Any recommendations for where to eat paella in Barcelona? There are a couple of older strings, but restaurants change ...

Sorry, can't give a recommendation for a good place. We went to Set Portes and had a very disappointing experience. Rude service and the paella was just acceptable, nothing to write home about.

The paella we had on the Costa Brava north of Barcelona was not made with rice, but rather with thin, brown pasta. We were told it was a regional preparation and didn't care for it. Don't know if holds true in BCN too.
We had exceptional paella in Sevilla.

Paella is not local to Barcelona, so it's not the best thing to look to eat there.

For atmosphere, head to Barceloneta and Can Majo or Cava Mar. We liked the latter and when you are outside on a warm night near the Mediterranean sipping cava for a while, finding the best food becomes less important!

A friend took me to Set Portes because she wanted paella ( not my favorite) The place seemed like a tourist trap, the service was o.k. , I did not care for the food.
Give me tapas or Catalan dishes any time .!

We tend to simplify and paella and flamenco are, inevitably, associated with (y)our idea of Spain. It´s true that you may have a dish rice (not a paella) in many parts of Spain, but it´s origin is Valencia and its region, where you find some of the best and the original ones. I wouldn´t have a paella in Barcelona, but would try instead one of the "arroces" (rices) that they make so well in many restaurants (for instance, arroz con bogavante).

Aw, just when I thought I'd done my homework! I have no idea where I came up with the idea that we should eat paella in Barcelona. I'm definitely good to go with the tapas and cava ... and will try to find hearty Catalan lunch places.

As always, thanks for steering me in the right direction.

hi just,

we went to Barcelona in September and ate tapas all the time, apart from the last night, when my feet were so sore and tired, i could only limp from our hotel [the Fira palace] to the restaurant opposite [can't remember the name]. they had a lot of regional [Gallician i think] specialities, but DH wanted paella, which was only for two, so that's what we had.

it was really good. I'd love to go there again and try some of the other lovely things they had on the menu. not touristy at all - we were the only ones I think.

If it was galician.. almost anything would be good there!

The best Paella I ever had was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. El Farol and it's not bad at La Boca.

I've also had it in Spain and Portugal: The Algarve and Sevilla. But the best was El Farol, in Santa Fe... sorry.

I've been to Barcelona a few times and can't remember eating. Walking and walking and walking , yes, I remember. I have found some excellent tapas bars there somewhere behind the University. Fun area.

lin - I was really sorry that we only discovered that restaurant on our last day. I'd definitely go there again if I was in Barcelona, even if we weren't staying nearby.

I've had some awful paella in the Barceloneta neighborhood. There are some really awful rip off tourist places. I was told by locals that Can Majo is great so if they have paella it's probably good. I would also take the poster's advice about Cava Mar. The best paella I've had was in Tarragona, an hr. south of Barcelona. If you go there let me know, I have the name written down.

Lincasanova: Is "Galician" an actual restaurant, or simply a term for "Northern Spanish?"

Egbert: We'll have a car, so a recommendation in Tarragona would be great, thanks.

LLT: Sipping cava at Can Majo and Cava Mar sounds about perfect.

I guess I'm officially "at that age" where what I eat and where I sleep are major considerations!

We had an outstanding rice/seafood dish (that's what they called it - we would call it Paella) at Kaiku in Barceloneta - pic here

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/p...7/dsc00881.jpg

They smoked the rice first - delicious, as were all our other dishes at Kaiku - scallops to start and tuna tartar. Reservations are essential.

pics of the other dishes here

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/l...ona---a-s.html

Kaiku info

http://maps.google.ca/maps/place?oe=...51565171775917

I notice the picture posted by Elizabeth is a squid ink paella. On a trip about 8 years ago we went to the restaurant mentioned earlier Set Portes and were not impressed. On a return trip we met a friend and she wanted to take us again to Set Portes as her father, a successful businessman, often went there with clients. To be polite, we went again altho we were wishing to go somewhere else. Well this time we let her order and she ordered the squid ink paella which we would NEVER have tried on our own. It was delicious! So if you end up wanting to try paella, consider the paella negra whcih ever restaurant you eat at.

Sorry to disagree with some of the other posters, but Set Portes for paella is one of my must-do stops every time I'm in Barca. I particularly like it on a Sunday afternoon, when it is filled with families instead of business lunches. The "rich man" seafood paella is the best because the seafood has already been shelled. I've never had overtly rude service there, but the waiters are professionals who take their job very seriously and are not prone to chitchat, so they might seem a bit stand-offish. That said, my favorite meal in in Barca is still chipirones, caracoles and cava at Los Caracoles in the barrio -- it is my first stop every time.

The Spaniards please correct me, if I am wrong.

It is rare that a Spaniard eats paella in a restaurant. It used to be a family affair where, if it us at all possible, it was cooked outdoors.

Has this changed with the younger generation?

The same is true for sangria. When we first visited Spain, I never saw a Spaniard drink sangria. In fact the fruit was added to disguise bad wine. Now I see some of the younger kids drinking it.

Galician means for "Galicia" the northern region famous for good food ( but actually all regions in spain have a reputation of one sort or another).

Black paella.. I would prefer to call "Black RICE" (Arroz negro)... is yummy. Especially with alioli.. garlic mayonaisse. YUM!

Paella in restaurants... many families do not make it at home, thus when they have the urge, they have it at a restaurant.

But it is still a very common Sunday get-together dish, either made by one of the family's experts or, in my case, bought at our wood-fired take away paella "garage" outposta mile from our house! Couldn't be easier.

Gosh I am getting hungry just thinking about that black rice.

We rarely drink sangria in a restaurant, as they are of poor quality. We prefer to make it ourselves at home or at outdoor parties (almost never at home). Same thing with paella, it´s commonly served on a restaurant´s daily menu, but it´s not a proper "paella" (by the way, paella is the name of the pan...), and we love to make them on a family excursion.