Tag: AcaiBowl

food, Lifestyle

My Top 3 Favorite Restaurants in Barcelona

Isabel Tavenner

1. Surf House

Surf House is a complete tourist attraction for abroad students, but that does not take away from how good it truly is. Surf House has all of my favorite foods, from burgers to acai bowls, their menu is full of healthy options to not so healthy options. One of their most famous dishes among abroad students is the nachos.

My personal favorite dish is the Acai Bowl…

Another great part about Surf House is the offers they have. They offer free paddle boarding for costumers that spend over 15 euro, they offer surf lessons for an extra cost, beach yoga and many other fun activities.

They also have their own merchandise selling sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, socks, board shorts, and bags.

2. Tosca

Tosca is one of my other all time favorite restaurants and I am lucky enough to have one right outside my apartment. I like this restaurant specifically because it was not on any recommendations from prior students I know that studied abroad and I found it on my own. I will now probably recommend this place to everyone I know.

There are two locations: Tosca Del Carme

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The other location is Tosca Palau

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Some of my favorite meals from Tosca Carme are definitely their salads. I’ve tried nearly every one on the menu

But my favorite course is always desert and their homemade banana cake has to be one of my all time favorite deserts.

Tosca is perfect for a casual meal or more dressed up. The atmosphere is full of all ages and their staff is super friendly. I recommend it to anyone – young or old.

3. Honest Greens

Honest Greens is the perfect mix of a fast food and sit down restaurant but everything on the menu is healthy. When you walk in the ambiance is very laid back and hipster. You get in line to order as you would at a fast food restaurant but then you have the option to sit down or take it to go. If you sit down you are brought your food and waited on. I love having the option if I need to get work down or grab a bite with a friend vs. if I am in a rush to get somewhere.

Two of my favorite dishes are the Umami salad and the whole roasted cauliflower. They are so delicious and are perfect for getting back on a healthy diet. You can find the rest of the menu here…

They only have one location in Barcelona in Plaça Catalunya, but also have four locations in Madrid.

Their mission is to create healthy, affordable, delicious and quick food. The creators were three travelers that met in Spain, one from the United States, one from Denmark and one from France that came together to create the chain that is now Honest Greens. They take pride in knowing everything that goes into their food and their logo is “You are what you eat.”

The chain seems more popular in Madrid because of the many locations. NakedMadrid, a guide to the city of Madrid, posted an in depth review on it a little over a year ago..

Honest Greens in my go-to for after class because of the proximity to CEA and how healthy but yummy it is. I will definitely miss living so close to it when I go back to the United States.

All of these restaurants are not overly expensive and definitely student friendly. All have different atmospheres but all ones I love and enjoy. I highly recommend you check these spots out if you are ever in Barcelona.

travel, Uncategorized

My Favorite Destination in Europe so Far – Amsterdam

Isabel Tavenner

I have been living in Europe for two months now and have explored eight different cities. I loved them all in different ways and for different reasons but one stood out to me – Amsterdam. This city has a reputation for being the city where everything is legal, but it is so much more than just that.

This is a must-see city in Europe. It is different than any other city I have ever been to. From the amazing food to the fantastic shopping, you will never run out of things to do.

One of our first stops when we got there was Polaberry. Their chocolate covered strawberries were the perfect thing I needed after our flight. They have multiple locations, but this one had a great spot to sit outside across from a canal.

Continuing the food tour, we went to Samba Sushi shortly after for dinner. This place also has multiple different locations, but this location was especially different because it was on a canal. The food was absolutely amazing and I will definitely try to check them out in their different locations.

They even have vegetarian options…

Another one of my favorite things that we did when we were there was visit the Moco Museum. This was a modern art museum that featured the works of Banksy and Daniel Arsham. I usually don’t enjoy art museums that much but I loved this one.

On the last day we packed in a canal tour, the swing at the A’Dam look out and the Heineken tour. To be honest, I was apprehensive about these activities and doubting they would be that interesting. I was very mistaken. The swing was so much fun and a great way to see the entire city. Similarly, the canal tour was a great way to explore the city, but see it in different way. The Heineken Museum was the most surprisingly interesting things to me. I don’t love beer but the tour was so interactive and cool with all the graphics that it is definitely a must-do if you visit Amsterdam.


Our last stop on this trip Sunday Morning before our flight, was Rainbowls. It was the perfect way to end our trip. Not only did the bowls taste amazing, but they look beautiful. The food in Amsterdam was out of this world.