Food: Tapas 24

It can be very easy to tell the good restaurants from the bad ones in Spain, though we really struck out a few times when we were dining there. One happy exception, however, was "Tapas 24," a little place nestled in the business district of Barcelona. It's actually below the street level, and there aren't many seats. It succesfully replicates the friendly neigborhood bar feel while having some incredible food, with a menu ostensibly by chef Carles Abellan.

Tapas are small appetizer plates ("A lot of money for a little food"). They're quite popular in Spain, where bar-hopping in the night hours is common because dinner is served so late (11PM wouldn't be out of the norm for most places). Most of the time, though, these plates are little more than simple companions to a bunch of drinks.

Tapas 24 steps it up a notch, though. The traditional tapa plates, like squid or fried prawns, are lavished with the attention of a chef; they taste like it and are priced like it, too. More esoteric dishes, like the delicious fried artichoke leaves and the Cava sangria, are also fantastic. The only thing keeping this place from 4/4 stars is the price and the portion size - the food itself was exceptional.

3/4 stars