On the first day of my last trip to Barcelona, my friend Fintan Kerr, a wine educator who’s lived here for a dozen years, suggests meeting for lunch at noon at La Vinya del Senyor, which has one of the best wine lists in town. “It opens at noon and has no reservations,” he texts. “If you’re there first, they have a table on the second floor with a little window looking out over the square. Grab it if you can!” Noon seems very early for lunch in Barcelona, and Spain in general, where most people dine after 2 p.m. But it’s tourist season, and Barcelona is one of the most touristed cities in Europe, so I understand the concern.
When I arrive, Fintan has already snagged the choice table, overlooking the Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar in the popular El Born neighborhood. The sunny plaza teems with tourists, entertained by a rotating bunch of buskers.
