19 Best Restaurants in Barcelona, Spain
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Barcelona's restaurant scene is an ongoing adventure. Between avant-garde culinary innovation and the more rustic dishes of traditional Catalan fare, there is a fleet of brilliant classical chefs producing some of Europe's finest Mediterranean cuisine.
Catalans are legendary lovers of fish, vegetables, rabbit, duck, lamb, game, and natural ingredients from the Pyrenees or the Mediterranean. The mar i muntanya (literally, "sea and mountain"—that is, surf and turf) is a standard. Combining salty and sweet tastes—a Moorish legacy—is another common theme.
The Mediterranean diet—based on olive oil, seafood, fibrous vegetables, onions, garlic, and red wine—is at home in Barcelona, embellished by Catalonia's four basic sauces: allioli (whipped garlic and olive oil), romesco (almonds, nyora peppers, hazelnuts, tomato, garlic, and olive oil), sofregit (fried onion, tomato, and garlic), and samfaina (a ratatouille-like vegetable mixture).
Typical entrées include faves a la catalana (a broad-bean stew), arròs caldós (a rice dish more typical of Catalonia than paella, often made with lobster), and espinacas a la catalana (spinach cooked with oil, garlic, pine nuts, raisins and cured ham). Toasted bread is often doused with olive oil and rubbed with squeezed tomato to make pa amb tomàquet—delicious on its own or as a side order.
Beware of the advice of hotel concierges and taxi drivers, who have been known to falsely warn that the place you are going is either closed or no good anymore, and to instead recommend places where they get kickbacks.
Aside from restaurants, Barcelona is brimming with bars and cafés, the latter of which can serve as an outdoor meeting spot or a place to socialize and enjoy a cocktail. Be advised that the sidewalk cafés along La Rambla are noisy, dusty, overpriced, and exposed to pickpockets.
Catalan wines from the nearby Penedès region, especially the local méthode champenoise (sparkling white wine, known in Catalonia as cava), pairs perfectly with regional cuisine. Meanwhile, winemakers from the Priorat, Montsant, Empordà, and Costers del Segre regions are producing some of Spain's most exciting new wines.
L' Atelier
This superb café, bakery, and pastry school has set a new standard for sweet treats in the city. The glazed cinnamon rolls are a standout, as is the to-die-for brioche filled with red berries and mascarpone, while the fresh croissant cone overflowing with soft-serve ice cream, praline, and salted caramel is a rare thing of great beauty. Stop in for breakfast or grab something to go.
Nabucco Tiramisu
Top-notch coffee, homemade pastries and cakes, and healthy fare like avocado toast make this organic café a particularly bustling spot at breakfast. For lunch or a casual dinner, there's a long list of panini sandwiches, as well as excellent quiches and Italian-inspired salads.
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Picnic
Between the buzzing indoor dining room, the breezy outdoor patio, and the strongest Bloody Mary game in town, there's a reason why Picnic has reigned supreme on the Barcelona brunch scene for more than a decade. House specials include the quinoa and potato hash browns, the fried green tomatoes with feta and fresh corn salsa, and, of course, the killer eggs Benedict. Accompany it with a ginger gin lemonade or one of the famous chipotle Bloody Marys and you won't go home disappointed.
Teresa Carles
Inspired by her Catalan roots, Teresa Carles Borrás has been creating inventive vegetarian fare for 40 years and counting but this namesake was her first restaurant. Both the space and the food are more sophisticated than the typical vegetarian restaurant.
Trópico
This lively brunch spot is a breath of fresh air in a neighborhood perhaps best described as "up and coming." The name "trópico" (or tropical) refers to both the bright decor and the menu that takes inspiration from the tastes of the tropics—from Colombian arepas to Brazilian chicken coxinhas, Thai dragon fruit smoothies, Peruvian ají, and Indian-style curries. Founders Leonardo Tristancho from Colombia and Rodrigo Marco from Brazil have created a space that reflects their love of vibrant, unapologetic flavors, blended with all the warmth of Latin hospitality.
Artisa
Started by two sisters, Marisol and Sofía, Artisa is a one-stop-shop for coffee, cakes, juices, and sandwiches, with a few outdoor and indoor tables. It's the perfect place for a light bite or a snack while sight-seeing.
Bar Bodega l'Electricitat
Don’t let the slightly dingy atmosphere dissuade you; this Barceloneta bar serves reliably good tapas and an excellent house vermouth, making it a local favorite since its founding in 1908. The best seats are out on the plaza-fronting terrace.
Bar Lobo
Despite its location just off La Rambla, Bar Lobo’s outdoor terrace overlooks a charming and usually quiet square, plus it's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu covers all the bases: coffee, juice, wine, cocktails, traditional Catalan and Spanish tapas, and Western mains.
Blanc
Blanc's menu couples traditional Catalan cuisine with fresh, seasonal products, and the three-course lunch menu, and the ever-changing, five-course "Sundays at Blanc" tasting menu are popular. The dining room is in an airy atrium at the heart of the Mandarin Oriental and feels lively most of the day, starting when the first hotel guests come in for the (excellent) breakfast.
Brunells
One of the oldest bakeries in the city, Brunells has occupied the same corner in El Born since 1852. Recently remodeled, it now sports a contemporary look worthy of a Wes Anderson movie, while its flakey butter croissants filled with everything from ham and cheese to salted caramel, regularly win awards as some of the best in the city.
Cafè de l'Òpera
Directly across from the Liceu opera house, this high-ceiling Art Nouveau café has welcomed operagoers and performers for more than 100 years. It's a central point on the Rambla tourist traffic pattern, so locals are increasingly hard to find, but the café has hung onto its atmosphere of faded glory nonetheless. This spot isn't suited to a long meal; it's best for catching a drink and taking in the scene. It's also a good after-dinner stop, open until 1 am.
Els Quatre Gats
"The Four Cats" was founded in 1897 by a quartet of Moderniste artists—the bohemians of their day—whose work still graces the walls, and the building, Casa Martí (1896), by Moderniste master Josep Puig i Cadafalch with sculptural detail by Eusebi Arnau, is a treat in itself. The restaurant in back offers a range of traditional Catalan dishes, but the cooking is uninspired and overpriced so stick to the front room café, where you can linger over a drink, order some of the simpler offerings like pa de coca (thin country flatbreads with tomato and olive oil), cheese, cured ham, or pebrots de Padrón (fried green peppers), and enjoy a bit of local cultural history.
La Fabrique
Delicious artisanal breads and pastries are baked fresh every day at this patisserie, with different breads available on different days. Their almond croissant is the best in town.
La Pastisseria
This stylish pastisseria looks more like a designer jewelry store than a bakery, with rows of world-class cakes and pastries gleam temptingly in glass cases, ready to be taken away or enjoyed in-store with coffee or a glass of cava. Owner Josep Rodríguez learned his craft in Michelin-starred kitchens before winning the 2011 world pastry chef of the year award for his rosa dels vents (rose of the winds) cake. Everything is made by hand with ingredients of the finest quality, but prices are reasonable, making extra helpings irresistible. There is a second branch at Via Augusta 166.
Laie
More than a bookstore, the café and restaurant here serves an all-day buffet until 9 pm. Readings, concerts, and book presentations round out an ample program of events. The child-friendly and Wi-Fi–equipped librería features a covered roof terrace that's perfect for munching a slice of cake while catching up on email.
Llamber
This dapper, friendly space attracts a crowd with its excellent wine list and the well-crafted tapas based on classic Catalan and Asturian recipes. Consider the black pudding with grilled squid and fabada (Asturian bean stew). Year-round late-night hours make it a handy option.
Satan's Coffee Corner
Since opening in 2012, Barcelona’s original specialty coffee bar has been serving high-quality roasts and small bites. Floor-to-ceiling windows create an indoor-outdoor feel, regardless of where you sit.
Woki Organic Market
Just off Plaça de Catalunya, this combination eco-market and restaurant serves organic ingredients prepared via healthy techniques and traditions. The beef is ecologically produced, the pastas are all made with ecologically pure flours, while the wines and vegetables are locally grown and carefully identified. There is also, unlike most Barcelona restaurants, a decent selection of delicious vegan and vegetarian options. The sustainability theme continues with the furniture and materials, all made of recycled items, adding to the lively, informal ambience redolent of London's indoor markets.