144 Best Restaurants in Barcelona, Spain

Since the early 1970s, Ca l'Isidre has elevated simplicity to the level of the spectacular, with traditional Catalan dishes prepared to an extraordinarily high standard (and at a rather high price tag by Barcelona standards). Ignore the menu—just follow the recommendations and order whatever's in season. The restaurant is decorated with original works by a slew of luminaries, including Miró and Dalí, both former patrons. Spain's King Juan Carlos celebrated his wedding anniversary here, and regular guests include politicians and visiting Hollywood celebrities.

With wicker chairs, stone walls, and classical music, this place is sophisticated-rustic in style. Contemporary Mediterranean cuisine specialties such as roast vegetable "timbale" with black sausage and Parmesan or eggplant terrine with goat cheese, make it more than just a café. Politicians and functionaries from the nearby Generalitat frequent this dining room, which is always boiling with life. Call ahead to reserve a table indoors or on the busy terrace.

Slightly hidden in the exclusive yachting marina behind the W hotel, this restaurant only attracts those in-the-know, which might explain why it's largely devoid of tourists. The menu includes healthy starters like salmon tartare and ceviche, and there's a nice selection of seafood-, vegetable- and meat-based paellas.

Founded in 1931, this rustic corner restaurant is a local favorite for the array of classic tapas and mains, along with Catalan “pizza”—flatbread topped with traditional ingredients such as caramelized onion and butifarra (garlicky pork sausage) or sobrasada (soft, cured pork sausage) with brie and honey. There’s a small but decent wine list featuring several ecological wines.

Can Majó doesn't consistently reach the standards that once made it famous, but the food is still a notch above most of the touristy haunts nearby. Specialties include caldero de bogavante (a cross between paella and lobster bouillabaisse) and suquet (fish stewed in its own juices), and the terrace overlooking Barceloneta beach is a pleasantly upscale alternative to the surrounding beach bars.

With no sea views or terrace to attract diners, Can Solé has to rely on its reputation as one of Barceloneta’s best options for seafood. Faded photos of half-forgotten local celebrities line the walls of this more-than-120-year-old establishment, but there's nothing out-of-date about the exquisitely fresh seafood.

Carpe Diem Lounge Club is a combination restaurant, chill crash pad, and nightclub, with spectacular views over the beach and a continuously open kitchen from 1 pm until 1 am every day of the year. The cuisine is a hit-and-miss jumble of Asian fusion, with everything from sushi to Kobe beef from Japan to fiery Indian curry. Expect a loud, lively atmosphere and a hefty bill.

A gem among a crop of modern restaurants putting the razzle back into the run-down Raval, Cera 23 offers a winning combination of great service and robust cooking in a fun, friendly setting; stand at the bar and enjoy a blackberry mojito while you wait for your table. The focus of the dining area is the open kitchen, so guests can watch the cooks create contemporary presentations of traditional Spanish dishes. Try the volcano of black rice, with seafood "rocks" and saffron-flavored "lava," and the slow-cooked pork ribs with honey and soy sauce. The reasonably priced restaurant is popular and usually packed until quite late, but the surrounding area can be intimidating at night; get a taxi to the end of the street.

A bright and booming tapas bar with a few tables outside, this spot is always packed for a reason: good food at reasonable prices. Try the montadito de solomillo y foie, mini-morsels of foie gras-topped tenderloin that will take the edge off your carnivorous appetite without undue damage to your wallet, or the garlicky shrimp.

Obsessively local, scrupulously sourced, and masterfully cooked, the dishes of Catalan-Canadian chef Jordi Artal put the spotlight on the region's finest ingredients in an intimate, sophisticated setting. It's hard to believe that this garlanded restaurant is Jordi's first, but there's no arguing with the evidence of your cinc sentits (five senses). There's no à la carte option, only a tasting menu priced at €159 and €189. For your money, you will be taken on a fun run-through of reinterpretations of traditional Catalan dishes using cutting-edge techniques, matched with wines exclusive to the restaurant.

At the bottom of Rambla de Catalunya, this scaled-up tapas bar draws a throng of mostly international clients and has tables outside on this busy part-pedestrianized street all year- round. The solomillo (miniature beef fillet) is a winner here, as is the broqueta d'escamarlans (brochette of jumbo shrimp). You'll find similar dishes for less elsewhere, but the combination of location and reliable quality here means that the lines for seats are invariably long.

Famous among local foodies for being a great restaurant in an area devoid of culinary hype, Contracorrent fulfills its “against the tide” name by conjuring up imaginative dishes (such as potato foam with truffle and egg, or steamed mussels with tapioca) alongside only natural, small-batch wines. Highly recommended if you're near Arc di Triomf or the Estació del Nord bus station, and your stomach is getting vocal.

Brunch spots may be ten a penny these days but few can compete with the superb, French-owned Cremat 11, almost hidden down this tiny street behind the Picasso Museum. The dining room is small but cozy, and there is also a shady outdoor patio on what is arguably one of the prettiest squares in the city. The menu is short and to the point: featuring all the brunch staples like pancakes, eggs Benedict, and burgers, although the real show stoppers here are the steak and eggs (served succulent and medium rare) and the mouthwatering foie-gras sausage and fries, not to mention the killer cocktails. 

Elevated sharing plates made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients are the bottom line at this trendy Eixample eatery. The menu features unlikely combos: artichoke salad with Parmesan cream and bottarga, or glazed mackerel with pumpkin—blends that shouldn't work, but yet they really do—along with nods to the most classic of Catalan "grandma" dishes, like the decadently meaty macaroni covered in cheese. The intimate dining room is chic but unfussy, works by local artists adorn the walls, and the small outdoor terrace has four tables for four for diners who prefer to eat alfresco.

Don’t let the cheeky caricature art on the shutters fool you: food is taken very seriously here; ditto the vinous goodness it’s washed down with. The lovably unstuffy atmosphere is typical of its Carrer de Blai location, but the plates—seasonal, adventurous, and served all day—are a cut above the conveyor-belt tapas that the street is famous for.  

Local gourmands pilgrimage to this tiny, unassuming-looking bar on the edge of the famous Boquería market, where Catalan chef Arnau Muñío flexes his culinary chops in full view of the diners at his chef's-table-style counter. There are two tasting menus, one long, one short, both of which showcase Muñío's unique approach to Catalan-Asian fusion food. Think miso scallops with pickled mushrooms and shrimp in green tea kombucha. Capacity is extremely limited and reservations (well in advance) are essential. 

After 10 years as the chief cook and favored disciple of pioneering chef Ferran Adrià, Albert Raurich opened this outstanding Asian-fusion restaurant that focuses on an eclectic assortment of tastes and textures. There are several tasting menus to choose from; an à la carte menu is available at the bar. 

Albert Raurich of the upscale Dos Palillos restaurant, transformed his favorite neighborhood haunt, Bar Raval, into a cutting-edge tapas bar that explores the history of Mediterranean cuisine. The gleaming makeover hasn't robbed the space of its old-town feel, though, thanks to little touches like the restored original facade and vintage cutlery.

What's not to love about this French-owned oyster, wine and tapas bar with a sunny outdoor terrace hidden in a dreary-looking square on the edge of El Born? In fact, El Casal is so well secreted that most locals don't even know it's here---but once they discover it, they're sure to come back for more. The style of cooking is best described as Normandie-inspired Mediterranean, with star dishes including patatas bravas topped with ragù, a particularly delicious take on pork rillettes served with Dijon mustard, and the fresh oysters, of course.

Painting and photographic exhibits line the walls of this large and lively Born restaurant, and the menu is dominated by meat cooked over coals, pizzas, and salads. Flamenco and jazz performances downstairs are a good post-dinner diversion.

Part of Poblenou’s Sala Beckett cultural center, this restaurant’s vast, high-ceilinged dining room fills up with locals at lunchtime, thanks to its excellent, well-priced "menu del día" of classic Catalan dishes. Reserve a table for the popular Sunday-afternoon vermouth hour, featuring live jazz between noon and 1 pm.

Hidden away at the end of a narrow unmarked passageway off the Pla del Palau, near the Santa Maria del Mar church, this restaurant is a favorite with well-heeled and well-fed gourmands who tuck in their napkins before devouring some of the city's best traditional seafood dishes. Don't bother asking for a menu—there isn't one (although you can prebook a set menu in advance online if you prefer), rather, you can either place yourself completely in the hands of the team, or tell your server what your budget is (starting from around €60 per person, but the sky's the limit). This is the upscale version of nearby Cal Pep, so if your budget doesn't stretch as far as the Passadís---head over to the more affordable sister restaurant instead.

One of the city’s oldest restaurants (dating back to 1908), this homey spot that's popular for lunch serves unfussy Catalan cuisine in a lovely rustic dining room, complete with original multicolored-glass windows looking out on the tranquil Plaça del Sortidor. The paellas and arroz negro (black rice with squid) are particularly good.

Just down the street from the Museu Picasso, dangling botas (leather wineskins) announce one of Barcelona's liveliest and most visually appealing taverns, with marble-top tables and walls decorated with colorful ceramic tiles, some of which may look like they've been here since the joint opened in 1929. Prepare to wait in line outside as it's invariably packed to the rafters with a rollicking mob of local and out-of-town celebrants.

"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.

An embat is a puff of wind in Catalan, and this little bistro is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stuffy right side of Eixample. The relatively affordable market cuisine is always impeccably fresh and freshly conceived, from the accessibly priced three-course lunch selection to the more elaborate evening menu. Star dishes include duck cannelloni with truffle béchamel. The dining room is minimally decorated in white and pine to reflect the modern but unfussy fare.

With pan-Mediterranean cuisine and reasonable prices, this attractive bistro 100 yards west of the Rambla is perennially popular. The inexpensive lunch menu attracts in-the-know locals, and à la carte choices like scallops with pea foam are tempting and economical. Traditional marble tabletops, graceful lighting, and one country kitchen table for six or eight diners in the dining room add to the appeal.

By concentrating on sophisticated execution rather than groundbreaking creativity, the family-run Etapes provides a reliably satisfying dining experience that suits a wide range of palates. Take a seat on the pleasant terrace or in the narrow, cave-like interior and enjoy elegant interpretations of classic Catalan dishes. These include an Asian-inspired take on a local favorite: roast suckling pig with hoisin sauce & daikon, mango and Mexican-style salad, and a range of rustic desserts cooked at home by the co-owners' grandmother. The set lunch is a true bargain.

One of the better grazing destinations in El Born (it's part of the Sagardi group of Basque restaurants) the bar here is topped with a colorful array of tapas and pintxos (bite-size snacks typical of the Basque country, served on a toothpick). The restaurant section (which also houses an art gallery) is usually completely booked, but it's more fun to sip and nibble in the bar anyway.

Sleek Scandinavian interiors and striking water-edge views over Port Vell make this contemporary seafood restaurant a hit for special occasions or romantic meals, despite its somewhat surprising location near the Maremagnum shopping mall. Cold bar options, such as oysters and sushi, precede pasta, rice dishes, and mains that favor fish fans and carnivorous types.