I knew chocolate con churros as a winter-day’s treat in Barcelona. After a day of shopping in the gothic quarter, or simply wandering the streets of all the old neighbourhoods to drink in the atmosphere, it is often necessary to warm yourself with a truly decadent treat. So it’s straight to the Xocolaterías, although you have to be careful which you choose. In some the hot chocolate is too grainy, or not hot enough, or tastes like it comes from a packet, in others the churros (like a deep fried donut sprinkled with sugar and intended for dipping in the chocolate) the cold or too greasy. As important as the food is the ambience, the best xocolaterías should be bright, cheerful, bustling and full of odd nick-knacks and photos and mirrors with printed pictures on them.

Doubtless there are others, but I always went to one of two usual suspects in Barcelona, and expected to wait a few minutes at least for either, usually standing outside in the street being jostled by every passer-by. It’s all part of the experience. One is Granja-xocolateria la Pallaresa, located on carrer Petritxol a tiny, winding picturesque street crowded with jewelry shops that eventually leads out onto the beautiful Plaça del Pi, an ideal place for a post-churros stroll to catch your breath. If the gothic quarter is too crowded, as it frequently is, my other favourite is nearby, La Xicra, on carrer d’en Xucla, just across Las Ramblas in the less popular but more interesting neighbourhood of Raval. It too is on a tiny street, and it too usually has a line, but not as intense a line.

Both places feature many other deserts apart from churros, none of which I ever learned the names of, occasionally ordered and had to describe with hand demonstrations. You can get a typical Catalan dessert mel i mato, or soft goat’s cheese with honey in La Xicra as well, which can be nice on a warm afternoon.
But for sheer, dunking, chocolaty, messy enjoyment, it’s best to stick to the hot thick liquid chocolate and fried sugary dough.

As I say, for me churros were always an afternoon treat, but apparently they also make a great late-night infusion of sugar and carbohydrates on the way home from a bar or a club (anywhere between 4 and 6 am, then). These are unsurprisingly not of such good quality as the afternoon versions, but then it doesn’t really matter at that point, does it?