The Most Famous Restaurants in Barcelona

The Most Famous Restaurants in Barcelona

Barcelona by Bxalber from Wikimedia Commons

Forget the three miles of golden sand beaches and Gaud’s magnificent architecture: the food is the most appealing reason to visit Barcelona. While El Bulli’s legacy lives on among the city’s top chefs (despite the Adrià culinary empire’s recent closure, which included legendary spots like Tickets, Pakta, and Enigma), there is so much brilliant food from so many great chefs that getting to it all is nearly impossible (though you should try).

Few towns in the world can match the Catalan capital’s culinary options, which vary from Michelin-starred restaurants to modest tapas cafes and all in between. Here is our list of the greatest restaurants in Barcelona for all occasions and preferences.

1. Besta

Beco Caberet Gourmet from Wikimedia Commons

Carles Ramón from Catalonia and Manu Nez from Galicia came up with the idea for Besta. They’ve created a gourmet-style unlike any other by combining the best in-season ingredients from their different locations. It’s a perfect fit, and the end product is positively otherworldly. R

amón and Nez aren’t hesitant to take chances, especially when it comes to combining unusual marine and land materials. Catalan cuisine is known for its surf ‘n’ turf (or mar I muntanya). Menus here often feature chicken and shrimp or meatballs and squid, but Besta takes it a step further, delivering Galician oysters with thinly sliced dry-aged beef or market-fresh octopus with a suckling pig’s ear.

2. Mr Porter

Mr Porter, which is located within the Sir Victor Hotel and has become a favourite among the It set, is all you’d expect given its fancy address. Although it is described as a steakhouse, the wood-fired oven also produces excellent vegetarian and fish dishes.

The roasted whole leek, the silky smooth beef carpaccio, and the luscious Japanese Wagyu steak are all highlights on the menu, but the sweet-yet-spicy jumbo shrimp salad with corn and avocado will have you fighting over the last mouthful. Also on point is the cocktail game. The It’s About Thyme cocktail, created with thyme-infused Casamigos Reposado tequila, orgeat syrup, citrus mix, and Ribera del Duero red wine, is a popular choice, while real carnivores might try the Rib Rye.

3. Cocina Hermanos Torres

Sergio_y_Javier_Torres_en_su_cocina by Xaviervidal from Wikimedia Commons

Sergio and Javier Torres established themselves as chefs at the Michelin-starred Dos Cielos restaurant in the Meliá Barcelona Sky Hotel. Hermanos Torres, a riskier and more avant-garde film, earned two coveted stars within two years of its debut.

Playing with juxtaposition—from drastically different textures and temperatures to ultra-modern interpretations on Catalan “grandma” recipes and surprising taste pairings—is a big part of what we do. When it comes to pairings, wine pairings at tasting menu restaurants don’t always deliver. That is not the case in this instance. Spend a little more.

4. Alkimia

Despite its Michelin star, Alkimia has managed to go beneath the radar, which is fortunate for us. Chef Jordi Vila’s tasting menus consist of a well-balanced selection of dishes with complementary tastes and textures. He has a strong affinity for the sea, as seen in dishes like razor clam, hazelnut hollandaise, and sherry Suquet (or Catalan seafood stew).

5. Aürt

Hilton Diagonal del Mar – Barcelona from Wikimedia Commons

The seasonally changing menu at Aurt, Artur Martnez’s tasting-menu-only restaurant in the lobby of the Hilton Diagonal Mar, is picture-perfect, with each meal vying for your love. After all, it takes a while to get through 15 dishes, so this place is for laid-back foodies with laid-back afternoon schedules.

The cuttlefish tartar(a) was a hit on a recent visit, the squid delicate and wonderfully balanced. The onion royale is wonderful enough to alter your mind about onions forever, and sommelier Mara Fanni can help you choose from a large, refined, and approachable wine selection.

6. Dos Palillos

Pinchos de tortilla by Tamorlan from Wikimedia Commons

The superb tasting menus at Albert Raurich’s modest tapas restaurant in El Raval, which meld Japanese ingredients with Spanish flair, won him a Michelin star. Dishes like Szechuan-style jellyfish, Iberian-Cantonese hog jowl, and rare chicken sashimi may push you out of your comfort zone but embrace it. A small group of diners seated around an open central kitchen creates a friendly, intimate setting for everyone involved, including the staff.

7. Solomillo

Solomillo Sirloin steak by Penarc from Wikimedia Commons

Indulge all your deepest carnivorous cravings at this meat-lovers’ paradise, where the restaurant’s name (solomillo) is the same as your order (sirloin steak). The greatest steak in Barcelona, and the menu is completely customizable: Select the type of beef, weight, and cooking method, as well as optional sauces and sides. If you’re not sure what to order, go for the Frisian beef, cooked medium rare with Café de Paris sauce and dauphinois potatoes with cumin. Thank you.

8. Bar Cañete

Despite appearing in nearly every guide to Barcelona tapas ever published, Bar Caete has earned its reputation as a neighbourhood hangout. You may be surrounded by visitors if you arrive early, but by Spanish dinner time (10 p.m.), the majority of your fellow diners will be speaking Catalan.

Tapas are the way to go here, and you should order as many as your stomach and budget will allow (all washed down with a local bottle from the extensive wine list).

9. Enoteca Paco Pérez

The bright white dining room exudes a sense of refinement. Everything is excellent, from the spotless white tablecloths to the wide table layout and the immaculate uniforms of the employees. Chef Paco Pérez is an El Bulli alumnus who broke away from the Adrià empire to gain six Michelin stars on his own.

His passion for “mar I muntanya” (Catalan meaning “surf ‘n’ turf”) is evident in several of his dishes, such as the sumptuous crayfish with wild mushrooms and figs; or the flawlessly balanced sea bass with wild mushrooms, mussels, and pork reduction.

10. The Green Spot

The Green Spot, which bills itself as “veggie for non-veggies,” does a good job of pleasing both vegetarians and carnivores—perfect if you’ve had one too many platters of fried croquettes and calamari while in town.

Hearty comfort meals, such as fried cauliflower with mint and tamarind sauce and four-cheese pizza with zucchini blossoms, are included alongside lighter, healthier choices, such as grilled vegetable salads. You’ll blend nicely in with the youthful, stylish, beach-bound population if you have a beard or a complete tattoo sleeve.

Few cities can match Barcelona in terms of cuisine. The Catalan city offers it everything, from traditional tapas pubs to neighbourhood natural wine bars and some of the world’s greatest gourmet dining.