I'm visiting Spain in a few weeks, wanted to know if anyone had recommendations for watch shops to visit while in Barcelona (Andorra or San Sebastian too if you know). Thanks!

Andrew

 

Didn't see any watch stores, but there are some great restaurants in both Barcelona and San Sebastian. Serious, once in a long time dining experiences (if you are into that). And Camp Nou?

 

@calalum - I am and am open for recommendations. Going to see FCB vs Espanyol. Cannot wait. Might have to buy a Pepsi GMT to color match my jersey.

 

Now that's a true WIS right there! Buy a new Rolex to color coordinate with your soccer/football jersey, love it.

 

Dunno about watch shops, but check out the Piccasso museum. When I went, I saw a naked man on a bike and a dog wearing a shirt before even getting to the museum. It was surreal in every way.

 

Restaurants in San Sebastian: Arzak and Mugarritz are off the charts. If you are in Bilbao (to see the Guggenheim or otherwise) go to Azurmendi-beautiful space and experience. Give yourself a few hours for these meals. Lots of great smaller pinxtos places as well in the old town of San Sebastian. Have a great time. Fantastic places to visit.

 

I was in Barca 2 weeks ago and highly recommend a restaurant called Arume in El Raval. There is another excellent restaurant called Montiel and a fantastic South American style bar called Box Barcelona.

 

I used to work for a company with offices near San Sebastian, and for a few years I was there with work a few times every year. It is a great place, and as mentioned the old town is full of great pinxtos places. If you know someone there, then it is much better to go around with a local as a guide. Just stay off the Kalimotxo !

 

I just remembered that I read about this place on "onthedash".

http://www.ancienne.es/en/category/watches/omega-en/

 

Kalimotxo, properly made (1/4 young carbonic maceration red wine, 3/4 coke, and lots of ice cubes) is way better than any sangria out there.

Having said so, if I were to visit San Sebastian, and I were a foreign foodie, I would go to Pedro Subijana's Akelarre for a lunch, instead of Arzak's or Aduritz's Mugaritz. All three are superb places, but Subijana beats them on location, especially at lunch-time.

Mugaritz is not in San Sebastian but in a town some 15 km away. It is a wonderful restaurant, but somehow a tad less Basque and a tad more international than either Akelarre or Arzak (not that either Akelarre or Arzak are exactly your etxekoandre cuisine experience, but somehow you can see their Basque roots in their cuisine, if you know where to look).

If you are really a gourmand, and if you have a sweet tooth, you should also go to Martin Berasategi's restaurant at Lasarte, some 6 km from San Sebastian. Berasategi is the cook Biscayne people like me love to hate, but fact is that he is a genius cook.

Any of these (specially Akelarre) are some of the best bang for money 3-star restaurant experiences one may have.

In Bilbao, I would refrain from going to Azurmendi. Yes, its a 3-star restaurant, but it is a tale of too much, too soon. Azurmendi is clearly, IMO, a Mickey Mouse 3 star restaurant. They reached for the stars, they got'em, and it feels all the way. Eneko Atxa (Azurmendi chef and owner) is too eager to please and his cuisine, in general terms, lacks depth. Besides, Azurmendi is in Larrabetzu, a town 20 km away from Bilbao.

In Bilbao I would go to Nerua, the Guggenheim museum restaurant (not the Museum bistro, but the haute cuisine (now that Josean Arija, the chef does not hear me calling his cuisine haute cuisine) restaurant at the Museum). The Nerua experience may be a little bit more down to earth than the San Sebastian restaurants one (and way less expensive), but it is not any less interesting. Where Subijana or Aduritz may surprise you with a trompe l'oeil in which things are not what they seem to be, Arija at Nerua strips down his dishes and offers a creative haute cuisine minimalist experience that makes the best possible use of local produce. If you are wondering, yes, Josean is a friend of mine.

But if you really are into gourmand experiences, the place to go, the chief of chiefs in the Basque country, is the single starred Etxebarri, where Victor Arguinzoniz breaks new territories with his different wood grilled dishes. Not the one to cater for everyone tastes (some people dislike the place and the insistence in smoking and charring everything, but that's Victor way of cooking), he is nevertheless worshipped by the local chiefs.

On the other hand, if you are a bit jaded of haute cuisine, and happen to be in Bilbao, you may also go to Txakoli Simon, in Artxanda, a Bilbao neighbourhood on a hill, where you may enjoy a wonderful sightseeing experience with a superb t-bone and some of the best Rioja wines at unbeatable prices. This is a place that never disappoints.

By the way, if you like sparkling wine, the best Catalan cavas are made by Gramona. Imperial is a very good entry level (well, a 5 year old Reserve entry level), but III Lustros is probably the best bang for buck offer from the firm... although Celler Batllé (at some 60 euros at shops) and Enotheque (at 110 euros at shops) are really well worth their price, if you are into cava.