So as I take comfort from some positive feedback and encouragement, let’s start back with some serious comfort food. Meat and potatoes. Or in this case, grilled steak and creamed potatoes.

I don’t think I’m necessarily giving away any big secret or hidden gem here, amongst most of my expat friends, the two “cheap steak places” on calle Almirall Cervera in Barceloneta are well known and well loved. Both serve a similar menu and similar prices, I’m including Yguasu here as of the two I prefer this one, if only because it’s less cramped, isn’t quite so roasting hot, and feels like they give it a once over with a cloth a bit more frequently than their competition across the road.

We’re talking meat here, and lots of it, served hot off the chargrill with bread, chimichurri, salad if you’re being that way inclined, cheap plonk or cold beer. When you’re asked what you’d prefer on the side, there’s only one answer……creamed potatoes. 

Forget the healthy option, their creamed potatoes are heavenly, here I’d chosen the entraña (flank) steak, soft, tender and rare. Seriously, give the salad a miss and just indulge in some animal fats.

Entraña steak with creamed potatoes

Yguasu seems perfectly located as well and has rounded off many a shopping trip, tiring day at the beach (and yes you read that right, lying on the beach all day seems to absolutely drain you of all energy) or to rescue a Sunday afternoon hangover you’ve been trying to relieve with a Barceloneta vermut.

Yguasa, Almirall Cervera, 4

For anyone not familiar with Ottolenghi, although if you know me or read this blog regularly you are sure to have heard me evangelising and generally being a bore about their food, Israeli Yotam Ottolenghi and Palestinian business partner Sami Tamimi own a series of vibrant, enticing cafes in London and Yotam has become something of a print and TV celebrity over the past year too. Their food is characteristic of their Middle Eastern upbringing and is notable for its bold yet complimentary ingredients, strong colours and in my opinion outstanding flavours. I could literally gush all day.

Let’s be clear Les Tres a la Cuina is not trying to emulate Ottolenghi. You won’t find the lavish window displays or lively counter of rainbow salads and baked goods. However, what you will find here is excellent, both in flavour combinations and ingredients that hint to their inspiration and in terms of quality, friendliness and incredible value for money.

Not knowing what to expect we came for a coffee or plate or two and unintentionally ended up having brunch. It was too good to turn down. Three dishes, yes you read that right, three dishes, and a huge café con leche for, wait for it, 9 euros! Lunch time menus and single plates are available during the week too.

To start we had home made granola with Greek yogurt sitting on a layer of either raspberry jam, also made in house, or honey. The yogurt was wonderfully creamy, the jam and granola not too sweet. Fabulous and filling.

Granola, Greek yogurt and home made raspberry jam.

Next came a single slice of toasted sourdough from the Reykjavik bakery, rubbed with tomato, topped generously with sweet jamon York (or Yorkshire ham where I come from), a thin layer of cheese, slices of ripe avocado, a pile of rocket, a runny fried egg and a splatter of rocket pesto. For vegetarians there was an option with mushrooms instead.  It was so good it was gone far too quickly. They say (good) things come in threes and this was certainly true here. We made space for an amazingly moist, almond and pistachio cake with a delicate layer of water icing and crushed pistachios and possibly a hint of orange zest. A definite hint to the Middle Eastern inspiration we discussed earlier. This was simply divine and as a cake baking aficionado I was slightly envious its simple perfection.

Pistachio and almond cake

If I was to be slightly critical of Les Tres a la Cuina, and this feels difficult to say after such a fantastic brunch, it would be that a few cushions to make the seating more comfortable and taller tables that were more conducive to eating rather than just having a coffee, wouldn’t go amiss. I have to wonder why they don’t open Sunday for brunch and close Monday instead of the other way round at the moment although I don’t begrudge them their day of rest. I would also have been more than happy to pay 9 euros for a choice of two of the three dishes including the coffee and would certainly have left more than satisfied rather than stuffed. I for one never thought I’d ever utter those last seven words. What has come over me?

Les Tres a la Cuina, Sant Lluis 35, Gràcia

‘MyKasa’ feels more a communal dining room than a restaurant, packed to the rafters with the vecinos of the surrounding barrio and an integral part of this part of the city, catering for a local school going back decades.

Not everything at MyKasa is worth the journey down there, the patatas bravas and pan con tomate were serviceable (although the oil on the bread was in a league above what it was drizzled on).

The pig’s cheek however, was worth jumping on the metro for. Unctuous and falling off the bone, hugely improved by slow roasting in that broth than on the grill as I’ve had it previously elsewhere. Oh, I should mention it was only 3.30€ on the menu too.  The ridiculously low priced entrecot steak with its mountain of fries and the budget, savoury, spiced pork pinchos morunos were also worthy of a using a T-10 journey.

The albondigas exceeded many I’ve eaten before, I love to cut one in half and swirl it in that tomatoey sauce before it finds its way to my mouth. Sometimes calamaris and chiprones (baby squids) leave me feeling ill with their soggy, cool and often over thick batter. I didn’t need to worry about that here. With the splash of lemon I devoured the best part of the plate of chiprones without help.

Now an Irish coffee is not how I’d usually finish a leisurely tapas lunch, and certainly not with one as monstrously, magnificently wrong-but-oh-so-right as this. Warning, give it a good stir before going in for the sip.

The first payday of 2013 might still feel a long way off, but MyKasa can certainly make sure that December pay cheque stretches just that little bit further.

MyKasa, C/Espronceda, 367, Navas

Mosquito is known for its high quality beers both on the barrel and in bottles and although the thought of sinking this strong Belgian beer turns my stomach slightly after the excesses of the last few days, it was a mighty fine brew at the time. It’s very easy to get carried away, as we did, with the wide selection of dumplings and hot and cold dishes. Better to order a few at a time and add to it than suddenly find a table overflowing with mini plates. I wish I was good at following my own advice sometimes.

Whilst I can’t remember ‘what was what’ of everything we ordered the stand out dishes were all the dumplings which were light and zingy and all hand made by the team of very efficient women out back. The fried duck was magnificent but I would leave that until rich food starts to appeal again and the Sichuan pepper beef and pancakes were also memorable.

Despite our gluttony we still came away with change from 20€ for our dinner, being reluctant to pig out post Christmas, the bill would probably come in at even less. Mosquito is a must visit.

Mosquito, C/Carders 46, Born

Not sure if it’s the Yorkshire genes or limited budget but regular readers of this blog will know I like to trumpet places that offer great food at reasonable prices and there are few places I’ve come across that achieve that more successfully than here.

Starting with a fruity glass of red I went for the grilled chicken sandwich leaving off the cheese, just adding a dollop of mayo. Unless you are seriously hungry then order the half sandwich, you’ll also pay less than 3€ for this beauty. When I have a sandwich like this I always wonder why on earth international chains with their fake bread, warm limp salad, soggy breaded chicken and not exactly bargain prices are so popular.

Grilled chicken salad sandwich

My companions shared a plate of varied empanadas, one of beef and pumpkin with an unusual but complimentary sugary topping, another of celery, roquefort and walnuts and the others that slip my mind but the full selection is available on the menu here. Each costs between 1.50 – 3€ depending on your choice and they still have a crispy, flakiness after reheating which is a failing of some of the empanada joints in the city.

What I haven’t captured here are the mountainous, varied salads they serve which have a plethora of ingredients that work even when you sometimes think they wouldn’t. Check out their ‘rekomendaciones’ here for more tantalising options.

A bouncy sponge with a fluffy meringue topping drew us to dessert and had an unexpectedly pleasurable hint of orange running through the sponge and filling which left us with that uncomfortable moment in dessert sharing where noone wants to take the last spoonful but secretly everyone’s hoping it can be theirs.

Orange cake

You can easily enjoy lunch or a light supper, some dessert and a glass of wine here for under 10€, so now my secret’s out go forth and enjoy the riches of Rekons.

Rekons, C/Urgell 32 (corner of C/Floridblanca), Sant Antoní

I found out they’d opened this burger bar when they pointed me there after I arrived at La Piadina one evening to find them unexpectedly closing. Despite being times of economic misery, they are being forced to close 2 hours early at 11pm rather than 1am due to the general noise complaints at their Placa del Sol location. This is despite the terraces on the same square being allowed to serve until midnight. The reasoning of the putamiento defies logic sometimes. Sign their petition to stay open until midnight if you happen to be passing.

So, Vespa burger is another addition to the Barcelona burger bonanza and more of a budget beating than belly busting one.

A homage to that much loved Italian machine, the decor, a little hotch potch in places, is strewn with Vespa collectables.

I particularly like the Vespa helmet light shades. 200g seems to be the going rate for burger size these days and although a little unorthodox I adore when there’s blue cheese and caramelized onion option. Everyone has raised their game in the burger ‘steaks’ so I didn’t expect anything less than succulent chargrilled burger, soft bun and that gorgonzola was fuerte. Yeah! Disappointingly there’s no slim cut fries option but each burger does come with a small side of sliced fried potatoes and this is for me where Vespa burger is a winner. I love the ‘double hand hold’ huge burger that’s the staple of gourmet burger bars but I also want some potatoes, and often the two together are just overwhelming. Here I get a bit of both and at 5.60€ for the standard burger with some side potatoes. If I eat 9 (over time of course, not all in one sitting) the 10th will be free thanks to their loyalty card. Now that’s doing more for crisis economics than the city council.  Vespa burger, C/Torrent de l’Olla 134, Gracia