Bar El Tropezon, Barcelona, Spain

If one wanders off the main strips in Barcelona into the vast winding small street alleys, you may come across nice little gems such as Bar El Tropezon (Carrer del Regomir, 26 tel: +34 93 310 18 64).

This is a plate of mixed spicy chorizo. Salty, spicy and with just the right amount of grease, these went great with beer.

This dish I think it was called la bomba or something like that is essentially like a potato croquette with chunks of ham in it, deep fried and smothered in a tangy combination of tomato and sour cream sauce.

Salted fried cod fish fritters, these actually tasted a lot better than they looked. The exterior was fried just to a perfect crisp to give way to a tasty soft cod fish bite within.

Here's some bread with garlic and tomato rubbed onto it. A rather refreshing side.

Of course when we're in Barcelona, we have to take advantage of her proximity to the water. Here's a daily special of clams cooked in garlic and white wine. Very fresh, the flavor of the clams stands out in this dish.

Grilled baby octopus in garlic butter. Tender octopus that wasn't overcooked, these was pretty delicious as well.

So what's the next best thing to watching the World Cup in South Africa? In Barcelona where the crowds were just crazy all night after Espana's huge win.

D