Place to eat: La Semproniana, Barcelona, Spain

About this place:

The La Semproniana restaurant in Barcelona is one of the best spots in town where to have a good meal without breaking the bank. If you fancy a nice place with some nouvelle cuisine twists on the traditional catalan cuisine and a cozy atmosphere, that is.

It is a special place to eat in for a number of reasons. Above all, the food is great with a seasonal menu focused in local products. Then, the service is good and its particular interior design makes for another selling point. Basically, it is decorated with style and with no two identical pieces of furniture. Well, we can also add that it is out of the beaten path although they have menus in English, a touch that sends shivers down the spine as it is (usually) not a good sign for a local restaurant.

Nonetheless, let me put all the cards on the table. La Semproniana is my favorite restaurant in the city and one where I have dinned in 5 times in the last year and half without a single bad experience to report. One day I had booked a table by phone and when we arrived at the restaurant the booking had been placed for the day after by mistake. As it should always be, a table was duly set up in a heartbeat.

Then, when I moved out of Barcelona, the lady owner was kind enough to offer me a small bottle of their homemade turf vinegar after I complimented her restaurant. Goes great with leafy salads.

So yes, I've been spoiled there. Word of advice, book the table in advance if you're planning to have dinner. At lunch time they serve reasonably priced menus, as most of the restaurants in the Eixample do.

The owners run also two other restaurants in the city, catering to younger crowds and with cheaper prices.