I have never been to Barcelona but thinking of staying in an apartment in the port Vell area of Barcelona - for those of you who have been to Barcelona - is this area ok and centrally located??
We stayed in an apartment in Barceloneta which I think is pretty much the same area. We thought it was a great location- easy to walk to Las Ramblas, a few metro stops to choose from which bring you everywhere you need to go, right on the beach and lots of bars and restaurants. When we go back will definitly stay in the same area.
Agree with poster re 4Gats - really cheap at lunchtime when you often have to queue for a table; equally fab at nighttime, not as cheap as lunchtime but great value in comparison to Ireland - had a memorable dinner a couple of years ago, the works incl wine, liquers etc for about €75 for 2. Lunchtime menu about €10 (had that too). Picasso used to hang out there, designed menus etc.
We used http://www.lovingbarcelona.com to book our apartment, we stayed in El Borne which is very near the Ramblas and there are lots of bars and cafes around.