Bar La Plata

Bar La Plata has opened its doors onto Carrer de la Mercè since 1945, and its approach has barely changed in eight decades. The tiled room is small and simple, and the menu is famously short: pescadito, small fried fish that is the signature tapa, salted anchovies, grilled botifarra sausage and a simple tomato salad. House wine is the usual accompaniment.

The appeal lies in that simplicity. Order a plate of pescadito and a glass of house wine, add the anchovies or the botifarra, and you have a quick, inexpensive snack in one of the most traditional bars in the city. The bar has been praised by many publications over the years, and a book about its history, La Plata: el bar de Barcelona, is sold at the bar; order it there and you get a free tapa.

La Plata is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 3pm and from 6pm to 11pm, and it is closed on Sundays. Space is tight, so expect to stand at the counter or squeeze in at the few small tables. The busiest times are early evening and Saturday lunchtime. Service is quick, and most people stay for a round or two before moving on.

The bar suits budget travellers, couples and small groups who enjoy authentic, unpretentious places. It is best as one stop on an evening crawl rather than a full meal, and it is not suited to large groups or anyone wanting a varied menu. It is cheap, and the bill rarely holds surprises.

Carrer de la Mercè runs parallel to the waterfront in the lower Barri Gòtic, a lane known for old-school bars and tascas, so it is easy to continue to another bar nearby. The basilica of La Mercè, dedicated to the city's patron saint, is at the end of the street, and the La Mercè festival, the city's main annual celebration in late September, takes its name from the same saint. Port Vell and the Columbus Monument are a few minutes' walk away. The nearest metro stations are Drassanes on line L3 and Barceloneta and Jaume I on line L4.