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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.
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Cometacinc
This atmospheric medieval den turns out an ever-changing menu of items that transgress all culinary boundaries. Salads come in unexpected mixes, or you could opt for a pseudo-Thai dish. The candle-lit tables over two floors add a touch of romantic intimacy.
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D.O
A bright, perhaps overly lit spot, D.O serves vins i platillos (wine and little dishes). The accent is placed on the opportunity to taste various wines by the glass, accompanied by small dishes of anything from salads to seafood.
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Dolso
There is an argument for skipping dessert wherever you lunch or dine and heading here instead (the only hitch is the closing time Sunday to Thursday). How about a nemesí de chocolate (a dense chocolate dessert fudge-cum-mousse smothered in passion fruit cream)? There are daily specials and some light savoury dishes. Round off with a cocktail.
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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.
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El Paraguayo
Forget Catalan refinements, teasing tapas or avant-garde pretensions. Here the word is meat - great juicy slabs of the stuff. Tuck into all sorts of tasty cuts of beef, pork and other flesh in this little Latin American oasis.
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El Vaso de Oro
If you like noisy, crowded bars, high-speed bar staff always ready with a smile and a wisecrack, a cornucopia of tapas and the illusion, in here at least, that Barcelona hasn't changed in decades, come to the sassy 'Glass of Gold' on the edge of La Barceloneta.
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El Xampanyet
As you emerge from the museums on this street, you might be snared by the smell of anchovies wafting out of this colourful, old-time cava (Spanish sparkling wine) bar, worth a visit for the setting more than the cooking.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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).
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Granja Viader
The fifth generation of the same family runs this atmospheric milk bar and café, which was set up in 1873 as the first to bring farm freshness to the city. They invented cacaolat, the chocolate-and-skimmed-milk drink now popular all over Spain, and continue to be innovative purveyors of all things milky.
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Hofmann
Some of the nation's great chefs learned their trade at this cooking-academy-cum-restaurant, and you won't be disappointed with the present students' efforts. An imaginative and constantly changing menu keeps chefs and diners on their toes. It's perfect for a business lunch - room should be kept for the delirium-inducing desserts.
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Inopia
Albert Adrià, brother of superchef Ferran, runs this bright, open, corner gourmet tapas bar to universal hurrahs. The featherweight tempura vegetables team up nicely with the chicken skewers. Getting a seat or spot at the bar can be a matter of patience.
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La Bella Napoli
Never will the Catalans seem so much the dour lot they are sometimes made out to be as when you descend into this isle of Neapolitan nuttiness. The staff are mostly from Naples or thereabouts, full of teasing humour and bring you some of the best pizza in Barcelona.
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La Cereria
A cross between the cafe of a century gone by and a hippy hang-out, this culinary cooperative offers tasty vegetarian (mainly organic) pizzas, salads, crepes, bocadillos and great desserts, plus beer, all at low prices. A fruit shake and muesli might be just what your body needs after too many nights of botifarra and vino de mesa .
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La Flauta Mágica
The menus themselves are a talking point - which album cover is yours on? Neil Diamond Live ? The Cars ? But on to the food. A simple burned-orange décor and low lighting set a chilled ambience for a limited menu of veggie dishes, balanced by a limited selection of dishes for carnivores, all done with free-range products.
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Laie Café
A leisure complex for the mind, the bookshop combines a broad range of books with a splendid café.
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Mauri
Join the ladies who lunch for exquisite pastries, light snacks and piped music. The plush interior is capped by an ornately painted fresco at the entrance, which dates back to Mauri's first days in 1929. This is the kind of place that your mum would love…and you will, too, if mouthwatering pastries ring your bell.
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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.
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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
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Quimet i Quimet
This postage stamp-sized tapas bar is a gourmet paradise in miniature. Let the bar staff combine a few canapés, seafood tapas, cream cheese or whatever is going. You could wash it all down with their malt beer, especially bottled for them in Belgium.
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Salterio
If it got any mellower here you'd nod off to the gentle Middle Eastern music and low whispering. How long can it possibly take to prepare a mint tea? It's worth the wait though, because it's filled with real mint, and tastes almost as good as the kind that you'd get in Morocco.
