Upon our arrival in Barcelona, we hopped on an aerobus to be shuttled into the city itself. We got off at Plaza Espanya as per the instructions on the hotel website and found our hotel, simply named B-Hotel, easily. The hotel was very near a metro station which made it convenient for us over the course of the trip. There was also a shopping centre right beside the hotel.
We walked into the hotel lobby to find a very nice lounge and bar area to our right. The hotel staff were very friendly and the check in process was a speedy and hassle-free affair.
There is an outdoor swimming pool on the roof of the hotel which overlooks Plaza Espanya. Although on the small side, it was enough for one to make a few laps and the view from the pool simply cannot be faulted.
Beside the pool is a lounge area for those who wish to relax and enjoy a drink in the excellent weather when not swimming. The rooftop bar can be found to the left of this lounge area.
Our room was big and spacious and the bed was very comfortable! The essentials were provided for and the bathroom had a very unique design. We were very happy with the room and also happy to have chosen this hotel for our holiday in Barcelona.
We then left the hotel to officially begin our sightseeing in Barcelona. We were glad to discover that our hotel was very near several main attractions. On Plaza Espanya which is right outside our hotel, we could look down the road to see the Palau Nacional de Montjuïc (pictured). The Palau Nacional houses the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (National Art Museum of Cataloni).
There were numerous attractions in that area and so we spent considerable time walking around there. Eventually, we started our hike toward the Castell de Montjuïc, a fortress at the top of the hill. Pictured above is the garden area in front of the fortress. The fortress overlooks Barcelona’s harbour and one could see out into open sea from there. The view was simply amazing.
For dinner that night we made our way to Restaurant Elche. We decided on this restaurant by referring to the Lonely Planet guide on Barcelona. The description sounded too good to miss. Upon arrival, we had a good feeling about the restaurant as we discovered it had been recommended on The Michelin Guide in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The interior of the restaurant was elegant yet comfortable to be in.
We were seated and soon after, presented with a complimentary selection of bread which really whetted our appetite.
We ordered two tapas, the first of which was the Galician Style Octopus Seasoned with Paprika for €13.10. The octopus came on a bed of boiled potato slices. The octopus was soft and not overly chewy and the paprika gave it a nice mildly hot spice. We found the octopus to be absolutely delightful overall.
The other was the Scallops Sautéed in Garlic and Parsley priced at €6.00. The scallops were big and really fresh. We really enjoyed the natural sweetness of the scallops.
We tried a rice main this meal in the form of the Paprika and Garlic Rice Served with a Seafood Platter of Prawns and Crayfish for €20.20. The rice had just the right amount of saltiness and it was very flavourful. There was a hint of paprika which added an extra blend of spice to the rice.
These were the prawns and crayfish that came with the rice. While not the easiest thing to eat, we really enjoyed the crayfish and prawns due to its freshness and how well it went together with the rice.
For dessert we had the Special “Chuao Cocoa” Tiramisu for €6.00. The tiramisu was one of the best we’ve had in a long time. The alcohol was strong, but didn’t overpower the taste of the tiramisu. Our only gripe with it was that the portion was rather small. I could have easily had two more!
Well, that’s it for Restaurant Elche. More information on the restaurant can be found here.
It was the perfect way to begin our first day in Barcelona. Watch this space as more Barcelona posts and food will be coming up very soon!
Restaurant Information
Carrer de Vilà i Vilà, 71
08004 Barcelona,
Spain.
Tel: +34 93 441 3089
