I don’t think I’d even been in Barcelona an hour when my host family started talking about Tomas’ Bravas. Before I’d even had a chance to unpack or change from my travelling clothes, I was already being whipped down Sarria High street to his legendary bar.
It doesn’t look like much from the outside, just a regular spanish Bar that looks a bit naff and dated if anything. Inside, we struggled finding a table. The place was crowded. Families would be gathered around tiny tables and old Spanish men were propped up by the bar, shouting across for another beer. I didn’t think I’d be getting any bravas soon. The waiter, a small Spanish lad who if he was a dog would definitely be a Jack Russell; small, stocky and whipping around carrying plates upon plates of tapas.
Soon, he cleared a table and ushered us to sit down whilst commanding us to order drinks. It’s funny, customer service is very different here. They aren’t worried about coming across rude, they are abrupt and straight to the point, which in fairness makes a lot more sense. Tell me what you want and I’ll bring it to you! What else is to it?
I left the ordering up to my host mother Blanca. I trusted she would know what to order. ‘Tomas Bar has the best Potatos Bravas in all of Barcelona’ she kept exclaiming, ‘They are legendary!’
I thought this would be my lunch, I wasn’t familiar with the Spanish way of eating at this point, having an apertif at 1pm just didn’t cross my mind. I was quite concerned therefore when we shared three tapas between six people! We had three different types of Bravas; One plain, one with hot sauce and one with alioli (garlic oil). Accompanied by a Clara, which I also had no idea at this point what a Clara (Spanish equivalent of a Shandy) was.
So, these legendary Bravas to me where okay… They weren’t so good that I’d catch a plain, two trains and a tube for… but they were good. Ultimately, they were nice chips. Seeing as I only started eating chips about six months ago, Bravas probably wouldn’t be my go to snack. They were very oily, and well seasoned by garlic. *TIP Don’t go on a date here guys! Unless you plan on rinsing your mouth in the niagra falls afterwards!
Nevertheless, I will be back. Maybe bravas are something that grows on you, maybe in a months time I will be craving these oily, garlicy chips. Who knows. I like Tomas’ Bar though. It’s got a real Spanish feel to it, they serve Bravas and that’s it. No fancying it up, just beer and chips guys!
Happy Lows 