Spanish restaurants in Catalonia
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A
José Luis
Welcome to Madrid! Long established in the Spanish capital, the Barcelona branch occupies a privileged spot. It is said this place introduced the montadito (delicious little canapés) to Barcelona. Pick and choose from these and a long list of pinchos and raciones, including the all-time Madrid favourite, callos (tripe). Otherwise you could sit down in the elliptical basement for a classy meal served by brisk waiters in black jackets and bow ties. Mains of fish and meat come in at about €20. You can also opt for morning bocadillos at the bar.
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B
Sense Pressa
Tiny tables for two await in this split-level basement eatery. It serves up exquisitely prepared Spanish dishes, with a wide range of meat and fish options, depending on the season and chef’s whim. You might start with mini-carxofes saltejades amb pernil (sautéed mini-artichokes with ham) and follow with the fetge d’oca al vi d’Oporto (goose liver in port). Splurge on a suquet de llamantiol amb mongetes grosses (lobster and bean stew).
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C
Casa Alfonso
In business since 1934, Casa Alfonso is perfect for a morning coffee or a tapas stop at the long marble bar. Timber panelled and festooned with old photos, posters and swinging hams, it attracts a faithful local clientele at all hours for its flautas (thin custom-made baguettes with your choice of filling), hams, cheeses, hot dishes and homemade desserts. Consider rounding off with an alfonsito (a miniature Irish coffee).
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D
Mesón David
With its smoky timber ceiling, excitable waiting staff and generally chaotic feel, this tavern is a slice of the old Spain. Plonk yourself down on a bench for gregarious dining, such as house specialities caldo gallego (a sausage broth) and lechazo al horno (a great clump of oven-roasted suckling lamb for €8.90).
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E
Restaurante Pollo Rico
The ‘Tasty Chicken’ is true to its name, with fast, cheap, abundant grub. Head upstairs and carve out a space amid the garrulous punters, then rattle off your order to a high-speed waiter. Chicken (quarter chicken and chips costs €4), meat and various other options can be put together to help you fill to bursting. Skip the paella.
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F
Àbac
This minimalist designer den continues to stun the critics. Neutral, clean lines and lighting seem deliberately conjured so as not to rob even a sliver of concentration from the imaginative dishes issuing from the kitchen. They change constantly, and might range from a tarte Tatin of eel and apple to various baby-goat offerings.
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G
Casa Fernández
Immensely popular with bar hoppers suddenly aware they have skipped dinner when it’s gone midnight, this bustling, cheerful eatery is a classic. Food is hearty and service hectic but pretty fast even when the place is brimful with carousers. There’s plenty of choice of local and foreign beers and a reasonable wine selection.
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H
Bilbao
It doesn’t look much from the outside, but Bilbao is a timeless classic, where reservations for dinner are imperative. The back dining room, with bottle-lined walls, stout timber tables and a yellow light evocative of a country tavern, will appeal to carnivores especially, although some fish dishes are also on offer. Consider opting for a chuletón (T-bone steak), accompanied with a good Spanish red wine.
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I
Can Maño
You’ll need to be prepared to wait before being squeezed in at a packed table for a raucous night of raciones (posted on a board at the back) over a bottle of turbio – a cloudy white plonk. You can breakfast on gambes (prawns), too.
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J
Casa Delfín
One of Barcelona's culinary delights, Casa Delfín is everything you dream of when you think of Catalan (and Mediterranean) cooking. Start with the tangy and sweet calçots (a cross between a leek and an onion; February and March only) or salt-strewn padron peppers, moving on to grilled sardines specked with parsley, then tackle the meaty monkfish roasted in white wine and garlic.
Or tease some mussels and clams out of their shells, all the while crunching on the Catalan coca flatbread – done here to perfection and smeared with tomatoes and olive oil. For the finale, choose the Eton Mess (the English owner Kate's only tribute to her homeland) – but keep in mind that the…
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K
Los Caracoles
Run by the fifth generation of the Bofarull family, ‘The Snails’ started life as a tavern in 1835 and is one of Barcelona’s best-known, if somewhat touristy, restaurants. Several interlocking rooms (consider asking for the small medieval-looking banquet room), with centuries of history seemingly greased into the tables and garlic-clad walls, may well distract you from the rotisserie chickens and snails that are the house specialities.
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L
Restaurant Elche
With tables spreading over two floors, and old-world style in service and settings, this spot has been doing some of Barcelona's best paella (of various types) and fideuá (vaguely similar to paella, but made with vermicelli noodles) since the 1960s.
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