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home > Restaurants
Catalan Food and Barcelona Restaurants
Catalonia has a long tradition of good food, and many people consider the best food in Spain to be found in this area. I've listed a few of my favourite restaturants and bars here.
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The best chef in Spain – some say in the world – is Ferran Adrià, who comes from Barcelona and whose restaurant, El Bulli, is in nearby Roses. (Don't spend too much time
contemplating whether to splash out, El Bulli is closed for half
the year and booked out for the other half!)
Eating good food in Barcelona though, does not necessarily equate
with 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. |
Recommended restaurants in Barcelona
Santa Maria, Calle Comerç, Barcelona 08003.
A tapas bar serving wonderful contemporary food and very good value for money.
Tel: 93 315 12 27 |
Comerç 24, Calle Comerç 24, Barcelona.
Serves small dishes of a modern design. Excellent food, expensive. Chef Carles Abellan is a former student of Ferran Adrià.
Tel: 93 319 21 02 Website: www.carlosabellan.com |
Agut, Calle Gignàs 16, Barcelona.
An excellent Catalan restaurant in the old town.
Tel: 93 315 17 09 |
Cal Pep, Plaça de les Olles 8, Barcelona.
Not a restaurant but a bar; the menu is created using seasonal and the freshest of ingredients.
Tel: 93 310 79 61 |
Bar Pinotxo, La Boqueria, Las Ramblas.
A bar in La Boqueria food market, not to be missed. |
Japonese Shunka, Sagristans, 5, Bajos, Barcelona 08002
Great fresh Japanese food prepared before you. Not cheap but not too expensive either.
Tel: 93 412 4991
Koy Shunka, Calle Copons 7, 08002 Barcelona.
Tel: 934 127 939
Owned by the same people as Japonese Shunka, and a short walk away, it's also a very good restaurant and sometimes it's easier to get a table here.
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Moo, Rosselló 265 (Hotel Omm), Barcelona 08008.
Catalan cooking, haute cuisine and fine wines. Expensive.
Tel: 93 445 40 00 Website: www.hotelomm.es |
Rías de Galicia, Calle Lérida 7, Barcelona 08004
Galician cuisine with emphasis on quality seafood.
Tel: 93 424 8152 |
Ca l'Isidre, Calle Les Flors 12, Barcelona 08001
Catalan cuisine
Tel: 93 441 1139 |
Tapa 24, Diputacio 269, 08007 Barcelona
Traditional tapas, cooked breakfasts and small dishes with quality. www.carlosabellan.com |
Moments, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Passeig de Gracia 38-40, 08007 Barcelona.
Head chef Carme Ruscalleda has won Michelin stars for her cuisine. Not cheap but great for a special occasion.
www.mandarinoriental.com |
Recommended Café Bars in Gracia
Gracia is full of bars and restaurants, there are so many it's difficult to know where to start. I've been exploring the local cafés and bars and have listed my favourites here (in no particular order).
Vreneli
Plaça Rius i Taulet 8
Open: Tue - Fri, 8am - 10pm, Sat - Sun, 9am - 10pm. Kitchen open 1pm - Midnight.
Vreneli is set in a lovely square with a clock tower. Good bocadillos, crepes, teas, coffees, natural fruit juices and home-made cakes. |
La Fourmi
Calle Mila i Fontanals 60
A little café on the corner which serves good food, including noodles and sushi. A friendly atmosphere with a bonus of an intercambio held on Wednesday evenings at 9.30pm. |
Cal Felix
Mercat Abaceria Central
Travessera de Gracia 186
Mon - Sat, 9am - 2pm and 5.30 - 8pm.
A bar in the market, in my opinion they serve the best tortilla de patatas I've found. |
Café Teatre
Terol 26–28
The café bar in the Teatre Neu has a great atmosphere and decor and serves good food. Open every day after 7pm. |
Recommended Take-aways in Gracia
Sushi Japonés
Mercat Abaceria Central
Travessera de Gracia 186
Mon - Sat, 9am - 2pm and 5.30 - 8pm. Tel: 93 285 5100.
A great little sushi stand in the market. Not only can you buy Maki, Nigiri, Sashimi, you can also buy all the ingredients to make your own Japanese meals. |
Take Out Sushi Japonés
Calle Ramón y Cajal 32
Good quality take-away sushi with a selection of sushi boxes ranging from 8–10 euros. |
La Pastaia
Mercat Abaceria Central
Travessera de Gracia 186, Paradas 246/251. Tel: 93 210 5804.
Another stall in the market selling freshly-made pasta and sauces.
Delicious and very cheap. You do have to cook it yourself though
(but well worth it). |
Non-smoking Cafés, Bars, Restaurants
There aren't many places in this list (yet), but there aren't
many non-smoking bars to be found in Barcelona despite recent laws
against smoking in public places.
This list is a start, and will be added to as and when I find
more non-smoking bars and restaurants.
Gasterea
Calle Verdi 39, Gracia, 08012, BCN. Tel: 93 237 2343.
A great little Basque bar in Calle Verdi (almost opposite the
cinema). Extremely friendly bar staff who serve great montaditos
(Basque tapas), with regular hot plates coming from the
kitchen. One
of my favourites. Closed on Wednesdays.
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Cafès Caracas
There are over 20 Cafès Caracas throughout Barcelona and
some of them are non-smoking or have separate non-smoking areas. |
Sol i Lluna
Calle Verdi 50, Gràcia. Tel: 93 237 1052.
A very nice bar/restaurant that has a varied menu including
very good noodles. Look out for the large wooden hippopotamus
in the window! |
Kibuka
Calle Verdi 64, Gràcia. Tel: 93 415 9217.
Calle Goya 9, Gràcia. Tel: 93 237
8994.
www.kibuka.com
Japanese sushi bar. Very reasonably priced for a Japanese restaurant
and the food is delicious. |
Starbucks – www.starbucks.es
All Starbucks cafés are non-smoking and there are several
in Barcelona: Paseig de Gracia 97, Muntaner, Diagonal, Ferran
25, Consell de Cent 343, etc. |
Café Teatre
Terol 26–28
The café bar in the Teatre Neu (mentioned
above also) has two floors, the ground floor being non-smoking. Open every day
after 7pm. |
Los Caracoles – www.loscaracoles.es
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 |
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