“Sergio, I’d like to have a quick good meal and not be out too long. Where should I go?”

Sergio is my concierge at Hostal L’Antic Espai although that title doesn’t quite fit him. He’s more like a temporary pal who gives you his cell phone number and tells you to call if you need something and he’s not around.

“If you want quick, go to Alsur Cafe. It’s just around the corner. When you go outside, turn right, then turn right again and you’re there.”

And, I was! Alsur is a chain of restaurants in Barcelona serving fresh, casual meals. Take a look at their menu here:

(Oh my gosh! I just saw the “carrot cake pancakes.” Carrot cake pancakes! With cream cheese sauce!)

Their motto is #LQQCQ, which I (almost) guessed correctly stands for lo que quiere cuando quiere, or “whatever you want whenever you want it.” Get that hashtag trending!

Although it was 10% more, I sat outside on the “terrace.” (It would be the “sidewalk” in the US, but I think “terrace” projects the ambience we’re going for, don’t you?) It was worth the extra price because the weather was warm and balmy with a bit of a cool breeze, it was beautiful, and it was my first day in Barcelona!

The interior of the cafe looked pretty nice, too, so I asked Mateo if I could take some photos inside after my meal. He had “the boss” come out so I could ask him and he approved with a smile but then asked me to write a revisió in “tree ahveesoh.” What was that? He said it in English: “review in Trip Advisor.” Oh! Sure!

I chose the Mezze Plate and a glass of cava.

A nice dry sparkling wine seemed just the ticket with my alfresco plate. Mateo helped me choose and helped me practice my Spanish (or Castellano), too! (Spanish is often called Castellano in Spain to distinguish it from the other languages spoken here, like Catalan, Galician, and Basque. All very different languages, all spoken in Spain. Catalan is common in Barcelona.)

I love exploring the wines of the world, especially the ones with bubbles. And Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine is a favorite – as long as it isn’t too fruity. This one was yummy…

Okay, I can’t help it. I’m going to show you photos of food, okay? Let’s just say I’m practicing for writing that Trip Advisor review, er, revisió.

Okay, how does this sound?
“The food is fresh and good. I love the romesco sauce! If I could, I’d bottle up jars of it and take it home with me! The humus and guacamole tasted incredibly fresh, even though my American tongue craved a bit more salt. But I know that more salt would hide the essence of the fresh flavors. The garnish on the guacamole is a dried tomato skin and it was quite tasty! What a great idea!
Did I mention the Romesco sauce? It’s the best I’ve ever had. Worth the airfare to get here.
The slices of bread are light and tender.
This meal was a great introduction to Barcelona!”

Well, what do you think? 🙂 A little over the top, maybe? Well, wait until you see what’s inside and see if my review is not worthy!

That’s Mateo on the right. Handsome and helpful! He just got back from a big trip to the US and loved it all (except for Las Vegas).

And, here are the last photos of the interior. They’ve done a nice job decorating, I’d say:

For all the particulars, head to the Alsur Cafe website.

And, don’t forget: #LQQCQ !