For me, food is more than a necessity when you travel. It is a way to get to know the culture and to connect with the locals. I will list five of my favourite restaurants in Barcelona, with local food, tapas and local products. Keep in mind that is my personal opinion and that I am an experienced foodie!
My five favourite restaurants in Barcelona are entirely different, but they all serve local food and are places where the locals go.
Are you familiar with the Mediterranean diet? Yes, the one that the doctors recommend! It is mostly based on fish or seafood, fresh fruits and vegetable, olive oil and wine! This is the type of food we are going to talk about.
CIUDAD CONDAL
Great tapas, fast service, and budget-friendly! If you have trouble deciding on just one dish, then this is the place for you. The small portions are made to share, so you get to nibble on various dishes.The star of the place is Huevos Cabreados (thin cut french fries with two eggs and a little bit of spice, with a good stir). You can order any typical Spanish dish, from the famous Tortilla Española (eggs, boiled potatoes and caramelised onion) to one of the best prawns with garlic and olive oil (gambas al ajillo). Ohh, don’t forget to order their super fresh calamari or codfish with honey. Delicious!
Don’t leave the place without dessert. A must is the Crema Catalana – typical Catalan desert, or the chocolate with bread, salt and olive oil! If you are a chocolate lover, try the churros with hot chocolate!
As this tapas restaurant is so famous, they opened other branches, the same food, but with some different dishes: Vinitus, Cerveceria Catalana, Petit Germa Vinitus or La Flauta.
V I B L I O T E C A
La Viblioteca is my favourite Wine and Cheese restaurant (and you know we are famous for both), located in the neighbourhood of Gracia. It opens every day of the week only in the evenings, starting at 7 pm. It is ideal to call to reserve because it is a small, intimate place.
If you are not willing to pair your wine with cheese, no worries; they have an excellent variety of dishes, to share or to be selfish; delicious tuna and salmon tartare (always super fresh), beautiful carpaccios with artichokes or beef meat, and refreshing salads. Its still has me going back for more!
By far my favourite dessert is their homemade tiramisu, but I wouldn’t say no to the truffles with salt and olive oil, crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. YUMMY!
9 N I N E
9Nine is the place where local executives go for their lunch break. The restaurant usually serves a fixed menu, 17 Euros during the week and 29 Euros in weekends. Their food is always fresh and nicely cooked.
In Barcelona, almost every restaurant will have an executive menu during the week. You pay a fixed price for two courses (the starter and the main, choosing from a list of 3-4 each), a desert (I love their cheesecake), water, wine or beer and coffee included! All of the dishes have high quality and are traditional.
For lunch, they don’t take bookings, but if you arrive before 2 PM (yes, we are late eaters!) you won’t have a problem finding a table. If it is busy, you can wait for 15 minutes and will get a table.
TEORIC – Taverna Gastronomica
I was impressed firstly by the politics of the company, their vision, passion and dedication. They use excellent products, all of them of proximity provenience, and they do MAGIC! Beautiful Catalan dishes, prepared in a Michelin star style, I would dare to say!
The service is excellent! It feels like the Babel Tower when you hear the waiters speaking to the clients in different languages: Italian, English, French, Catalan or Spanish.
They adapt the menu to the availability of the products and the season, cooking typical Catalan dishes, with a twist!
If you are adventurous, let them choose the food for you. Tell them your allergies or intolerances, likes and dislikes, and you won’t be disappointed.
Book a table at least a few days in advance through their website.
M O M E N T S
It is a two Michelin star restaurant, run by the Chef Carme Ruscalleda (who collected a total of 7 Stars) and her son, Raul Balam. The Restaurant is located inside the Mandarin Hotel, on the famous street Paseo de Gracia.
They describe the cousine as neo-traditional, but I like to call it a feast for your senses. I loved the variety of wine they offer, and I am always choosing the wine pairing.
I cannot deny that this should be one particular experience! You should prepare for at least three hours of dining if you are going to try their excusite degustation menu.
SO, this is my actual list of favourites restaurants in Barcelona. Did I convince you that I am a foodie, yet?
If you get to try any of them, please let me know what you thought. Or, even better: what are your favourite restaurants in Barcelona?