The Best Places To Eat In Barcelona
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CLASSIC TAPAS
Bar Cañete
If you only have time to visit one tapas bar in Barcelona, book a table at Bar Cañete in the El Raval neighbourhood. It’s busy and loud, as seasoned waiters who have been serving locals for 30 or 40 years, weave in and out of tables to deliver traditional Catalan tapas including oysters, cod fritters, ham croquettes, chorizo sandwiches, tuna tartare, burrata, steamed cockles and more. The extensive wine list has something to complement each and every one.
Visit BarCanete.com
El Xampanyet
You might be surprised to know this bar in El Born only opened in 2019 – maybe it’s the typical tiled walls that make it feel older, or the traditional dishes that feel like they’ve been on the menu for decades. Look for Spanish omelette, stuffed peppers, squid and huge padrón peppers, all ready to be washed down with a glass of the bar’s own cava. No reservations, no website, no fuss.
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Cal Pep
On a corner of Plaça de les Olles, here’s always a long queue outside Cal Pep, but that’s part of the fun. Locals and tourists mingle outside with beers while they wait to be ushered to a table or the bar. You won’t be given a menu – instead, waiters bring out olives and cold cuts followed by a selection of market-fresh dishes like chorizo and chickpea stew, grilled seafood and Spanish tortilla.
Visit CalPep.com
Mont Bar
This fine-dining spot takes traditional Catalan tapas to new heights. Named after the owners’ home village in northwest Catalonia, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star last year, but the approach is refreshingly no-frills. Each beautifully presented dish is made with locally sourced ingredients. Dinner might include seabass ceviche toast, cockle soufflé, steak tartare, or grilled oysters.
Visit MontBar.com
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Bar del Pla
Another popular El Born spot, Bar del Pla has all the makings of a great tapas bar: friendly waiters who pile plates high, simple décor, and generous portions of food made with recipes passed down through generations. Regulars appreciate its affordable and top-notch takes on mussels, ceviche, croquettes, meatballs and squid. There’s also a long list of organic, biodynamic and natural wines.
Visit BarDelPla.cat
Bar Pimentel
There’s a new wave of chefs in the city opening trendy tapas bars with Instagram-worthy interiors and handsome-looking dishes. Bar Pimentel is one example, headed up by a group of friends. Chef Martín Pimentel and co serve traditional dishes like oysters with spicy sauce, grilled squid, croquettes, meatballs, and poached eggs with crispy pancetta. Finish with a slab of torrija (toasted brioche bread with ice-cream and toffee) and enjoy a glass or two of orange wine.
Visit BarPimentel.com
Pepa Bar a Vins
This tapas and wine bar has taken over a former bookshop in the centre of town, where the shelves display wines bottles and the exposed brick walls have been carefully restored. The food is a shining example of what you can do with a few ingredients – simple dishes are perfectly executed. Menu highlights include steak tartare with shoestring fries, fried anchovies with beetroot carpaccio, and artichoke omelette. The bar also showcases Spanish wines from small producers, including bottles you won’t find elsewhere.
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Bodega La Puntual
You’ll find Bodega La Puntual in a beautiful building in one of the city’s most touristy areas, near the Picasso Museum. Set in a former winery, it’s now an old-school tapas restaurant where locals queue for Catalan staples like ham croquettes, gambas, cockles, fried anchovies and cuttlefish rice. There’s also a great selection of meats and cheeses, including some interesting manchegos.
Visit GrupoVarela.es
Jai-Ca
Now in its third generation of family ownership, Jai-Ca is one of the oldest tapas bars in the city. In the old fishermen’s quarter of Barceloneta, it offers incredible value for money, with a beer costing around €3 and a bowl of fried anchovies under €4. The menu is split into ‘fish’, ‘hot’ and ‘fresh’, and features veggie options like moreish fried aubergine.
Visit BarJaiCa.com
Quimet y Quimet
Don’t expect a leisurely sit-down meal at this Poble Sec spot. Part of the fun is choosing canapé-style snacks at the tightly packed bar, or seeing how many dishes you can fit onto a small table in the corner. Count on steaming bowls of white clams, Iberian pork cheek, baby squid, and broad beans with codfish – ready to be mopped up with soft, white bread rolls.
Visit QuimetiQuimet.com
Denassus
Denassus in Poble Sec is another great spot from the same team behind Bar del Pla. Sitting by the bar is a lively experience, but it’s the outdoor terrace we love during the summer months. It’s a natural wine bar, but the food is too good to miss: every dish is made from locally sourced ingredients. Look for the likes of Peking duck croquettes, patatas bravas, fried anchovies and grilled octopus.
Visit Denassus.com
Paco Meralgo
This is a sophisticated, minimally decorated tapas bar that’s perfect for a special occasion or an indulgent lunch. Sit up at the counter or on high tables to try traditional dishes made with quality ingredients. Seafood is delivered straight from boats while meat comes from Catalan farmers. Standout dishes include fried rabbit ribs with garlic and parsley, fried fresh hake cheeks, and Iberian pork buns.
DINNER
Disfrutar
Barcelona has nearly 30 Michelin-starred restaurants, four of which hold three stars. One of those is Disfrutar in Eixample. What sets this apart from others on the list is the truly inventive cooking that takes simple Spanish ingredients to places they haven’t gone before. The set menu changes twice a year, but you might see the like of marinated mushrooms with oysters; freeze-dried calçot with consommé and romesco miso; and steak with fat and marrow.
Visit DisfrutarBarcelona.com
Batea
It’s rare to find a great restaurant on a city’s most touristy street, but that’s exactly what Batea is. Make your way through the crowds on Gran Via to this charming seafood specialist, with its smorgasbord of oysters, rolls and fried fish. Start with mussel croquettes and king scallops before moving onto prawn and langoustine platters, alongside cocktails or cava served by the friendly waitresses.
Visit BateaBarcelona.com
Mr Porter
For a fun evening with the girls, book a table at Mr Porter, the upmarket restaurant at hotel Sir Victor. Start with fizz at the bar before moving to a booth with leather banquette seating. Once there, we’d start with a couple of carpaccio dishes before tucking into sharing salads, steak or seafood. The whole lobster, slathered in butter and garlic, is a failsafe option, as is the decadent chocolate fondant.
Visit MrPorterSteakhouse.com
Cocina Hermanos Torres
For an unforgettable dinner, book a table at Cocina Hermanos Torres, which has the full set of three Michelin stars plus a Green one for its sustainability efforts. Twins Sergio and Javier Torres lead a team that’s achieved all of that in just five years. Their exceptional restaurant is housed in a converted tire factory in Les Corts. Meat is sourced from the pair’s own organic farm in Extremadura. The tasting menu takes diners on a journey that might feature Iberian suckling pig with apricot and tamarind, or eel pil-pil with piquillo peppers.
Visit CocinaHermanosTorres.com
Solomillo
There’s a simple premise at this Eixample restaurant: everything is weighed by the gram, so you only pay for what you get. The décor is typical of a European bistro – simple, elegant and dimly lit. The focus is all on the great steak and charcuterie. Start with a platter of cold meats (chosen from the ground-floor deli) before tucking into steak with roasted jalapeño sauce and grilled veg.
Visit RestauranteSolomillo.com
Dos Palillos
Chef Albert Raurich quickly earned a Michelin star after opening his Spanish-Japanese fusion restaurant back in 2019. Dos Palillos (‘two chopsticks’ in Spanish) is an intimate dining experience –just 24 stools overlook the kitchen. Watch the chefs whip up adventurous Japanese-inspired dishes made with local ingredients, like suckling lamb curry with pickled mango, sake steamed caviar nigiri, and kimchi bao buns.
Visit DosPalillos.com
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Vivanda
In a former mansion in the Sarriá district, with a spacious garden terrace shaded by trees, Vivanda is a neighbourhood restaurant with the feel of an old friend’s house. You can also sit in the dining room to try traditional Catalan dishes, including tapas plates and sharing mains of grilled meats, seafood and veg. It’s all hearty fare done well.
Visit Vivanda.cat
Contraban
If you don’t stay at the Wittmore hotel in the Gothic Quarter, you might still want to visit its Contraban restaurant. At one of the few adult-only establishments in the city, chef Alain Guiard serves Mediterranean dishes like smoky vegetable dips, grilled seafood with zingy sauces and barbecued meats. After dinner, head to the rooftop for sundowners.
Visit WittmoreHotel.com
Gala Restaurant
If you’re after bright, Insta-worthy interiors and a lively atmosphere, Gala is a fun restaurant in Eixample. Part of the trendy Isabella’s Group, there’s the main dining room plus plenty of areas for photo ops, including a nose-shaped fountain and a merry-go-round, both inspired by Dalí’s universe. There’s simple Mediterranean food as well as a sushi menu.
Visit GrupoIsabellas.com
The Green Spot
The Catalan diet is meat and fish heavy, so The Green Spot will be a welcome choice for vegetarians. Part of the Tragaluz group, which has outposts across Barcelona and Madrid, the restaurant delivers inventive veggie and vegan cooking – even your most carnivorous friend will be impressed.
Visit GrupoTragaluz.com
COME by Paco Méndez
Paco Méndez became a local legend for his Mexican restaurant Hoja Santa. COME is a reinvention of the original outpost, offering new dishes created by Paco and his pastry-chef wife Erinna. There are welcome drinks and snacks before guests are shown to seats in the main dining room to try classic Central American dishes. As you’d hope, there’s a great tequila and mezcal cocktail list.
Visit Come.com.es
Atempo
Dinner at Atempo in Eixample starts with a glass of fizz as you walk through the door, followed by a round of dishes in the ‘cold room’, and à la carte options in the dining room. Beautifully presented 15-course tasting menus that showcase the very best of Catalan produce make it easy to see how chef Jordi Cruz earned a Michelin star for the restaurant. Don’t sleep on the wood-fired quail with barley risotto, or seaweed steamed hake.
Visit AtempoRestaurant.com
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CASUAL EATS
Baldomero
This neighbourhood café and restaurant bills itself as a ‘country house in the middle of the city’. Bringing farm shop vibes to central Barcelona, it has long oak tables from where guests can help themselves to salads, pasta and veg dishes – all made with local, organic and seasonal produce. A lunch plate could include Spanish omelette with quinoa, roasted aubergine, burrata, and citrus and beetroot salad, followed by something sweet like a slice of strawberry and chocolate cake.
Visit CasaBaldomero.com
Grasshopper Ramen Bar
Don’t let the scruffy exterior put you off. This is one of the city’s best Asian restaurants, where locals gather at the 15-cover bar for Japanese beers, steaming gyozas and generous bowls of ramen made with broths that simmer for 18+ hours. The restaurant makes its own noodles, and mochi balls with flavours like strawberry and coconut.
Follow @GrasshopperRamen on Instagram
La Balabusta
This is simple Middle Eastern cooking at its best. Chef Ronit Stern and her team have created a welcoming café and restaurant that locals visit for parchment-lined trays of filo and flatbread topped with veg and meats cooked over charcoals. You can also choose from soups, salads and pastries, alongside juices and coffees.
Follow @LaBalabusta on Instagram
Sartoria Panatieri
Widely considered to be one of the best pizza restaurants in Europe, Sartoria Panatieri is the brainchild of Rafa Panatieri who has travelled from Italy to Argentina in his quest to create the ultimate slice. Wood-fired pizzas are made with local stone-ground organic flour and topped with organic ingredients like ibérico meats and huge buffalo tomatoes.
Visit SartoriaPanatieri.com
Bar Torpedo
If you’re after sandwiches, sandos or burgers, fill your boots at Eixample’s Bar Torpedo. Sit in the bright green dining room to enjoy soft-shell crab burgers, meatball and tomato subs, fried chicken sandos and spicy potatoes. There’s also a selection of natural wines.
Visit BarTorpedo.com
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Lluritu
This seafood bar is perfect when you need a quick bite but aren’t ready for a sit-down meal. The menu couldn’t be much simpler – there are only a few dishes to choose from. Sit on one of the high stools or at the bar to enjoy mussels, oysters and prawns with a glass of cava or ice-cold beer.
Visit Lluritu.com
Parking Pizza
You’ll smell the pizza before you spot this restaurant, tucked away behind a car park in Eixample. Both tourists and locals like this cool spot, which is run by a young collective of dough-obsessed chefs obsessed. There are 13 classic pizzas to choose from, ready to be drizzled with chilli oil, as well as antipasti, and decadent desserts like fudgy chocolate brownies.
Visit ParkingPizza.com
El Nacional Food Court
This grand food court is home to four restaurants and bars where you can try traditional dishes from across the Iberian peninsula. La Llotja has a stall to rival most fishmongers, where you can choose the catch of the day, while La Taperia offers hot and cold tapas dishes, paella and more. Swing by La Parada for small plates and salads, before stopping at the wine bar for a glass or two of sangria.
Visit ElNacionalBCN.com
Koryo
For a warming bowl of ramen or plate of katsu curry, Koryo is a small restaurant in Sant Gervasi you should know about. It’s been serving Korean and Japanese dishes for the last ten years, with specialities including chaguechi (noodles with soy sauce, cheese and a fried egg) and bibimbaps. Homemade cheese, ice-cream and flan complete the comfort food offering.
Follow @KoryoBCN on Instagram
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BREAKFAST, BRUNCH & COFFEE
Ugot Bruncherie
Expect to queue to get into this popular brunch spot in Eixample. Sit outside in the shaded terrace, or in the main café with its quirky interiors and friendly staff. Menu highlights include shakshuka with goat’s cheese and aubergine, benedict ‘bulgogi’ (Korean-style pulled pork with spring onions on toasted brioche), and a light, airy and delicious French toast with pear compote and mascarpone. There’s a long list of brunch cocktails offered alongside fresh juices, coffees and beers.
Visit UgotBruncherie.com
Funky Bakers
Funky Bakers has a café, bakery and deli in the city. Head to the café for huge pastries and coffee, brunch dishes and lunch, before it turns into a wine and cocktail bar in the evening. The bakery serves viennoiseries, chocolate babkas and other tempting pastries, while the deli has everything you need for a pitstop – sandwiches, groceries, coffee and wines.
Visit FunkyAndCo.com
Can Dendê
This restaurant in Poblenou has an excellent brunch menu of crowd-pleasing dishes like huge bagels stuffed with cream cheeses and other fillings, sweet and savoury pancakes (think pulled pork topped with poached eggs), French toast and eggs.
Visit CanDende.com
Right Side Coffee Bar
If you’re after a great cortado or iced latte, head to this chic coffee bar in the Gothic Quarter. The team only works with small coffee producers around the world to ensure they’re paid fairly for the very best beans. You can also choose from an array of freshly baked pastries.
Visit RightSideCoffee.com
Picnic
This busy Brooklyn-inspired place has everything you’d want for brunch. Start with quinoa hashbrowns and fried green tomatoes, before moving onto huevos rancheros, salmon gravlax toast, or smoked short ribs with waffles and poached eggs. Drinks include spicy cocktails, fresh juices and homemade lemonades.
Visit Picnic-Restaurant.com
Three Marks Coffee
This coffee shop in Fort Pienc is owned by two Marcos and one Marc (hence the name) – two of them met at Nomad Coffee, one of Spain’s best speciality roasters. The team meticulously roasts and ages its Colombian beans, so you can expect greatness. Choose from iced lattes, cold brews, affogato and more, and there’s even a cool collection of merch.
Visit ThreeMarksCoffee.com
Nomad Coffee Lab
Nomad Coffee Lab started out as a travelling coffee cart in London before the team settled in Barcelona ten years ago. It’s got numerous sites in the city, but the flagship shop and café is tucked behind a pretty alleyway in Poblenou where you can try coffee made with beans from Uganda, Ethiopia and Colombia.
Visit NomadCoffee.es
Milk Bar & Bistro
This brunch spot is walk-ins only, so it’s best to get there early. A little more upmarket than some of the competition, it serves dishes made with locally sourced ingredients until 4.30pm. Choose from Turkish eggs and huevos rancheros served numerous ways, as well as burgers, pancakes and bagels. Smoothies, fresh juices and brunch cocktails complete the menu.
Visit MilkBarcelona.com
Caravelle
One of the city’s OG brunch spots, Caravelle has Aussie owners who have been serving generous dishes at this Melbourne-inspired restaurant for 14 years. Dishes include granola bowls, overnight oats, sourdough toast with numerous toppings, fluffy ricotta pancakes, and baked eggs, to name a few.
Visit CaravelleBCN.com
Little Fern
The owners of this chic little café are from New Zealand and have brought a slice of that relaxed lifestyle to Poblenou. There are plenty of veggie and plant-based options to enjoy in the light and bright dining room, from açaí bowls and sweetcorn fritters to kimchi pancakes and shakshuka. Finish with a cortado and slice of Basque cheesecake.
Visit LittleFernCafe.com
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