Manolo, the protagonist of Juan Marsé’s 1965 novel, Last Evenings with Teresa, possibly the saddest Spanish love novel ever written, spends a great deal of his time drinking and playing cards with the local elders in Las Delicias.

Well known to locals and Marsé’s devotees but unknown to many Barcelonans, this bar was founded in the Carmel neighborhood in the mid-1920s using a natural cave that was turned into a bomb shelter built just below the republican air defenses during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). El Carmel, a working-class neighborhood on Rovira hill with spectacular views over the city, was home to the Andalusian, Galician, Aragonese, Castilian and Extremaduran immigrants who moved to Barcelona looking for brighter futures during the postwar years, the 1960s and ’70s. Las Delicias soon became their favorite local eatery, as portions were larger than usual. Decades later, portions are still very generous, the bar is still a neighborhood institution and the menu still reflects the origins of those who once settled down here. There are Andalucian specialties such as calamares a la andaluza (deep-fried squid, €6.50), morcilla de Jaén (pork blood sausage, €1.60) and pincho moruno (marinated chicken on a skewer, €4.50); Galician specialties like pimientos de Padrón (€5.25), lacón con cachelos (boiled pork shank, €7) and pulpo a la gallega (boiled octopus, €13.95); Aragonese longaniza (pork sausage, €5.25) and Castilian callos (beef tripe stew, €5.25).

But if there is a tapa that makes it worth the trek – El Carmel is renowned for its steep streets and the lack of access to public transport – it’s the patatas suizas (€3.50), Las Delicias’ own version of patatas bravas, the quintessential Spanish tapa: fried potatoes served warm with spicy tomato sauce and aioli. What makes Las Delicias’ version so special is that its aioli sauce is less garlicky than usual and its tomato sauce is actually romesco (made from almonds and red pepper); the result is milder than the classic brava sauce but equally yummy. Las Delicias’ “Swiss potatoes” are always ranked as one of the best tapas in Barcelona, and they are probably the reason why the restaurant’s indoor dining room and outdoor terrace are always packed.

A good way to burn off the calories inevitably gained with Las Delicias’ tapas is to go for a stroll to the El Carmel bunkers – which offer arguably the best viewpoint in Barcelona and are little known to tourists – or to Guinardó Park or Gaudí’s Park Güell. Or you can while away the evening with the regulars in tribute to Juan Marsé.

Published on December 02, 2015

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