Catalonia has a long tradition of good food and I’ve listed my favourites restaurants and tapas bars in Barcelona below.
Eating good food in Barcelona doesn’t necessarily mean spending lots of money. Many restaurants serve excellent food at reasonable prices. Chefs, inspired by Ferran Adrià’s inventive style, are creating a whole new way of enjoying food.
Barcelona Restaurants & Tapas Bars
Teresa Carles *
Teresa Carles is a vegetarian restaurant on the edge of Raval. The restaurant offers a large variety of delicious vegetarian dishes. Chef Teresa Carles’ other restaurants are Flax & Kale and Flax & Kale à Porter. The ethos is to serve delicious and healthy food.
Carrer Jovellanos 2, 08001 Barcelona
Tel: 933 171 829
www.teresacarles.com/tc/eng
gut *
Restaurant in Gràcia with great atmosphere, very good food and friendly staff. They offer tasty vegetarian options and delicious desserts. They have a daily menu of either two or three courses.
Carrer Perill 13, Gràcia, 08012 Barcelona
Tel: 931 866 360
www.restaurantgut.com
La Royale *
Wonderful little restaurant in Sant Gervasi that specialises in top quality inventive burgers (and gin and tonics). You can choose meat from Europe, Asia, America… and the accompanying fillings are creative and delicious. Most definitely worth a visit.
Plaça del Camp 5, 08022 Barcelona
Tel: 93 254 7 93
laroyale.es
Comunitat Trenta3
Classical Catalan style restaurant specialising in paellas, and has one of the most varied paella menus that I’ve seen. There are two or three restaurants in Barcelona, but the one I’ve eaten in several times is the restaurant in Calle Bordeus. Usually a paella is for a minimum of two people, but during the week you can order individual paellas. This restaurant is very popular so essential to book.
Calle Bordeus 33, 08035 Barcelona
Tel: 610 687 569
www.grupxativa.com/comunitat33
The restaurant in Gracia is calle Xàtiva: Calle torrent d’en Vidalet 26. Tel: 670 811 767.
There is also a second restaurant in Les Corts: La Tertúlia: Calle Morales 15. Tel: 93 419 5897.
Embat
The sparse and classical interior has gone – Embat has had a make-over. The food is quite wonderful here. They have a lunchtime and dinner menu, and a menú degustación (one price for a selection of small dishes). Prices are in the middle range – which is not expensive at all for the quality of their dishes.
Calle Mallorca 304, 08037 Barcelona
Tel: 93 458 08 55
Paco Meralgo *
Large and busy tapas bar in Eixample serving top quality tapas. Best to book or arrive early (they open at 8pm) to get a seat at the bar. This is one of the best places to eat in Barcelona in my opinion. Always full of people, with fast and friendly service, top quality ingredients and good wine.
Review date: 9 October 2012
Calle Muntaner 171, 08036 Barcelona
Tel: 93 430 9027
Website: www.pacomeralgo.com
Piscolabis
Piscolabis is a good value tapas restaurant serving small local dishes. Service is efficient and there is always a daily specials menu. You have the choice of sitting at the bar or at a table, and a comprehensive selection of dishes are served.
There are two restaurants in Barcelona with the one on Avinguda Diagonal (Pedralbes) which I much prefer to the one on Rambla de Catalunya. The latter tends to be too touristy. Both have terraces where you can sit outside.
Avinguda Diagonal 593, Barcelona.
Tel: 934 105 495
Rambla de Catalunya 27, Barcelona.
Tel: 933 069 669
www.piscolabisrestaurant.cat
Agut
An excellent Catalan restaurant in the old town, one for a special night out. Established in 1924, Agut serves traditional Catalonian cooking and seasonal cuisine.
Calle Gignàs 16, Barcelona 08002.
Tel: 93 315 17 09
Ca l’Isidre
Calle Les Flors 12, Barcelona 08001
Enjoy Catalan cuisine in style.
Tel: 93 441 1139
Website: www.calisidre.com
Los Caracoles
Wonderful Catalan restaurant in the heart of the gothic quarter, a little pricey but definitely worth a visit even if it’s just to sit at the bar and drink a few beers, chat to the very friendly waiters and watch the desserts being prepared.
Calle Escudellers 14, 08002 Barcelona.
Tel: 93 301 2041
Website: www.loscaracoles.es
Rías de Galicia
A restaurant for a special occasion. Wonderful fish and seafood options.
Calle Lérida 7, Barcelona 08004
Galician cuisine with emphasis on quality seafood.
Tel: 93 424 8152
Website: www.riasdegalicia.com
Suculent
A very nice little restaurant in an old bodega located in Raval. Traditional snacks, tapas and full meals – as well as breakfast – with a lovely traditional decor to match. They say that every dish they serve has a history.
Tel: 93 443 6579
Website: www.suculent.com
1881 per Sagardi *
Excellent seafood restaurant which serves a wonderful paella in a fantastic setting. The restaurant has a wonderful view over the old port and before and after dining you can enjoy their very large terrace bar. This restaurant is often missed; while people queue outside for the restaurants on the ground floor facing the port, 1881 Sagardi is tranquilly situated on the 4th floor of the Catalan History Museum (Museu d’Història de Catalunya) in the Palau de Mar building.
Tel: 902 520 522
Website: www.sagardi.com
Cal Pep
A small bar where the menu is created using seasonal and the freshest of ingredients.
Plaça de les Olles 8, Barcelona.
Tel: 93 310 79 61
Website: www.calpep.com
Tapas 24
Traditional tapas with a contemporary twist, cooked breakfasts and small dishes of quality.
Diputacio 269, 08007 Barcelona
Tel: 93 488 0977
Website: www.carlesabellan.com
Japanese Restaurants in Barcelona
As Japanese food is a real favourite of mine, I’ve listed some Japanese restaurants separately here:
Wagokoro
Wagokoro is one of my all time favourites. This Japanese restaurant was originally recommended to me by a Japanese person living here in Barcelona. It’s not the cheapest restaurant, but it’s special. There’s a set menu which changes every 15 days to reflect changes in the season and includes several small courses followed by a dessert. You can add one or two extra courses if you want to. There’s now a menu del día too.
The food is fresh and inventive, and the service excellent. As the restaurant is very small, booking is recommended. Ask for a seat at the bar so you can watch the dishes being carefully prepared.
Calle Regas 35, 08006 Barcelona
Tel: 93 501 9340
www.wagokoro.es
El Japones *
In Eixample. A very nice, busy restaurant, quick service, good food and reasonable prices.
Pasaje de la Concepción 5, 08008 Barcelona
Tel: 93 487 25 92
Website: http://grupotragaluz.com
Hana Bishi
Excellent sushi! From the outside this restaurant doesn’t look so impressive, but the sushi is fantastic – very fresh and tastes delicious. Not expensive either and with a good priced menu del día.
Calle Balmes 55, 08007 Barcelona
Tel: 93 451 2065
Japanese Shunka
Great fresh Japanese food prepared before you. Not cheap but not too expensive either.
Sagristans, 5, Bajos, Barcelona 08002
Tel: 93 412 4991
Koy Shunka *
Owned by the same people as Japanese Shunka, and a short walk away, it’s also a very good restaurant and sometimes it’s easier to get a table here.
Calle Copons 7, 08002 Barcelona.
Tel: 934 127 939
Website: www.koyshunka.com
Yashima *
Wonderful traditional Japanese restaurant. Private dining rooms available. Expensive but worth it.
Avinguda Josep Tarradellas, 145, 08029 Barcelona
Tel: 934 190 697
yamashitagroup.com/yashima/
Kibuka
Finally, Kibuka. Another Japanese favourite that I frequent. Very reasonably priced for a Japanese restaurant and the food is delicious.
Calle Verdi 64, Gràcia. Tel: 93 415 9217.
Calle Goya 9, Gràcia. Tel: 93 237 8994.
www.kibuka.com
