Pinotxo Bar

La Rambla, 91

08002 Barcelona, Spain

We were super excited to visit Pinotxo Bar after hearing and reading all the great reviews. The small bar is front and center at the entrance of the Boqueria marketplace. You can't miss it. One can always expect to see owner Juanito Bayen behind the counter, sporting his signature bow tie and serving up all the coffee orders.

1. Fried rabbit - When deep-fried, all meat tastes like chicken! These rabbit ribs were no exception. The crunchy batter covered up any gaminess you would normally find with rabbit meat. Tasty but nothing special that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. In fact, we had an identical dish at Tapas24 the next night and couldn't tell the difference between the two places.

2. Chick pea salad - A yummy dish of soft chick peas, fresh herbs, spices and tangy balsamic vinegar. Definitely somthing I will try and recreate at home to serve alongside a white fish. It is a tad too starchy to pair with a heavier protein. I found a recipe online that attempted to recreate this.

3. Langoustine - Give us a crustacean and we will eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The langoustine was freshly grilled and drizzled with salt and olive oil. While it took quite an effort to peel, the meat was sweet with a bounciness that you come to expect from fresh shrimp and lobster. I could have eaten another 5 of these.

4. Grilled Squid - We didn't realize the squid would be tossed with a large serving of beans. The result was a similar texture and taste to the chick pea salad. The squid was grilled nicely and the balsamic drizzle did wonders for the dish. We just wish there was a higher squid to bean ratio.

All in all, the lunch was a good one. While nothing was exceptional, the yummy food and festive atmosphere makes for a great experience. As an institution of sorts in Barcelona, Pinotxo Bar is definitely worth at least one visit during your trip.