Casa Jaime, Eixample
Three courses, drink and bread, €13.95
To Anglo-American readers, it sounds like the mad utopian dream of a gastronomic socialist: a three-course lunch and a glass of wine for little more than a tenner?! Impossible. And yet in Spain the absurdly good value menu del dia is not some occasional offer, or the preserve of an edge-of-town greasy spoon, they’re everywhere, five days a week. For a brilliant iteration of the genre, head to Casa Jaime where you might, if you time it right, get a starter of arroz a la marinera, followed by cod and then a bowl of tiramisu with a glass of very serviceable red for the princely sum of €13.95, which is a bargain, whichever way you look at it.
Consell de Cent, 222, Eixample, 08011
La Flauta, Eixample
Three courses, drink and bread, €15.60
Yes, the queue is ridiculous (but it moves surprisingly fast). Yes, you’re likely to be sitting next to some giggling tourists taking endless selfies. But this is La Flauta and it’s just got to be done, not least because you get a bottle of wine for the table. Even, as your correspondent discovered, if you’re on your own (hic!). The menú del día dishes are heartier – mushroom crêpes, fried fish – than the refined seafood on the à la carte menu, but it’s still a not-to-be-missed Barcelona experience.
Carrer d’Aribau, 23, Eixample, 08011
Bar Copèrnic, L’Eixample
Three courses, drink and bread, €14
Barcelona is one of the world’s great destinations for flâneurs and there are few greater joys than walking down Carrer del Consell de Cent, the long pedestrianised street that runs north-east from Parc de Joan Miró, getting progressively more touristy as you go along it. Before you tackle it, fortify yourself with a menú del día at the charming Bar Copèrnic where, if you’re lucky, they’ll be doing their take on xató, the classic Catalan salad made from endive, salt cod and anchovies (if the chocolatey, custardy fried crepes are on, be sure to grab a portion before they run out).
Consell de Cent, 93, Eixample, 08013
Brisas do Sil, Poble Sec
Three courses, drink and bread, €13.50
One of the great joys of Barcelona is its preponderance of plaças, atmospheric little squares with a little playground in the middle of them and a terrace bar or two on the shady side, ensuring entertainment for all generations. Plaça del Sol in Gràcia is the standout classic. Closely followed by Raval’s Plaça de Vicenç Martorell. Much less touristy is Plaça de las Navas in Poble Sec, where there is ample room for the kids to cavort while you tuck into a menú del día at the Galician restaurant Brisas do Sil, noted for serving great heaps of hearty salads followed by something grilled – octopus maybe, or trout – with a pile of hand-cut chips.
Carrer de Jaume Fabra, 16, Sants-Montjuïc, 08004
Casa Cabo, Poblenou
Three courses, drink and bread, €15.50
Poblenou is Barcelona’s most Shoreditch-y kind of neighbourhood with its warehouse conversions and design agencies with silly names. Despite these occasional Nathan Barley-esque moments it’s still a charming place to walk around and, indeed, have lunch. For a cracking menú del día head to Casa Cabo, just a hop and a skip from Pompeu Fabra University with its incredible library. It specialises in rice, so be sure to order it if it’s on the menu. If not, the fideuà (basically a paella made with pasta) is also great.
Carrer de Ramon Turró, 19, Poblenou, 08005
Vivant
Three courses, drink and bread, €17.90
As with almost all things, the menus del dia on offer in the city range from the rustic to the princely with corresponding price tags to match. For an excellent option in the middle rank, head to Vivant where a small uplift in the price paid translates into a big jump in quality: the interior is handsome, the house wine is extremely quaffable and the menu options include Spanish and Italian classics, all done to a high standard.
Carrer del Consell de Cent, 394, Eixample, 08009; vivantbcn.com
David Annand is editorial director of Secret Trips
