as they taste. The marinated sardines with emulsions of carrot and coconut are a standout – a Pollock on the plate and a flavour explosion on the tongue. Area/neighbourhood: Eixample Contact: Prices: £££ Reservations: Recommended Cinc Sentits Every accolade – including two Michelin stars – has been deservedly heaped on Cinc Sentits and its haute take on Catalan cuisine. To maximise the diner's experience of what chef Jordi Artal can do, these days the restaurant only serves fixed menus – eight courses for €185 (£154) or 10 courses for €200 (£166). Expect dishes such as pigeon served three ways, including a paper pouch containing 'false rice' made from its thigh, and some table-side theatre. The restaurant is also known for its wine selection, and wine pairings are available for each menu. There is a chef's table for those that like to watch the action close up. Back to index Best for walk ins Milk Milk performs all sorts of functions. It's a stylish but relaxed place for a late-night drink, a restaurant that feels more like a really good pub (with grub to match – from homemade burgers and steak sandwiches, to smoked salmon fishcakes and the occasional foray into Asian cuisine), and it's a great place for a relaxed brunch with the papers. Choose from eggs Benedict, banana and walnut pancakes or just a good old-fashioned fry-up, and maybe treat yourself to a bloody Mary or a mimosa. Best of all, you can rock up for brunch any time up to 4:30pm. El Atril Here, you can sit in the stone-walled dining room or under umbrellas on the little Plaça de Sant Cugat. In season, one of the best things to order is a big bowl of moules et frites, but there's plenty more to choose from, including sea bass with truffle, tuna tartare with a tapenade of sundried tomatoes and olives, and pork with quince alioli. Light and healthy options include inventive salads and a vegan burger. Brunch is served at weekends. Quimet i Quimet Everybody's favourite tapas bar is about the same size as a large wardrobe, and it can be a struggle to abide by the 'no standing on the pavement' rule. It's still worth it, however, for the wonderful montaditos – delicate little arrangements balanced on a slice of French bread and made in front of your eyes. Highly recommended is the smoked salmon with cream cheese, soy sauce and honey, but there's no real list. The bar also specialises in wine (bottles of every vintage line the walls) and conservas (tinned seafood), most of which is surprisingly good. Chez Coco This is the place to come for a date, if you can get one of its cosy high-backed booths. It's a charming space, with many original features such as oak panelling and a tiled mosaic floor. More recent decorative additions include plunging chandeliers, cobalt blue upholstery on the booths, and an open kitchen hung with copper pans, where various kinds of bird roast slowly on rotating spits. The menu is French and fairly ambitious, but the best bet is to stick to the fried poussin and fat wedge chips, which are excellent and reasonably priced. Back to index Best for seafood Cal Pep Not quite a tapas bar, not quite a seafood restaurant. Cal Pep does have a cosy dining room at the back and a terrace to the side, but if you sit there you'll miss all the fun. Better to stand at the bar (or wait your turn patiently behind those at the bar) and watch the cooks working the stoves. There is no shtick here apart from superbly fresh seafood, served simply and on plates designed for sharing. Non-fish eaters will also find plenty to eat, however – try 'the tortilla trampera' with chorizo and alioli. Can Solé Another of Barceloneta's excellent paella restaurants, this one a little more upmarket than most (with prices to match), and attentive waiters – there can't be many restaurants that provide reading glasses to diners. There are two specialities: paella in various forms, and what is known as 'grandmother's spoon food' – steaming hotpots of chickpeas with chorizo, lentil and potato stew, onion soup with a poached egg and Emmental stirred through it, and so on. There is a quiet dining room upstairs, but the best place to sit is downstairs by the open kitchen where you can watch the action. Set Portes An elegant old paella and seafood restaurant, under an arcaded walkway down near the port. It's been around since 1836, and the great and the good to have graced its tables are immortalised in little plaques on the backs of the chairs. Despite its vast size – there are several dining rooms – and history, sympathetic lighting and accommodating waiters make it feel both cosy and friendly, something quite unusual in a restaurant of this stature. The food is excellent, respecting old recipes while occasionally adding a new twist. If you're feeling extravagant, go for the zarzuela – a tasty casserole with lobster. Back to index How we choose Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations. After stints living in Seville and Madrid, in 2001 Sally Davies settled in Barcelona's El Born, a stone's throw from Ciutadella Park and the Santa Caterina market, two of her favourite places anywhere.
