Bottom- Valencian Paella
Real paella, no photo required (except this one of course)!
When in Spain I want to eat real paella. While there are a preponderance of places serving paella, it is hard to know what is good and what is not. First rule is to stay away from places that show photos of paella. Those places are geared for tourists who don’t know what they are eating. I grew up with paella so I do and I want quality. In Barcelona’s old school Boqueria Marketplace, adjacent to La Rambla of all places, there is an unassuming little place off to the side that offers mainly different paellas. Despite it being near the tourist hordes, it was fairly low key. We sat down to a small table with rickety chairs. We ordered two different paellas: one Catalan, one Valencian. They looked huge, but since good paella is cooked in a thin layer it is quite doable. Both paellas were delicious, nicely seasoned and just how I remembered them growing up. There are many different kinds of meats and vegetables so just choose the one that suits your taste, but be adventurous. The sangria I had was simple, but frankly one of the best I had in Barcelona. The Boqueria Marketplace is a fun place to spend some time looking at fresh local food and trying things out. It gives you a sense of the city. The Paella Bar is where to go once you want to try something equally authentic but more substantial.