Barcelona restaurants

Alkimia

Visitors often ask me where they can get the ‘elBulli experience’ in Barcelona, and the answer is nowhere, but there is certainly a similar kind of alchemy going on at Alkimia, which comes a good second.  Its deconstructed, theatrical takes on Catalan standards certainly show Ferran Adrià’s influence, and the opening salvo of deconstructed pa amb tomàquet (the traditional bread rubbed with tomato) in a shot glass is just the beginning. Jordi Vilà is a serious chef, with a Michelin star to show it, and his restaurant is not what you’d describe as convivial. The restaurant has recently moved across town to the Fábrica Moritz, and now has a separate dining room with a simpler, more accessible (read also: cheaper) menu.

• Address: Ronda Sant Antoni 41, 08011
• Contact: 00 34 93 207 61 15; alkimia.cat
• Getting there: Metro Sagrada Família
• Opening times: Mon-Fri, 1.30pm-3.30pm, 8pm-10.30pm
• Prices: tasting menus €98 and €155; otherwise lunch and dinner around €75
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: essential

Botafumeiro

Named for the enormous incense-burner which hangs in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, this is one of  the city’s top traditional seafood restaurants. The wood-panelled walls, crisp white linen tablecloths, and flotilla of long-aproned waiters make it an elegant and convivial place to dine. The freshest seafood on the market is collected each morning from harbours in Catalunya and Galicia, and served up just hours later. You’ll find no fancy foams here: this is Spanish seafood at its freshest and most traditional.  It’s worth pushing the boat out on the mariscada, a heaped platter containing all manner of delicacies, from percebes, the highly prized Galician barnacles, to razor clams and oysters.

• Address: C/Gran de Gràcia 81, 08012
• Contact: 00 34 93 218 42 30; botafumeiro.es
• Getting there: Metro Fontana
• Opening times: daily, noon-1am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €60
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, seafood
• Reservations: recommended

Can Solé

Another of Barceloneta’s excellent paella restaurants, this one a little more upmarket than most (with prices to match), and attentive waiters – there can’t be many restaurants that provide reading glasses to diners. There are two specialities: paella in various forms, and what is known as ‘grandmother’s spoon food’ – steaming hotpots of chickpeas with chorizo, lentil and potato stew, onion soup with a poached egg and Emmental stirred through it, and so on. There is a quiet dining room upstairs, but the best place to sit is downstairs by the open kitchen where you can watch the action.

• Address: C/Sant Carles 4, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 221 50 12; restaurantcansole.com
• Getting there: Metro Barceloneta
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11pm; Fri, Sat, 1pm-4pm, 8.30pm-11pm; Sun, 1pm-4pm
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €40
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, seafood
• Reservations: recommended

Cinc Sentits

Every accolade has been deservedly heaped on Cinc Sentits and its haute take on Catalan cuisine. To maximise the diner’s experience of what chef Jordi Artal can do, these days the restaurant only serves fixed menus – four courses for €100 or six courses for €120. Expect dishes such as pigeon served three ways, including a paper pouch containing ‘false rice’ made from its thigh, and some table-side theatre. The restaurant is also known for its wine selection, and wine pairings are available for each menu. At lunchtime there is a €55 ‘Business’ menu.

• Address: C/Aribau 58, 08011
• Contact: 00 34 93 323 94 90; cincsentits.com
• Getting there: Metro Universitat
• Opening times: Tue-Sat, 1.30pm-3pm, 8.30pm-10pm
• Prices: set lunch €55; otherwise lunch and dinner from €100 or €120
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: essential

Els Quatre Gats

The Four Cats is worth visiting for its building alone – a handsome Modernista affair, by Gaudí’s contemporary Puig i Cadafalch. It also has a colourful history as a former watering hole of Picasso and the artists of the time. The tiled and galleried interior is just as stunning, and though the Mediterranean food is not quite up to the surroundings, it is decent enough. If you don’t feel like a full meal but are intrigued to see the place, you can always have a coffee in the bar at the front.

• Address: C/Montsió 3, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 302 41 40; 4gats.com
• Getting there: Metro Catalunya
• Opening times: daily, noon-1am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €35
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: recommended

Set Portes

An elegant old paella and seafood restaurant, under an arcaded walkway down near the port. It’s been around since 1836, and the great and the good to have graced its tables are immortalised in little plaques on the backs of the chairs. Despite its vast size – there are several dining rooms – and history, sympathetic lighting and accommodating waiters make it feel both cosy and friendly, something quite unusual in a restaurant of this stature. The food is excellent, respecting old recipes while occasionally adding a new twist. If you’re feeling extravagant, go for the zarzuela – a tasty casserole with lobster.

• Address: Passeig Isabel II 14, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 319 30 33; 7portes.com
• Getting there: Metro Barceloneta
• Opening times: daily, 1pm-1am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €35
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: recommended

Pla

This romantic, candle-lit restaurant has preserved the high vaulted ceilings and brick arches of the historic building it occupies, but boldly painted walls and contemporary artworks give it a relaxed, modern feel. The Mediterranean menu might include starters such as a melon and raspberry gazpacho, or baba ganoush with smoked eel and green apple, and main courses like roast chicken with wild mushrooms or seared tuna with a choice of dipping sauces. Don’t miss out on dessert: the Swiss chocolate cake is my personal favourite, but the trio of blood orange sorbets also comes recommended. Vegetarians and those on gluten-free diets will find plenty of choice.

• Address: C/Bellafila 5, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 412 65 52; restaurantpla.cat
• Getting there: Metro Jaume I
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, Sun, 7pm-11.30pm; Fri, Sat, 7pm-midnight
• Prices: dinner around €40
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, vegetarian
• Reservations: recommended

Tickets

First things first – it can be absolute hell to get a table at Tickets, but if you never made it to elBulli and you want a taste of the Adrià magic (in this case Ferran’s brother Albert), then it’s worth a shot. The place is a homage to what Avda Paral·lel used to be – a kind of 1950s Broadway – and the theatrical allusions are everywhere. The food is tapas with a difference – a classic such as bread rubbed with tomato and topped with ham, for example, is turned on its head to become an impossibly light stick of bread with the ham coating the outside. Do not plan a trip around a meal at Tickets unless you’ve secured a table – and even two months in advance it can be tricky to do so.

• Address: Avda Paral-lel 164, 08015
• Contact: ticketsbar.es
• Getting there: Metro Poble Sec
• Opening times: Tue-Fri, 7pm-11.30pm; Sat, 1pm-3.30pm, 7pm-11.30pm. Closed Aug and two weeks around Christmas
• Prices: tapas from €4
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: essential

Agua

The mighty Tragaluz group runs an ever-expanding bunch of decent restaurants in Barcelona, but Agua might be my favourite for its laid-back atmosphere, huge, sunny, split-level dining room and view out to sea. It does get quite busy, but there’s a comfortable reception area with a bar, where you can order something to nibble on while you wait. The main menu covers the Mediterranean basics, from paella to spankingly fresh fish, along with really tasty steaks, creative salads and plenty of child-friendly dishes. Book well ahead for a table on the terrace, which sits right on the edge of the sand.

• Address: Passeig Maritim 30, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 225 12 72; grupotragaluz.com/restaurante/agua
• Getting there: bus 45, 59 or D20 to Passeig Marítim
• Opening times: Sun-Thu, 12pm-11.30pm; Fri-Sat, 12pm-12.30am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €30
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, Italian, seafood
• Reservations: recommended

Bar Pinotxo

The most popular of the counter bars in the Boqueria market, Pinotxo has been going for more than 70 years and famously attracts top local chefs, including Ferran Adrià. Expect to queue along with a mixed bag of tourists and Barcelonins for a coveted stool at the bar, where Juanito Bayen, the charismatic owner in his trademark bow tie, holds court.  There’s no menu, but you can inspect the platters displayed along the counter and ask for the daily specials. Among my favourites are house classics like the txipirons amb mongetes (baby squid and beans) and the truita de carxofes (artichoke omelette). It’s worth getting there early, as the most popular dishes inevitably run out towards the end of the lunch service.

• Address: Puesta 91 (Stall number 91), La Boqueria 466-467, La Rambla 89, 08001
• Contact: 00 34 647 869 821; pinotxobar.com
• Getting there: Metro Liceu
• Opening times: Mon-Sat, 6.30am-4pm
• Prices: lunch around €20
• Payment type: credit cards not accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, quick bites
• Reservations: not possible

Cafè de l’Acadèmia

Summer is really when Cafè de l’Acadèmia comes into its own, thanks to its terrace on the peaceful Plaça Sant Just, below the steps to the church of Sants Just i Pastor and next to a 14th-century drinking fountain. It’s cosy in winter, too, in the bare-bricked dining room, but it can get a little cramped (mostly with the Catalan politicians who come here from the nearby City Hall). The restaurant specialises in those dishes that Catalans have appropriated for their own and made traditional – stuffed cannelloni, risotto, magret de pato. Be warned that the restaurant is closed at weekends.

• Address: C/Lledó 1, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 319 82 53
• Getting there: Metro Jaume I
• Opening times: Mon-Fri, 1pm-3.30pm, 8pm-11pm. Closed 2wks Aug
• Prices: set-price lunch €14.50; otherwise lunch and dinner around €28
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: recommended

Café Godot

This stylish and inviting café features exposed brick walls, simple wooden tables, low lighting and a jazzy soundtrack. There’s a huge marble table in the window, ideal for a big brunch with friends, and a cute corner where kids can play with toys and a blackboard. The menu provides plenty of choice, from bistro classics such as burgers (beef and veggie versions), quiches and salads, to more elaborate meals such as fresh pasta with pumpkin or duck confit, all prepared with top-quality produce. Many dishes are based on traditional recipes, but have been given a contemporary twist: a personal favourite is the fried calamari with wasabi sauce. The weekend brunch (offered midday-7.30pm) is not to be missed, with some of the best eggs benedict in town.

• Address: C/Sant Domènec 19, 08012
• Contact: 00 34 93 368 20 36; cafegodot.com
• Getting there: Metro Fontana
• Opening times: Mon-Fri set-price lunch €13.50; dinner around €26
• Prices: set-price lunch from €12, dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, vegetarian, quick bites
• Reservations: not possible

Cal Pep

Not quite a tapas bar, not quite a seafood restaurant, Cal Pep does have a cosy dining room at the back, but if you sit there you’ll miss all the fun. Better to stand up at the bar (or wait your turn patiently behind those at the bar) and watch Pep and his men working the stoves. There is no shtick here apart from superbly fresh seafood, served simply and on plates designed for sharing. Non-fish eaters will also find plenty to eat, however – try the ‘atomic tortilla’ with butter beans and blood sausage.

• Address: Plaça de les Olles 8, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 310 79 61; calpep.com
• Getting there: Metro Barceloneta
• Opening times: Mon, 7.30pm-11.30pm; Tue-Fri, 1pm-3.45pm, 7.30pm-11.30pm; Sat, 1pm-3.45pm. Closed 3 weeks in Aug
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €40
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, seafood
• Reservations: not necessary

Can Culleretes

The second oldest restaurant in Spain, with a mention in Guinness World Records, Can Culleretes has been around since 1786, and many of its waitresses act like they have too. These redoubtable matrons chivvy customers into one of three main dining rooms, tiled and hung with oil paintings and photos of happy patrons, and then serve them no-nonsense but tasty Spanish dishes at really good prices. Try the wild boar stew, the partridge or the seafood ‘pica pica’ of plates to share. It does cater to a fair few tourists, however, so you may find it’s better to book your table for late in the evening, when the foreigners tend to be finishing up.

• Address: C/Quintana 5, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 317 30 22; culleretes.com
• Getting there: Metro Liceu
• Opening times: Tue-Sat, 1.30pm-4pm, 9pm-11pm; Sun, 1.30pm-4pm. Closed mid July-mid Aug
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, seafood
• Reservations: recommended

Can Ramonet

There’s no shortage of paella restaurants in the maritime district of Barceloneta, but Can Ramonet is one of the oldest – it has been around since 1956. It’s also one of the best, and you’d do best to book, although there’s a great tapas bar to keep you occupied while you wait: as well as the shellfish, try the croquetas of top-quality jamón ibérico or the spicy potato bombas. Net-fresh fish and paella are the main draw, but if that doesn’t appeal there are also juicy steaks. If you can’t get a table here, try El Nou Ramonet nearby at C/Carbonell 5.

• Address: C/Maquinista 17, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 319 30 64; grupramonet.com
• Getting there: Metro Barceloneta
• Opening times: daily, midday-midnight
• Prices: set lunch €18; otherwise lunch and dinner around €30
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, seafood
• Reservations: recommended

Casa Delfín

Casa Delfín used to be something of a Mediterranean greasy spoon, serving deep-fried fish to workers, and there was much hand-wringing when it was sold and spruced up. The new owners have done a great job, however, and preserved the spirit of the menu as well of many of the features of the bright and airy interior. Try chickpeas, spinach and black pudding to start, perhaps, followed by liver and onions with sherry or roast lamb with rosemary and thyme. The terrace is the place to sit, if the weather allows, and is open year round.

• Address: Passeig del Born 36, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 319 50 88; tallerdetapas.com/esp/casa-delfin
• Getting there: Metro Barceloneta
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, Sun, 8am-midnight; Fri, Sat, 8am-1am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €30
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, seafood
• Reservations: not necessary

Casa Leopoldo

Casa Leopoldo is a real classic, and the city’s literati, among others, have been coming here for decades for straightforward seafood dishes served in bright, unpretentious surroundings. Owner Rosa was working the tables from the Seventies, when she took over from her parents, until 2017, when the restaurant was taken over by fêted young chefs Oscar Manresa and Romain Fornell, who see little reason to fix what ain’t broke. It has rapidly become the Old City’s hot ticket, so make sure you book in advance.

• Address: C/Sant Rafael 24, 08001
• Contact: 00 34 93 441 30 14; casaleopoldo.es
• Getting there: Metro Liceu
• Opening times: daily, 1pm-4pm, 7pm-11pm
• Prices: Lunch and dinner around €45
• Payment type: cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: essential

Chez Coco

This is the place to come for a date, if you can get one of its cosy high-backed booths, but is also a convivial place to come with a group. It’s a stunning space, preserving many of its original features such as the oak panelling and tiled mosaic floor. Later decorative additions include plunging chandeliers, cobalt blue upholstery on the booths and banquettes, and an open kitchen hung with copper pans, where various kinds of bird (the speciality of the house) roast slowly on rotating spits. The menu is French and fairly ambitious, but the best bet is to stick to the fried poussin and fat wedge chips, which are excellent and reasonably priced. Afterwards, step out to the little private terrace for a post-prandial gin and tonic.

• Address: Avda Diagonal 465, 08306
• Contact: 00 34 93 444 98 22; chezcoco.es
• Getting there: bus 6, 7, H8, 27, 32, 33, 63 to Casanova-Avda Diagonal
• Opening times: Mon-Sat, 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11.30pm
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €35
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: French
• Reservations: recommended

Dos Trece

What Dos Trece does really well is pinning down what it is that diners want, regardless of culinary provenance – tandoori chicken, rack of lamb, beef carpaccio, a decent burger – and then focusing on that. You’ll also find pancakes for brunch at weekends, huge home-made smoothies, and a good line in cocktails later on in the evening. During the day, the sunny ground-floor dining room is the place to be, but later in the evening, the cosy basement is where it’s at. Hearty brunch dishes are now served every day, until a blissfully relaxed until 5pm.

• Address: C/Carme 40, 08001
• Contact: 00 34 93 301 73 06;
• Getting there: Metro Liceu
• Opening times: daily, 10am-midnight
• Prices: set-price lunch €11.95; otherwise lunch and dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, Italian, Asian, Thai, Indian, American, quick bites
• Reservations: not necessary

El Atril

A reliably good option, where you can sit in a stone-walled dining room or under umbrellas on the little Plaça de Sant Cugat. In season, my favourite thing to order is a big bowl of moules et frites, but there’s plenty more to choose from, including nods to the previous Australian ownership in the shape of kangaroo steak. The restaurant changed hands in 2017, but has stayed faithful to its roots (and menu).  Brunch is served at weekends, and there is a good fixed-price lunch during the week. 

• Address: C/Carders 23, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 310 12 20; atrilbarcelona.com
• Getting there: Metro Jaume I
• Opening times: daily, 11 am-midnight
• Prices: set-price lunch €12.20; otherwise lunch and dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, Thai, Indian, other
• Reservations: not necessary

Envalira

The place to come for good old-fashioned cooking in an unpretentious setting. It’s not going to win any design awards, but Envalira can’t be faulted on value. The speciality is paella and other rice dishes (such as arròs negre, the Catalan version made with squid ink), but this is a good place to try dishes from all over Spain, particularly Galicia. Try, for example, tarta de Santiago, the Galician answer to bakewell tart. The restaurant is brightly lit and austerely (un)decorated, but if you book a table at the front near the bar you’ll feel a little less hemmed in.

• Address: Plaça del Sol 13, 08012
• Contact: 00 34 93 218 58 13; envalirarestaurant.com
• Getting there: Metro Fontana
• Opening times: Tue-Sat, 1.30pm-4pm, 9pm-midnight; Sun, 1.30pm-5pm. Closed Aug
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: recommended

Kaiku

Though it has much in common with your traditional paella restaurant (seaside location, nautical trappings, jovial waiters), Kaiku is much more than that. The menu varies according to what’s good in the market on any given week, but expect to find more than the usual ‘shellfish or chicken’ options. Here you might just as easily be offered a venison paella, and the vegetables – Jerusalem artichokes, fennel and the like – are grown in the owners’ kitchen garden. After years of pleading from customers, Kaiku now opens for dinner, too, but only in summer. Be sure to book ahead for a table on the terrace overlooking the beach.

• Address: Plaça del Mar 1, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 221 90 82; restaurantkaiku.cat
• Getting there: bus V17 to Almirall Aixada
• Opening times: Mid May-Mid Sept: Tue-Sun, 1pm-3.30pm, 7pm-10.30pm. Mid Sept-Mid May: Tue-Sun, 1pm-4pm
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €26
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: recommended

La Bella Napoli

A hugely popular pizza restaurant, which serves a smattering of other dishes (try the gnocchi, for example, or the linguine al cartoccio with mussels and clams) and a range of Italian craft beers. The Neapolitan waiters move adeptly through the packed dining areas, and are famous for their charm – they will guide you through the menu, but it’s hard to go wrong. The Sofia Loren pizza is a favourite, with provolone, rocket and bresaola, and the house pizza with aubergine, basil and parmesan is also good. Leave room for the home-made tiramisu, which is superb. You can also get pizzas to go.

• Address: C/Margarit 12, 08004
• Contact: 00 34 93 442 50 56
• Getting there: Metro Paral-lel
• Opening times: daily, 1.30pm-4pm, 8.30pm-midnight
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €24
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Italian, pizza
• Reservations: recommended

La Vinateria del Call

Don’t be put off by the recent addition of a TV screen at the entrance, showing brightly lit and frankly unappetising pictures of the food on offer – it gives a very misleading impression of this atmospheric and cosy little restaurant. Dishes are sourced from mostly local producers, and include wonderful artisanal cheeses, cured meats and so on, designed to be served with a mountain of tomato bread and shared between friends. It’s also a good place to order Catalan classics such as esqueixada (salt-cod salad) and escalivada (smoky chargrilled aubergine, onion and red pepper, served cold). The home-made fig ice-cream is especially good.

• Address: C/Sant Domènec del Call 9, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 302 60 92; lavinateriadelcall.com
• Getting there: Metro Jaume I
• Opening times: daily, 7.30pm-1am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: recommended

San Kil 

For something a little different, head to this bright Korean restaurant, down a quiet Gràcia side street. The waitresses normally dictate what you should order, for this is the way of things at San Kil, but push for the seafood omelette to start, or the bulgogi – pork or beef cooked at the table and eaten rolled in lettuce leaves. There are also some good spicy fish dishes (try the calamari, for example), though very little for strict vegetarians. You can eat really well here, but be warned – Korean beer is probably not the best lager in the world.

• Address: C/Legalitat 22, 08024
• Contact: 00 34 93 284 41 79
• Getting there: Metro Joanic
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, 1pm-3.30pm, 8.30pm-10.30pm; Fri, Sat, 1.30pm-3.30pm, 8.30pm- 10.30pm. Closed three weeks in Aug
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Asian
• Reservations: not necessary

Shunka 

An excellent Japanese restaurant hidden down a side street near the cathedral. Time was, you would often see Ferran Adrià in here. However, a shake-up a few years ago meant that some of Shunka’s finest chefs were moved to a new branch round the corner, Koy Shunka, which promptly gained a Michelin star, and this one was slightly relegated to second position. This one is far cheaper, however, and does what you’d expect – all varieties of sushi, sashimi, tempura, teriyaki, bowls of noodles and plenty more – and well. Reserve a seat up at the bar surrounding the open kitchen for a really good show.

• Address: C/Sagristans 5, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 412 49 91
• Getting there: Metro Jaume I
• Opening times: Tue-Sun, 1.30pm-4pm, 8.30pm-11.30pm. Closed Aug, 2 wks at Christmas
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €30
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Japanese
• Reservations: recommended

Tapas 24 

Michelin-starred chef Carles Abellan describes this little side venture as ‘classic tapas’, but that is only half the picture. Although it’s modelled on tapas bars of yesteryear (its glass frontage is painted with menu items and jolly prawns, as those of all good tapas bars used to be) and it does serve Russian salad and ham croquettes, it does them like nobody else. It also has the odd more outré offering – my personal favourite is the McFoie Burger, which is heaven in a minuscule bun. The bar does not take reservations, so it’s best to avoid peak times if you can.

• Address: C/Diputació 269, 08007
• Contact: 00 34 93 488 09 77; carlesabellan.com
• Getting there: Metro Passeig de Gràcia
• Opening times: Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight
• Prices: tapas from €3.80
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: not possible

Bar Celta 

One thing Barcelona is short on is good old-fashioned tapas bars, but the Galician Bar Celta has been plugging this hole in the market for over 40 years. It specialises in dishes from the region, and its house tapa is pulpo a feira – boiled octopus sprinkled with paprika and served on a wooden platter. The chocos (fat rings of fried squid, served with lemon quarters) are also a favourite, but plenty of other tapas standards are served, from patatas bravas to tortilla, all of them washed down with Galician Ribeira wine drunk from white ceramic bowls. The bar can get quite noisy, and is often standing room only, but the family has recently opened another branch at C/Princesa 50, and this one tends to be quieter.

• Address: C/Mercè 16, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 315 00 06; barcelta.com
• Getting there: Metro Drassanes
• Opening times: Tue-Sun, 8am-midnight
• Prices: tapas from €4
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, quick bites
• Reservations: recommended

El Portalón 

A former medieval stables, which nowadays houses a lively tapas bar. Despite occasional attempts to bring it into the 21st century (witness the gleaming glass case underneath which tapas are ranged along the bar), El Portalón remains wonderfully old-fashioned. Expect wine from terracotta jugs and nothing too fancy in the way of décor or creative cuisine. Order big slabs of pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato, Catalan-style), and then charcuterie and cheeses to go with it. It’s quite popular with tourists early on in the evening – arrive a little later (around 10pm) if you’d rather eat with the locals.

• Address: C/Banys Nous 20, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 302 11 87;
• Getting there: Metro Liceu
• Opening times: Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight. Closed Jan, Aug
• Prices: tapas from €4
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish, quick bites
• Reservations: not necessary

Elisabets

Elisabets is a wonderfully old-school place, beloved of the locals and with little by way of decoration but for a few old radio sets dotted around the walls. It specialises in the sort of food your grandmother used to make (or would have done, if your grandmother had access to wild boar and suckling pig). No-frills, huge portions of osso buco and other stewy delights are served up as part of the fixed-price menu, though there is an à la carte menu, too.  Elisabets works almost as two establishments: a bar serving tapas and a huge range of sandwiches from early in the morning until late at night, and a restaurant. You can only order a full meal at lunchtime, however, when there is a fixed-price menu for €10.85 or on Friday nights, however.

• Address: C/Elisabets 2-4, 08001
• Contact: 00 34 93 317 58 26; elisabets1962.com
• Getting there: Metro Catalunya
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, 7.30am-11pm; Fri, 7.30am-1am. Closed Aug
• Prices: Set-price lunch from €10.85; otherwise lunch and dinner around €20
• Payment type: credit cards not accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: Not necessary

Gelateria Caffeteria Italiana

The last few years have seen a tidal wave of ice-cream parlours opening in Barcelona, but for most people this family-run gelateria will always remain unbeatable. A recent refurb saw away with the olive-green wood panelling and 1960s fonts, sadly, but the ice-cream is made and sold fresh every day, with the purest ingredients. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but the fig (only available in season) is a speciality, and the liquorice is good for novelty value. It also functions as a café, selling crêpes and waffles. A second, smaller branch has recently opened up in the Born at Placeta de Montcada 12, near the Picasso Museum.

• Address: Plaça Revolució 2, 08012
• Contact: 00 34 93 210 23 39
• Getting there: Metro Fontana
• Opening times: 
• Prices: ice-cream from €2.40
• Payment type: credit cards not accepted
• Cuisine: ice-cream 
• Reservations: not possible

Kiosko

Burger bars have really taken off of late, but this was the first, and is still the best. The burgers are huge and use excellent quality beef and well-made buns, and come with a variety of toppings. You have to be quite hungry to tackle the Suiza (with potato rosti and Gruyère), for example, but it’s certainly worth it if you are. Queues can be long, and it can be hard to get a table, but nicer by far is to take your burger out and eat it in nearby Ciutadella park. There is a smaller, less crowded branch called Bacoa at C/Colomines 2, near Santa Caterina market, though its opening hours are more limited.

• Address: Avda Marquès de L’Argentera 1, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 310 73 13; bacoaburger.com
• Getting there: Metro Barceloneta
• Opening times: Sun-Thu, 1pm-midnight; Fri, Sat, 1pm-1am
• Prices: burgers from €5.75
• Payment type: credit cards notaccepted
• Cuisine: American
• Reservations: not possible

Les Quinze Nits 

The Andilana group now owns a staggering 14 restaurants around town, and though they all have different names, they all work on the same principles – extremely elegant dining rooms in attractive old buildings, with creative Mediterranean dishes at budget prices. These include all manner of fish and meat dishes, and some colourful salads. Les Quinze Nits was the first branch and continues to be the most popular, with queues snaking across the Plaça Reial (there is a no-bookings policy), but you can always try your luck at nearby branch La Fonda (C/Escudellers 10), which may have a shorter queue.

• Address: Plaça Reial 6, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 317 30 75; grupandilana.com
• Getting there: Metro Liceu
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, 1pm-3.45pm; Fri, Sat, 1pm-11.30pm; Sun, 12.30pm-11pm
• Prices: set-price lunch €11.35; otherwise lunch and dinner around €18
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: not possible

Les Tres a la Cuina 

Not much more than a deli with a couple of tables, Les Tres is nonetheless a really great lunch stop if you get there in time (or reserve). It changed hands in 2015 and is now family run, but has maintained the vision of the previous owners/chefs – using only the freshest and best ingredients. The globe-trotting menu changes daily, and always includes a vegetarian option as good as any you’re likely to find, such as their polenta with passata and goat’s cheese, or tasty garlic tart. Also superb are their weekend brunches, where you’ll find eggs done every which way, along with burgers and cakes.

• Address: C/Sant Lluís 35, 08012
• Contact: 00 34 93 105 49 47
• Getting there: Metro Joanic
• Opening times: Mon-Fri, 1.30pm-3.30pm; Sat, 12.30pm-4pm. Closed Aug
• Prices: set-price lunch €10; brunch (weekends only) €10
• Payment type: credit cards not accepted
• Cuisine: other
• Reservations: recommended

Los Toreros

Bullfighting has now been banned in progressive Catalunya, but still lives on in the heart of this lively and charmingly faded restaurant, where photos of matadors (toreros), bulls’ heads and the like still grace the walls. Beyond a long list of tapas, there’s not an extensive choice of main courses, and if there are four or more of you the best idea is generally to go with the set meals (served only to groups). These don’t involve anything fancy, but do include huge slabs of grilled meat, or a mountain of paella (and house wine is included in the price). The waiters are wonderfully helpful, and this is a good place to come with kids.

• Address: C/Xuclà 3-5, 08001
• Contact: 00 34 93 318 23 25; restaurantelostoreros.com
• Getting there: Metro Catalunya
• Opening times: Mon-Sat, 5pm-midnight
• Prices: dinner around €22
• Payment type: credit cards not accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: not necessary

Luzia 

From the caprese salad to the chicken wings with barbecue sauce, and various pizzas and pasta dishes to a fat juicy steak with béarnaise sauce, there is almost no global standard that has been left off the menu at Lúzia. However, you won’t find much by way of local cuisine, except for some rather good ham croquetas. It’s a fun place to eat, and a handy one (being just a few steps from La Rambla), especially if you don’t have all afternoon – try the roast beef sandwich with gherkins, mortadella and mustard if you’re just after a quick, lightish lunch.

• Address: C/Pintor Fortuny 1, 08001
• Contact: 00 34 93 342 96 28; grupotragaluz.com
• Getting there: Metro Liceu
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, Sun, 1pm-11.30pm; Fri, Sat, 1pm-12.30am
• Prices: set lunch €14; otherwise lunch and dinner around €25
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: other, Spanish, Italian, American, quick bites
• Reservations: not necessary

Milk 

Milk performs all sorts of functions. It’s a stylish but relaxed place for a late-night drink, a restaurant that feels more like a really good pub (with grub to match – from home-made burgers and steak sandwiches, to smoked salmon fishcakes and the occasional foray into Asian cuisine), and best of all it’s a great place for a relaxed brunch with the papers. Choose from eggs benedict, blueberry pancakes or just a good old-fashioned fry-up, and maybe treat yourself to a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa. Best of all you can rock up for brunch any time up to 4.30pm.

• Address: C/Gignas 21, 08002
• Contact: 00 34 93 268 09 22; milkbarcelona.com
• Getting there: Metro Jaume I
• Opening times: Mon-Thu, Sun, 9am-1am; 9am-1.30am Fri, Sat, 9am-1.30am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €22
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: other
• Reservations: not necessary

Mosquito

Mosquito seems to change its identity every few years, but the basic concept is cheap, quick and good Asian food. For the time being, that means Chinese dim sum, with a few other dishes from around the continent – Japanese gyoza dumplings, edamame, and noodle dishes – thrown in for good measure. My favourite is the Vietnamese pho (a steaming beef broth into which you stir herbs, chopped chilli and beansprouts to taste), though sadly this is only available at lunchtime. It can get quite chaotic in the cramped bar area – book one of the tables at the back if you can.

• Address: C/Carders 46, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 268 75 69; mosquitotapas.com
• Getting there: Metro Jaume I
• Opening times: Mon, 1pm-midnight; Tue-Sun, 1pm-6pm, 7pm-midnight
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €18
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Asian
• Reservations: recommended

Quimet i Quimet

Everybody’s favourite tapas bar is about the same size as a large wardrobe, and it can be a struggle to abide by the ‘no herding on the pavement’ rule. It’s still worth it, however, for the wonderful montaditos – delicate little arrangements balanced on a slice of French bread and made in front of your eyes. My favourite is the raw salmon with cream cheese, soy sauce and honey, but there’s no real list, and what you get varies according to what’s good on the night. The bar also specialises in wine (bottles of every vintage line the walls) and conservas – tinned seafood, most of which is surprisingly good.

• Address: C/Poeta Cabanyes 25, 08004
• Contact: 00 34 93 442 31 42
• Getting there: Metro Paral-lel
• Opening times: Mon-Fri, noon-4pm, 7pm-10.30pm; Sat, noon-4pm. Closed Aug
• Prices: tapas from €4.50
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: not possible

Pepa Tomate 

A sunny corner café and restaurant, with a cheerfully eclectic approach to décor and a short list of dishes that manages to cater to most tastes, whether you’re after a fat burger and chips, a toasted sandwich or something a little more sophisticated; tomato salad with tuna belly, for example, or duck tataki with chimichurri sauce. Portions are generous, but leave room if you can for the creamy tiramisu, served in a Kilner jar. It’s a great place to come with kids, with a playground just outside and friendly waiters who will provide crayons to draw on the paper place-mats.

• Address: Plaça Revolució 17, 08012
• Contact: 00 34 93 213 75 56; pepatomate.com
• Getting there: Metro Fontana
• Opening times: Mon, 8pm-1am; Tue-Fri, 9am-1am; Sat, 10am-1am; Sun, 11am-1am
• Prices: lunch and dinner around €20
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: not necessary

Bormuth 

A split-level tapas bar that opens out on to two streets, Bormuth is friendly, lively and has reliably good food. The selection of tapas includes fresh, healthy options such as lentil salad and tabbouleh, along with all the classic croquetas, tortilla and so on, but my favourite is the fried aubergine drizzled with honey (a Cordoban recipe). Go at lunchtime to make the most of the ‘Three tapas and a drink for €8.50’ offer – if there are two or three of you, order the widest variety possible. Get there early for the tables in the open-fronted section facing the Born Cultural Centre.

• Address: C/Rec 31, 08003
• Contact: 00 34 93 310 21 86; bormuth.blogspot.com.es
• Getting there: Metro Arc de Triomf
• Opening times: Sun-Thu, 12.30pm-1.30am; Fri-Sat 12.30pm-2.30am
• Prices: tapas from €4
• Payment type: credit cards accepted
• Cuisine: Spanish
• Reservations: recommended