Petritxol: Carrer de Petritxol 11, Barcelona
Well, winter hits hard and fast in Barcelona. The only way to stay warm (that I can find) is in cafés eating xocolata amb xurros! The best place to start is Carrer de Petritxol a dimly lit winding street sprinkled with signs reading “Xurros amb Xocolata” at first glance this is a struggle to read.
Here’s a hint “X” in Catalan is pronounced as “Ch” so here we are at a “Churros and Chocolate” street and suddenly it hits you, life is good.
Churros are twisted bits of fried dough sprinkled with white sugar. You may remember them from Sea World or any other American theme park. But in Spain they twist them into the shape of sugary raindrops and dunk them in hot chocolate. It’s even better than Sea World! But if you’re picturing a watery Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate, you’re in for a surprise. This hot chocolate is a thick and gooey, as if they simply melted bars of chocolate into a glass. (Why didn’t I think of that?)
The Best: Petrixtol-Xocoa (Calle Petritxol, 11)
This establishment opened in 2010 and aims to create a modern twist on a beloved Spanish classic. They have cakes & pies made American style, which I love. But to stay on topic, let’s talk about the dipping chocolate: it’s a milk chocolate color and is much thicker than other restaurants. (See photo above) This helps in the category of churro scoopage and helps to avoid unnecessary dripping which can result in wasted chocolate. (Muy mal!)The churros come on a small plate in a mountainous form topped with about 2 cups of loose white sugar. (We don’t hate it) Oh, and they also bring you sugar packets to sprinkle on top of your melted chocolate, don’t worry.
The ratio of churros to the amount of chocolate in the mug is perfectly proportioned at Petritxol. You will be left with exactly one final scoop of chocolate to enjoy with a spoon. To wash down all the solid & liquid sugar you just consumed.
And The Rest:
Dulcinea (Carrer de Petritxol 2) has been making hot and sugary churros with chocolate since 1941. The restaurant is named after Don Quixote’s lover in Cervantes’ romance. The photo above was taken at Dulcinea.
Granja la Pallaresa (Carrer de Petritxol 11) has been serving customers since 1947. Both of these restaurants decorations have been frozen in time of their opening day. The churros are always hot and delicious. Both restaurants’ hot chocolate can be described as a dark chocolate, not overly sweet, and with a Hershey’s syrup color and consistency.
Dulcinea and Granja la Pallaresa are the classics and are great. But if you only have time for one while in Barcelona, enjoy your sugar dipped in sugar & topped with sugar at Petritxol. Stay warm and toasty!
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