YOU MUST.

When planning your trip to Barcelona, you MUST pencil in a lunch at tapas bar Cal Pep. Highly recommended by each of our guidebooks (we like to compare classics, like Frommer's and more irreverant takes on the city, like the UK-published Cadogan guides), Cal Pep is a fairly touristy stop, and once you step in to the small cafe, you begin to figure out why. We waited with the other hungry guests along the outer parameter of the seating area and were teased by the amazing aromas being plated up in front of us. When we finally snagged a seat, we knew what we wanted from watching the chefs plate up menu items from right behind the counter.



The beauty about Spanish tapas bars is that for only three to six euros per plate, you can sample a variety of items and flavors. So Nick and I were ready to try as many courses as possible.



We immediately ordered a plate of flash-fried green peppers with sea salt...AMAZING. Then we had what was possibly the best tuna tartare we've ever had. They served the tuna with a few crostini that weren't even necessary. We dove right in with our forks. We finished up with a Spanish quiche-like course. It's an egg bake topped with a creamy onion sauce. The three small courses coupled with a few (not quite sure how many..hehe) glasses of kava (a yummy, sweet Spanish champagne) was a perfect lunch at this world-reknowned gem.