Pura Brasa Restaurant in Barcelona, Spain

The article on this restaurant is way overdue. We were in Barcelona in March 2013. This was our first meal in Barcelona and first in Spain too. This restaurant was a short 5 minutes from our apartment. We were obviously quite excited for our first Spanish meal.

The place was located in a small shopping mall called The Arenas (shaped like an indoor stadium) and apparently has a few other branches in Spain. The place looked modern and cosy and inviting.

We had a simple dinner due to the jetlag and time difference.

Very nice mussels

Roasted brinjals

Pork dish

Deep fried calamari

The dishes we ordered were safe and not very adventurous as it was our first day. However, with the freshness of the food, it tasted great.

Service was quick and efficient. It was a good first meal for us in Spain.

The restaurant's contact details :

PURA BRASA
ARENAS DE BARCELONA
Gran Via
de les Corts Catalanes
núm. 373-385
08015 Barcelona
Tel 93 423 59 82
www.purabrasa.com

Until the next time, cheers.

Sin Tapas in Madrid, Spain (En Ca' Kiko

After a whole morning of walking at the weekend market in Madrid, we stopped for a quick lunch at this tapas bar. We were lucky as a few minutes after we arrived, the whole place was packed and even the outside.

We just ordered 3 dishes but they were huge amount. The baguette with salmon and cheese was really good. The deep fired pork was sinful and the snails was reallty nice. We finished the salmon and snails and just ate a little of the pork. So, we doggy bagged it to enjoy more later. It was a good decision.

A view of the window displaying the various tapas and pastries.

I could not get the contact details of this restaurant and even for us, it was just a lucky stumble.

Until the next time, cheers.

Bodeguilla Los Rotos Restaurant in Madrid, Spain

We did not what to eat on a cold and wet afternoon in March 2013 when we were in Madrid. So, we stumbled on this place which was very near to where we stayed.

The place was not big and the menu was also very simple. At the time we were there which was around 3 pm, most people were just having coffee and/or some pastry.

From the menu, we could see that the one of the main dishes here was eggs and potatoes cooked on a skillet with the types of different meats or seafood.

So, we ordered 2 types, one with baby eel. I have been thinking of baby eels for so long and the other was pork, prawns with some fish eggs. As it was cold, we ordered a soup too.

I liked the eel very much but not my wife. The eggs and potatoes are very comforting for a cold day. Although the dishes were simple, I enjoyed it very much if you need some comfort food.

The restaurant details are as follows :

Address: Calle de Las Huertas, 74, 28014 Madrid, Spain

Phone:+34 914 29 33 52 

 

 

Barrio de las Letras Apartment by Madrid4Rental

During our visit to Madrid in early March 2013, we rented an apartment in the Barrio de las Letras area. From the various reviews, the location is near to the subway and also contains many restaurants and night spots.

The area is also very near to the Prado Musuem and other touristic spots. It is also pretty quiet in the day time but comes alive in the night. The view of the surrounding area of the apartment.

The road where the apartment is located

The apartment has been recently renovated and if confortable. We have a loft apartment which adds character to the apartment but is rather inconvenient as the space is much more constricted and a standard apartment.

The entrance to the apartment is nice and there is a lift but it is rather small.

There is a small museum nearby which had a very interesting wall.

As we had a kitchen, we managed to cook a meal or two which included this lobster and some stew and leftover iberico ham with rice.

Overall, it was a nice and pleasant place to stay in a nice area.

Until the next time, cheers.

Church on La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain

I stumbled on this quaint church located along La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain. Unfortunately, I had not been able to get the name of the church. Even my search google and google map also could not yield a name.

One of the main difference is this church does not have a main altar. The altars all seem to be at each side chapel. The place where the main altar normally sits is a statue of Mother Mary.

A view of the main entrance

A small but beautiful church.

Until the next time, cheers.

St Nicholas parish in Atocha, Madrid, Spain

During our trip to Spain in March 2013, I attended mass at the nearby church to the apartment where we stayed. It is not a large church and serves primarily for the local community. The church is decorated very nicely though.

Until the next time, cheers.