El Tropezón, Barri Gotic, Barcelona

After a few drinks over at Dry Martini bar, we quickly realize just how hungry we all are ... We wanted to eat at the little restaurant/bar our the back, aptly named Speakeasy, but being that it's Easter Weekend we have no such luck. The chefs are enjoying a little break. We have another place on the radar, so cab back to the port where we all don some warmer clothes and head off in hopes .... It to is closed, shame.

We start wandering aimlessly around Barri Gotic and discover there is very little open. We stumble across a little 2 storey, homely looking place on a corner. It is absolutely packed to the rafters. Initially we weren't sure whether this was because they were any good, or simply the fact that not much else was open.



We head on in and are ushered up to the last remaining vacant table on the 2nd floor. Our young waiter sorts us out with drinks in no time and we work our way through the giant Spanish menu placed on the table.



First up, potatas bravas - little chunks of potato are fried and blanketed by a garlic mayonnaise and a good sprinkle of paprika.



Grilled sardines are just that, lightly grilled with salt & fresh herbs with some crisp ice-berg lettuce and a wedge of lemon on the side.



The smell of garlic wafting through the place was intoxicating, so spotting Gambas al Ajillo - garlic prawns - on the menu was a no-brainer. They come out in a sizzling terracotta pot with thick slices of garlic sitting in a pool of olive oil. The prawns still have their heads and tail on, but their body's have been peeled for easy eating ...



Next up, our vegetable intake for the evening, which comes in the form of mushrooms fried in oil with garlic, and battered and deep-fried eggplant fritters. Oh-so-healthy, oh-so-delicious!



Flamin chorizo was a visual spectacle. Slices of chorizo in a terracotta pot that was doused with some sort of sherry and set on fire. We all sat there for a while in awe, as the blue flames just kept on burning. Occasionally one of us would dive in for a piece of sausage, but it was just so hot! Our young waiter walks by minutes later, with blue flame still burning, and laughs at us. Apparantly we were supposed to blow it out hahaha he does that for us, and after a few minutes of cooling down, we all chow down on our slightly charred chorizo. Still yummy!



Various other goodies hit the table throughout the night, including tortilla, salad, boqerones, pork with potato & an empanada.



It was just like being invited into a locals home. A loud, dingy locals home with the feel of family & friends sharing good times over good food. I think this place would have been busy even if everything else around town was open had it not been Easter weekend. A good find indeed.


El Tropezón
Carrer del Regomir, 26
Barrio Gótico
Barcelona - Spain
Open every day except Wenesday from 12noon - 2am
T: +34 93 310 18 64