A quick guide to our favourite places in the city.
Foodies in Barcelona’s Favourite Casual Restaurants – These are some of our favourites. The emphasis here is on Catalan / Spanish food. As Barcelona has grown in popularity reservations are recommended even for these more casual places.
→ Bar Cañete – C/ de la Unió, 17. Raval. (barcanete.com) It’s a classic of Barcelona. Chefs and servers in stiff white coats. All the dishes you would expect to find in Barcelona are executed perfectly.
→ Bar El Pollo – C/ del Tigre, 31. Raval. It looks like an old man’s bar on a perpetually damp street in Raval. Still, appearances can be deceiving and ever since Rosalia said this was her favourite spot it’s next to impossible to get a table.
→ Bar del Pla – C/ Montcada 2. El Born. (bardelpla.cat) A charming restaurant with servers wearing t-shirts proclaiming “fuck sangria drink wine instead”. Best patatas bravas in town and the pig trotter is sublime.
→ Batea – Gran Via de Los Corts Catalanes 605. (bateabarcelona.com) Seafood gets special treatment in this originally designed and centrally located restaurant in Avenida Palace Hotel. There is a seafood platter for two that should not be missed and a cocktail to start the meal is essential.
→ Berbena – C/ Minerva 6, Baixos. Gràcia. (berbenabcn.com) Exciting things are happening here, not often seen coupled with delicate yet relaxed plating.
→ Fonda Pepa – C/ de Tordera, 58. Gràcia. Catalan food at its best with well-sourced local ingredients.
→ Gresca Bar – C/ de la Provença, 230. Eixample. (gresca.rest) Gresca was doing the casual gastro restaurant before anyone else. Accomplished food, served on chipped mismatched plates from an open kitchen.
→ Maleducat – C/ Manso 54. Sant Antoni. (maleducat.es) Three childhood friends serve market fresh food from the nearby market. Catalan ingredients in an irreverent plating.
→ Suru Bar – C/ de Casanova, 134. A speakeasy set up, across from Ninot market and easy to miss. This brutalist space has a special affection for offal and Catalan-Asian fusion.
→ Taberna Noroeste – C/ Radas 67, Poble Sec. (tabernanoroeste.com) A true Gastrorestaurant. Most dishes will be sublime.
→ Ultramarinos Marin – C/ Balmes 187, Eixample. Seafood-focused, ultra-fresh.
*****
These are restaurants we like.
→ Agreste de Fabio y Roser – C/ Funoses Llussà 2. 08023 El Coll. (agreste.cat) Far up in the hills. Bright vibrant food from an Italian chef and front of the house by his partner, the pair met on the Camino de Santiago where this restaurant was conceived.
→ Denassus – C/ Blai, 53, Poble Sec. (denassus.com) From 2 Bar del Pla alumni. The wine is phenomenal, as you would expect, and the shared dishes are spectacular.
→ Cruix – C/ Eneteça 57, Eixample. (cruixrestaurant.com) The place to go for a paella is more soccarat. A competitive menu with lots of surprising dishes.
→ Fismuler – C/ Del Rec Comtal 17. El Born. In the Hotel Rec, opened by 2 El Bulli Alums. Large space, beautiful plates of food. Legendary cheesecake.
*****
Top Fine Dining
Fine dining is not our speciality at Foodie in Barcelona since we pay for our meals but if your wallet stretches and you can get a reservation these restaurants are worth it!
→ Compartir – C/ de València, 225, 08007. (compartirbarcelona.com) The more accesible sister restaurant of Compartir. Pictured above. (Read the 2022 review here.)
→ Direkte Boqueria – Locals 4-5. Pòrtics de la Boqueria. (direkte.cat) An 8-seat restaurant off the Boqueria market is making remarkable fusion dishes.
→ Disfrutar – C/ Villarroel, 163. Eixample. (disfrutarbarcelona.com) A fantastic contemporary restaurant from El Bulli alumni.
*****
Best Vegetarian
→ Fat Veggies – C/ París 168. Eixample. (fatveggies.com) Vegetables every which way but particularly on the barbecue. They have a solid fermented drinks menu. Their vegan brownie is even better than the real thing!
→ Flax & Kale – C/ Tallers 74B. El Raval. (flaxandkale.com) The first hipster vegetarian, flexitarian, cold-pressed juice flagship of the city.
→ Flax & Kale Passage – C/ de Sant Pere Mes Alt 31-33. Sant Pere (El Born). (flaxandkale.com) The second iteration of Flax & Kale. This one is with a fermentation chamber.
→ Green Spot – C/ de la Reina Cristina, 12. Barceloneta. (grupotragaluz.com) An elegant vegetarian restaurant from the Grupo Tragaluz. Even non-veggies eat here for the space.
→ Honest Greens – Rambla de Catalunya 3. Eixample. (honestgreens.com) Fast affordable food mostly vegetarian, gorgeous space. There are many branches in the city and even outside Spain!
→ Teresa Carles – C/ de Jovellanos, 2. El Raval. (teresacarles.com)A more traditional offering of vegetarian food although this was the restaurant that preceded Flax & Kale and is the same group.
*****
Best Bakeries
→ Baluard – C/ del Baluart, 38. Barceloneta + more locations. (baluardbarceloneta.com) From a 4th generation baker, Anna Bellsolà, the pan de pagès is the one to order. (baluardbarceloneta.com)
→ Cloudstreet Bakery – Three locations. (cloudstreet.es) This place started as a micro bakery. It is very special.
→ Coush Armó – Various Locations. (cousharmo.com) Organic flours, long natural fermentations. Exceptional sourdough lard croissants.
→ Forn Mistral – Ronda de Sant Antoni 86, Sant Antoni. A classic Catalan bakery their ensaimada is without parallel.
→ Origo Bakery – C/ de Milà i Fontanals, 9. Gràcia & Ronda de Sant Pau, 67. Sant Antoni. (origobakery.com) Sourdough artisanal bread using ancient grains sourced locally.
→ Pa de Kilo – C/ Doctor Dou 12, Raval. (padekilo.com) In the former Reykjavik kitchen in El Raval. Thick-sliced, crusty sourdough.
*****
Best Breakfast & Brunch
→ Can Dende – Ciutat de Granada 44. Poble Nou. (candende.com) Small, popular with heaps of heart. Still my favourite eggs Benedict in town.
→ Caravelle – C/ Pintor Fortuny 31. El Raval. (caravellebcn.com) The chef-owner is Australian, so expect good coffee and top brunch choices, expertly executed.
→ Cremat11 – C/ Cremat 11, El Born. A menu that gets straight to the point. Poached eggs on thick bread and stacks of pancakes. Plus fancy cocktails. Small restaurant with a good terrace. (www.instagram.com/cremat11)
→ Funky Bakers Eatery – C/ Diputació 347, Eixample. Brunch with a Mediterranean sway in a bright space with exposed brick walls. (funkybakers.com)
→ Hardware Société – C/ de Valencia, 193. Eixample. (hardwaresociete.com) An import from first Melbourne and then Paris, likely the most sophisticated brunch dishes in town.
→ Levante – Sant Domènc del Call, 11. Gothic Quarter. (bistrotlevante.com)A gorgeous cafe serving breakfast with a Middle Eastern lean.
→ Little Fern – C/ de Pere IV 168. Poble Nou. (littleferncafe.com) A couple from New Zealand brings us this gem. Brunch options are creative here – think corn fritter pancakes smothered with guacamole. It’s all vegetarian.
→ Lulu – Av. del Marquès de l’Argentera, 7 and Passeig Sant Juan 46. (luluandflyn.com) Delicious tartines, savoury bowls, super service.
→ Picnic – C/ del Comerç, 1. (picnic-restaurant.com) A much-loved corner restaurant close to the Arc de Triomf that mixes it up a little with dishes like fried green tomatoes and my personal favourite Huevos Rancheros!
*****
Best Coffee Shops
→ Brunells by Cafe El Magnifico – C/Princesa 22, El Born. A coffee shop with an adjacent patisserie in collaboration with the original coffee roasters of Barcelona. (Also check out Mag opened weekends only)
→ Casa Taos – C/ de Pere IV, 100, Sant Marti. (taosliving.com) Part coffee stall, part sustainable living experience, in the lobby of a green co-working space.
→ Dalston Coffee – C/ de Ramelleres, 16. El Raval. (dalstoncoffee.com) The smallest coffee shop in town but still mighty!
→ News & Coffee – Numerous locations. (newsandcoffee.EU) Celebrating the magazine renaissance, these kiosks will set you up with reading and coffee.
→ Nomad – There are a few of these so check their website. They have an excellent coffee subscription service to keep you buzzing.
→ Right Side – C/ de l’Arc de Sant Ramon del Call, 11. (rightsidecoffee.com) Right Side took over from Satan’s Coffee in 2023.
→ Slow Mov – C/ de Neptú 36, Gràcia. (slowmov.com) A thoughtful coffee shop going to great lengths to be the best and fairest it can be.
→ Syra Coffee – Various locations. (syra.coffee) What started as a small shop in Gracia now has branches all over the city.
→ Three Marks Coffee – C/ d’Ausiàs Marc 151. Eixample. (threemarkscoffee.com) This cafe is spread over two light-filled floors.
Read Coffee Guide Barcelona for a complete list.
*****
Cocktails Bars
→ Boadas – C/ dels Tallers, 1. Ciutat Vella. One of the oldest cocktail bars in the city.
→ Dry Martini – C/ d’Aribau, 162, 166. L’Eixample. Listed in The World’s 50 Best Bars 6 years in a row.
→ La Confiteria – C/ de Sant Pau 128. Ciutat Vella. In an antique shop that retains all its charm.
→ Paradiso – C/ de Rere Palau 4, Ciutat Vella.The cocktail speakeasy is accessed through a refrigerator door.
*****
Best Food Shops
→ Aalta Botica – C/ Enric Granados 114, Eiample. (altabotica.com) A high-end gourmet delicatessen that looks like it sells leather goods rather than gourmet jamon.
→ Casa Perris – Plaça Comercial, 2. El Born. (casaperris.com) Flours, pulses, unsweetened peanut butter, dried fruits, spices – you can find it all here.
→ Ferment 9 – C/ de Sepúlveda 135. Sant Antoni. The shop has closed you can now order online ferment9.com A temple to fermented things from water kefirs to kimchi to olives. Your gut will thank you.
→ J.K. Asian Supermarket – C/ De Sant Pau, 25. El Raval. An essential resource for Asian ingredients. I’m routinely amazed at how much stock they manage to squeeze into this small shop. (www.jkasianfoods.com)
→ La Salumeria – C/ Comte Borrell 8-14. It is an Italian deli with little emphasis on a charming interior but all its concentration on top Italian fare. From fresh mozzarella to all the pasta shapes in Italy. (Facebook La Salumeria)
→ Oriental Market – C/ Sicilia 212. Eixample. Asian products, particularly Japan. They have a good website for ordering online.(www.orientalmarket.es/shop)
→ Simo Formatgeria – C/ Sant Pere mes Alt, 40. El Born. Cheese! With some incredible small producers. (www.formatgeriasimo.com)
→ Vila Viniteca – C/ Dels Agullers, 7. El Born. The best Jamón, cheeses, canned foods and of course wine.
→ Xin Yang Kuang – Paseo de San Juan, 12. Arc de Triomf. The largest, best-stocked Chinese supermarket I’ve found. Their walk-in fridge is a must-visit.
*Have a look at the Best Eats Page – the Specialty Grocery Stores at the bottom have lots more excellent addresses)
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Best Ice Cream Shops
→ Delacrem – 2 shops. 1. Enric Granados, 15. Eixample or Passeig de Sant Joan, 59. (delacrem.cat) Delicate, delightful artisanal gelato. One of the originals.
→ Gocce di latte – Pla de Palau, 4. El Born. (Facebook) Italian artisanal gelato with a vegan branch around the corner.
→ Parallelo Gelato – C/ de Sèneca 18. Gracia and C/ de Ausias Marc 55. (parallelogelato.com) Italian gelato with quirky flavours like blue cheese and classics like pistachio.
→ Selvatica – C/ Martinez de la Rosa 65. Gracia (selvatica. Barcelona) is Italian gelato from some South Americans with some unusual and funny flavours like cheese and Guyaba jam, the jam is made in-house.
*****
Best Japanese Restaurants
→ Ikoya – Av. de Francesc Cambó, 23, El Born. (ikoyaizakaya.com) A collaboration between Hideki Matsuhisa (Koy Shunka) and Iñaki López of the Sagardi group across from Santa Caterina market with a large feature robata grill at its heart.
→ Sato i Tanaka – C/ Bruc 79. Eixample. Exquisite nigiri and sashimi. Expertly made by either Chef Sato or Chef Tanaka.
→ Shunka – Sagristans, 5 bajos. Gothic. This remains the best all-around Japanese in the city.
*****