While doing some research related to places to dine in Barcelona, I came across Pinotxo bar (Pinocchio) thanks to Travel Channel.

Travel Channel listed Pinotxo Bar as a favorite of Anthony Bourdain so I immediately added it to my list. (We attempted to go to one other restaurant which made the list but failed…)

Pinotxo Bar is located in the famous Boqueria Market, the most famous market in Barcelona.

(FYI- the stand is located close to the market’s entrance by Las Ramblas.)

We headed over to the market after a morning visiting Park Guell.

I had read that it could be difficult to get a stool (or four) at Pinotxo but we got lucky. A small group just finished eating so we happily grabbed their spot.Once we sat down, we were greeted by an extremely friendly man. Soon after, I noticed his photo on a poster behind the counter. I figured he was the owner. (I looked him up later on and found it that he was Juanito Bayan, the famed owner of the stand.)

Kim and I had no idea what to get as we looked over the menu.

Juanito saw that we were unsure of what to order and asked us what we liked, suggesting shrimps, meat, beans and a few other items. (I was able to understand him and tell him what we liked in my limited Spanish- yes I was proud!)

I mentioned that we liked camarones (shrimp) and carne (meat). He smiled and walked away. We weren’t sure what to expect but we did trust that he’d bring us something delicious.The first dish arrived featuring shrimps. It looked more or less like a scrambled egg with shrimps, asparagus and greens thrown in.

Being the picky eater that I am, I moved some of the greens aside and ate the shrimp and eggs. The dish was simple and delicious. I’m guessing that it was sautéed in a really good quality oil. The shrimps were soft and tender, I was a fan.

Kim ate everything  included in the dish and said that it was fresh and really tasty.

Dish #1 was a success.The next plate to come out was something like a beef stew. It featured chunks of beef, potatoes and had some peas thrown in.

I first tasted the sauce with some bread and couldn’t believe how yummy it was! The beef was tender and delicious as was the potatoes.

Kim tried the dish and enjoyed it too. Lucas didn’t want the egg dish but was happy to dig into the beef stew. He was a huge fan of the meat, not really wanting to try the potatoes.

What was left of the beef stew got cleaned up with the bread, leaving a clean bowl when we were finished!

Dish #2 gets a big thumbs up!Overall, our visit to Pinotxo Bar was a delicious one. I’d like to try more dishes from their menu in the future.

I thank Anthony Bourdain for the recommendation!

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