A few meters from the Barcelona City Council offices, behind wooden doors filled with Street art, is “El Cuiner de Damasc” (Carrer dels Templers 2), recognized throughout Barcelona as the place where the best kebabs are served. Fresh products, homemade preparation and the best vibe of its people, will have you come back more than once.
Our friend Facundo, an Argentine who came to Barcelona more than 16 years ago, had told us: “The best kebab in Barcelona is in the Placa Sant Miquel”. And if someone affirms something so emphatically, especially if it is food, we are going to check it out.
The truth is that Barcelona is full of places like this. A kebab for a good price is the ideal proposal when you are hungry and not on a big budget.
Or in a hurry and looking for a two-course lunch and dessert (same goes for dinner).
We confess we have tried several kebabs, that’s why we were intrigued by this place, so centric and so recommended. And I say “so recommended”, because later we discovered that not only was Facundo a regular and a fan of these kebabs, but there were many more who talked about him. So, we went there one night to see if this place deserved so much praise.
Arriving at “El Cuiner de Damasc”
So we reached the doors of “El Cuiner de Damasc”, at the corner of Carrer dels Templers and Carrer del Palau, in the Gothic Quarter. A few meters away is the Placa de Sant Miquel, with its famous sculpture paying tribute to the castellers and the Barcelona City Council.
There cannot be something more central in the city.
As soon as we entered we were greeted by a queue of people waiting to make their order.
Yes, there is a queue.
And yes, it can be long. The queue and the wait.
But it does not matter. Here at the Cuiner de Damasc you wait for how long is necessary. Because it’s worth it.
Much.
As much as to eat the best kebab in Barcelona.
Those who arrive already know that this is the possible scenario, especially if one goes in after 9pm.
The Cuiner closes at 11pm; so around 10:30 pm no one else can enter.
The lucky ones who have stayed inside will receive their prize, which is buying and enjoying the best kebab in town. Those who arrive later will have to return another day, but earlier.
There are some places that achieve that fame and can afford to close, even knowing that there are people left out. Or even not having a large sign with your name on the facade for them to find.
The thing is that El Cuiner de Damasc does not need that. Their fame precedes them.
And their clients accept it. Because in return, this place offers you the warmth of its service, the freshest products and flavors that make you want to visit again.
At the end of the day, isn’t that what we are looking for in a good food place? It could be said that they know how to apply this infallible formula and it shows.
Their team and products
Salem is the owner,who arrived from Syria years ago, and who welcomes his customers. Sympathetic and sociable, he can be seen among the tables chatting with people.
Carlos and Carles are behind the counter, preparing and cooking the kebabs one by one. There is a phrase that Carlos told us when we met him, that sums it up: “I don’t have clients, I have friends.”
And it’s true. He makes you feel like a long-time friend, while putting all the dedication to that next kebab that will be yours in a few minutes.
The other key is this word: “homemade”.
They make everything, from the pita bread to the döner kebab that spins around against the fire, ready be cooked.
They prepare the combination of turkey and lamb meats themselves, which gets roasted. And it is Carlos who is responsible for ensuring that they are well done, juicy and pushed against the fire. Work and dedication.
And then came the flavor. Incredible.
Thanks to the perfect combination of bread, meat, vegetables and the sauce they prepare. At this point I am just speechless, and I do ask you to go and try it.
As our friend Facundo once told us: “Go and try it.”
We tell you the same, go and try it, do it and you will know what we are talking about.
If you are enjoying the kebab from El Cuiner de Damasc, walk a few steps and reach thePlaça Sant Miqueland then continue your tour of the Gothic Quarter, which you will love.
Here’s how to find the place if you are walking around the Gothic Quarter:
The Cuiner de Damasc, as we have already said, has an unbeatable location if you are visiting the Old Town of Barcelona, and its heart: the Gothic Quarter. Although they have tables inside the premises, many also choose to take their kebab and eat it outside; and steps away, is the Placa de Sant Miquel, a large space to enjoy the sun and make yourself comfortable.
This square was not always like this
In fact, its configuration is quite modern, if we think that this place has been part of Barcelona for more than 2000 years.
So let’s review the changes a bit: in Roman times, some hot springs were located in this same square. But after the empire ended and with the consolidation of Christianity, the same space was occupied by a Romanesque church that was built on the structure of the Roman building.
The name of the current square comes from the name of this church, which was the Sant Miquel church.
The construction stood until its demolition in 1868, dated back in 1147, being one of the oldest churches in Barcelona. It is worth clarifying that before this, there had been another Romanesque church, which also was destroyed in 1145.
As the temple had been built on the bases of the Roman baths, the nave had the mosaics of this ancient construction on its floor, with motifs of fishes and monsters in black. Today, they are in the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia, for those who want to see them personally.
The 1147 Romanesque church underwent several renovations throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, a Gothic-Renaissance door was added on one side, which had the image of Sant Miquel on the tympanum.
In 1868 the demolition of the church was decided in order to expand the City Council offices, which ended a year later.
The church was “dismembered” and some of its elements can still be seen in Barcelona. For example, the Gothic-Renaissance façade is today part of the Church of la Mercè, in Carrer Ample. If you look closely, you can see on the stones the numbers that were used to identify the order of the stones, used in the transfer process.
The square today
Today, in the middle of the square, we see a sculpture that is very significant for the Catalan culture, but which generates some confusion at first glance.
More than one thinks they see a fence or the wire mesh that covers the champagne or champagne bottles. And if you are one of the latter, in reality, you are not so disoriented.
According to the sculptor, Antoni Llena i Font, the idea for this work came to him one day when he was buying wine and he saw it. He thought that “it was a very nice abstraction to make the castle, because it contains the idea of cohesion, fragility, transparency.”
Now, you may be wondering: what “castell”? Well there we go. One of the Catalan traditions that we like the most, and that is repeated every time there is a party in the cities and towns, is that of the Castellers: human towers, human castles, built on the basis of trust, cooperation, solidarity and a lot of effort.
And they represent what we can achieve together as a society, if we collaborate and put the best of each other for that common good.
The sculpture by Antoni Llena i Font is called Homenatge als Castellers, and although it was an idea in development since 2004, it gained momentum and materialized with its inauguration in 2011. And this materialization occurred because a year before the castellers were recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
The work consists of 12, 10cms diameter stainless steel tubes, which intertwine until reaching 26.5 meters in height. At the same time, it represents the fragility and strength of a castle.
If you are far from Catalonia, we invite you to watch a video of one of the castellers performances on YouTube (you will find hundreds of videos). But if you are lucky enough to see them live, in these lands, do not miss the opportunity. It is a more than exciting show and always takes place around celebrations and parties.
And if you are truly willing to know this world of the castellers, we promise we will make a video about them, so you can know them more thoroughly. A promise is a debt.
Let’s talk about the post office building of Barcelona.A building that, despite being really close to everybody, is seldomly visited, and very few know its interior and enjoy the view of its dome.
A Little history
Barcelona’s first postal service started in the year 1338, being managed by a group of people, with its headquarters in Capilla d’en Marcús, in the middle of Barrio de la Ribera (now “Barrio del Born”). We will talk more about it in the next posts, just know that it’s one of the oldest buildings that are still intact, with parts of its structure being of roman style.
In 1716, King Felipe V incorporated the postal service to the Spanish kingdom and its headquarters moved to Carrer Correu Vell (el correo viejo, the old post office).
That was not its final location, and the headquarters kept relocating to various places in the city.
Finally, in the beginning of the 20th century, the project that we’re observing now finally arrived.
Via Laietana was about to be open, a new avenue in the middle of “casco antiguo” that connected the modern “Barcelona del Eixample” with the sea. In this context, a new project for a post office building was created, whose activity had been transforming due to the arrival of new means of transport.
Features of the Post Office building
The building, designed by architects Josep Goday and Jaume Torres i Grau and of neoclassical style, was built between 1916 and 1929, and open at the same time as that year’s universal exposition, whose main venue was Barcelona.
Built with stones from Montjuïc digging site, a mountain that is a symbol of Barcelona, with a main facade that has 4 giant columns, a baseboard with the inscription CORREOS Y TELÉGRAFOS, four sculptures of feminine figures that represent communications, transportations and the Spanish royal house shield, at the time of King Alfonso XIII.
But without a doubt, the most attractive part lies inside the building. So don’t miss it when you are around this area.
This is a public building, which means there is no entrance fee, and the access is not restricted.
Honestly, most people don’t include this site during their visit, and miss the chance to enjoy the inside part of it. But it’s worth the effort to climb its stairs, and marvel with the crystal dome that crowns the central part of the building, filling it with natural light.
And what about using the postal service itself?: A postcard of Barcelona in your hand, sending it to a loved one, like in the “old days”.
Sitting in the post office stairs (maybe enjoying a sandwich from Bo de B), you will still be attracted to a weird shaped sculpture, full of colors, known as “La Cabeza de Barcelona” o “La Cara de Barcelona” (the head/face of Barcelona)
It was built between 1991 and 1992, key years for the transformations that the city was living, with the arrival of the Olympic games.
In that period, “Barna” was filling with new pieces of art, and this was one of them. Big and attractive: approximately 15mts high, and 6mts wide. It is a smaller version of one of the heads created by north American artist Roy Lichtenstein, from a series called “Pinceladas” (Brushstrokes).
In this case in particular, with its Pop Art language, “Cap de Barcelona” is an homage to the great catalan artist Antoni Gaudí.
What elements prove this?
The chromatic impact, the raised red spots and the ceramic coating in a mosaic kind of style, this technique was so common among modern artists, and so typical in the works of the creator of Sagrada Familia or Parc Güell.
Located in Passeig Colom, few metres from Moll de la Fusta, right in the middle of Barcelona’s traffic, it’s very hard to miss, and not to enjoy.
One of the best sandwich places of Barcelona, with affordable prices and an ideal location for everyone in Barcelona, both tourists and locals. A “bar on a budget” not to be missed, whenever in a rush, with few money in the wallet and very hungry.
We could say, without any fear of being wrong, that it’s already a classic of Barcelona.
Its reputation is so big that now goes beyond any frontier, and when you reach its door you’ll find out that its clients come from all over the world. Everyone who’s visiting Barcelona with a tight budget, but still craving for delicious things and very hungry, is usually waiting on the line to buy their sandwich in Bo de B.
The Place
It’s a little place, around the corner from the post office, located in one of the ends of the Barrio Gótico. They started this business 11 years ago, and the reputation they have gained has to do with the most important thing we are looking for when it’s time to eat: fresh products, tasty, with generous portions and affordable prices.
This is why this place gained a spot in our list of recommendations, and in this section we call “bars on a budget”, in which we like to share some info about places to eat and drink, with good quality, and without breaking the bank.
Truth is, to be clear: this is not exactly a bar per se.
As a matter of fact they don’t sell alcohol, and most people buy their food to take away.
We’re not going to lie, we want you to trust us, since Bo de B, even though their business model may not seem adequate, it’s perfect for this section, as far as quality and prices are concerned.
If you want to eat well and on a budget, this is the place to go.
You can always buy beers in any of the supermarkets that are nearby, that is never an issue in Barcelona.
The Name
Let’s now talk about the next thing coming, Bo de B: its (curious) name is in Catalan. “Bo” is good (bueno), and the B, of our dear Barcelona.
So its name is no lie: this is the Good of Barcelona.
Their Products
What do they offer? Especially “bocadillos”, which means sandwiches.
You will find all the options in the window outside, so you can already decide which one you are going to enjoy, while you are waiting in line: beef sandwich, chicken, salmon, vegetables only and burgers.
All of those cost around 4 euros. For 50 cents more, you can add the Feta cheese, something we strongly recommend.
Now, if you have more time, can’t eat bread or want to sit down while eating and relax Bo de B has some tables (not many) inside the place.
You can eat your sandwich there, or enjoy any of the other options that they offer in the menu: their meals on plate.
They consist of a variety of vegetables, salads, with the option to add ingredients like chicken or beef for example, which are cooked on the spot.
These plates are big and generous, and even though they cost a couple of euros more than sandwiches, they are perfect if you want something natural and fresh, that will fill you up for many hours.
Let’s focus on something: the freshness of the products, especially here in Bo de B where they are cooked on the spot. When your turn finally arrives, they ask you for the option you chose, and the meat (already marinated) is cooked right there. So this is not a fast food place at all, and the lines during high season can get pretty long.
But it’s always worth the wait.
How does Bo de B work?
We tell you this because after years serving their customers, they developed a system that makes the place more efficient.
We are going to share this info, in case you are new to places like this. When you reach the place you will probably meet with the people in line. In fact, in our video we said that, at 12:05pm, 5 minutes after opening, there were several people before us.
This detail is essential: if you are going to buy your food to take away, like we did, the line to follow is the one that extends towards the right of the door (looking at the door). On the other hand, if you want to eat inside Bo de B, the line for that is on the left side. This way, they are able to serve us, their clients, more efficiently.
Here’s another detail: since there is not much space inside, the line is formed outside and only 1 or 2 people at a time are let in, as soon as they are done serving other customers.
Lots of rules, right? Don’t worry, this is not the “Soup Nazi” from Seinfeld. These people are lovely, and when you’re there, they will receive you with a big smile and a good vibe.
And now, with the sandwich in your hand, and your stomach begging for mercy after stimulating it with the aromas and colors of Bo de B, you look for a place to finally satiate your hunger.
The brave ones, or the ones with a very wide mouth, can eat and walk at the same time something impossible for most customers.
This is not the case, due to my tiny hands. If you are like me, and you don’t want all that you ate to end up on your clothes, let us suggest the perfect spot to eat your sandwich without fear: the post office’s stairs, right in front of Bo de B.
Same place we, and many more, did choose, in the video we already shared. The sun accompanies you, some pigeons as well, and this turns into a nice place to relax for some minutes, while enjoying the texture and all the great flavors that a nice sandwich like this has.
The warm bread, spongy inside and crunchy outside; the variety of vegetables, the spicy and marinated meat, the feta cheese, melting, and the sauces that keep it all together… they tend to drip a little, watch out for that.
So in the end, sandwiches in Bo de B are best eaten while sitting down, with your legs wide open, to keep your clothes clean, knowing that your mouth and hands are going to get dirty.
What a joy it gives, how delicious, and how good it is to have it for this cheap!
While you enjoy what you had in Bo de B you can check out some interesting spots nearby, like thePost Officeor theCap de Barcelona esculpture.
Here are the directions, for when you are in the Barrio Gótico:
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