Showing 1-18 of 18 results
-
Agut
This warm, friendly family-run restaurant appeals to a sedate crowd that digs its traditional and robust Catalan fare. The suquet de rap (a monkfish stew) is finger-licking good, but succulent sirloin steaks await those in need of greater sustenance.
-
Alkímia
Jordi Vila serves refined Catalan dishes with a twist in this white-walled restaurant a few blocks from La Sagrada Família. Seafood dominates the menu in this one-star Michelin. Go for a set menu of about a dozen small courses - foodies' heaven.
-
Ca l'Isidre
Every morning, chefs from this seemingly unremarkable, backstreet restaurant wander across to the bounteous Mercat de la Boqueria to stock up on the raw materials for the day's cooking. Grand, traditionally decorated dining areas sweep back from the entrance, ready to accommodate you for some fine fresh-fish dishes.
-
Café de l'Acadèmia
An old favourite with hungry, hard-working public servants in the nearby Ajuntament, this café never fails to satisfy their demands. The key to its success is a solid grounding in well-prepared local cuisine with the occasional inventive twist. The atmosphere hums good-naturedly at lunchtime but is rather more subdued and romantic in the evening.
-
Can Culleretes
Founded in 1786, Barcelona's oldest restaurant is still going strong, with tourists and locals flocking to enjoy its rambling interior, old-fashioned tiled décor, and enormous helpings of traditional Catalan food. Service with a snarl is compensated for by the timeless setting.
-
Comerç 24
In the vanguard of Barcelona's modern eateries, this place is a witches' den of almost infernal variety and extremes. The décor is unremittingly black, the cook an alumnus of local cooking guru Ferran Adriá and the cuisine eclectic. The emphasis is on waves of bite-sized snacks that traverse the culinary globe.
-
El Cafetí
Down a busy arcade, far away from the passing tourist trade, you'll find this faded old-world charmer that feels like a familiar, well-thumbed paperback. Head upstairs to the dining area, cluttered with odds and sods like someone's memories, where you can choose from a mix of rice-based dishes or items like the chicken in cream of cava.
-
Elche
Some places are just good at what they do, and keep doing it. Hidden away from the busy old-town centre, this old-style restaurant over two floors has been serving up a variety of paellas, rice dishes and fideuá (similar to paella, but made with vermicelli noodles) since the 1960s. To enliven the atmosphere, order a bottle or two of turbio, a simple, cloudy white wine.
-
Elisabets
Thank God places like this haven't been swept away by the rising tide of gleaming, trendy, could-be-anywhere-in-Soho avant-garde locales. What about good old food that hits the comfort spot? The walls are lined with old radio sets, and the lunch menu varies daily. Try the throaty venison flavour of the ragú de jabalí (wild-boar stew).
-
Els Pescadors
Fresh fish brought down from coastal fish markets dominates the menu at this pleasing restaurant on a quiet square. Oven-baked catch of the day and gourmet cod dishes are strong cards. Eat outside or in the timber-lined interior, whose timeless tavern atmosphere has been maintained.
-
Advertisement
-
Els Quatre Gats
Once the lair of Barcelona's modernista artists, Els Quatre Gats exudes charm with its colourful tile and timberwork (and portraits of some of its former customers). To sample the atmosphere, a drink in the bar will suffice. Otherwise head out to the rear dining courtyard, where the 1st-floor veranda is the ideal spot to enjoy standard Catalan fare.
-
Goliard
This quiet diner is a haven of exquisite designer cooking at modest prices. Try the lassanya de pops i patates (lasagne in which sliced potatoes take the place of pasta, and slightly spicy, tender octopus is the meat).
-
Patagonia
Argentine means beef in all its cuts and forms, and lots of it. You could ease your way in with empanadas, tiny pasty-type pies filled with, well, meat. Meat mains (you might want to skip the offal options) come with one of five side dishes.
-
Pla de la Garsa
This staunchly Catalan restaurant was Barcelona's hippest hang-out during the twilight of Franco's reign. Scattered with antiques and original 19th-century fixtures, the 17th-century house remains enchanting. Try the enticing tast selecte
-
Saüc
This basement spot is worth going the extra mile. Décor is neutral, allowing diners to concentrate on each mouthwatering course of creative Catalan cooking comprised in the tasting menu (appetiser, five courses, cheese selection and two desserts)!
-
Set
Gilt-framed mirrors, black-and-white-tiled floors and somewhat gruff 'service' are hallmarks of this Barcelona classic, founded in 1836, once beloved of celebs and still famous for paella, seafood platters and huge portions.
-
Taktika Berri
Deep in the grid maze of l'Eixample is this Basque redoubt. You have two choices: hang around the bar (just try at the lunch rush hour!) and nibble away at the army of Basque-style tapas - the trick is to grab them from the waitress as she transports them from the kitchen to the bar - or head out the back for a slap-up sit-down meal.
-
Via Veneto
Some places are just evergreens. This high-so ciety restaurant (dress up!) has maintained its excellent standards since it opened in 1967. The vaguely Art Deco setting sees the crème de la crème sitting down to exquisitely prepared dishes such as llebre a la royal amb pomes saltades al Calvados (hare with apples sautéed in Calvados).
-
Advertisement
Showing 1-18 of 18 results
