The pantry of Barcelona’s best restaurants

If there is one city where Catalonia’s recent food revolution can really be felt, it is Barcelona. Dynamic, exciting, cosmopolitan, mixed, cultural, modern… You can discover its nooks and crannies if you’re visiting for the first time, and rediscover them every time you come back. There are many people who stroll its streets in search of the food that has become so famous in the city and to meet the chefs who have put Catalan cuisine at the very top.

If you are one of those people, this list will come in handy:

The classics

• Via Veneto. Michelin-starred and one of Barcelona’s top names, with an impeccable history of over 50 years. Run by the Monje family. Sergio Humada in the kitchen.  Food with a clear French influence. Good products, good service and a good wine menu. Classical, elegant decor.
  Ganduxer, 10. Tel.:  932 007 244
• Ca l’Isidre. A Barcelonan classic. Run by the family from which it takes its name, the menu is inspired by traditional Catalan dishes with modern twists. Since opening in the 1970s, it has been host to artists, politicians, business people and even filmmakers such as Woody Allen. Impeccable, discreet service.  Les Flors, 12. Tel.: 934 411 139

Cutting-edge

• Enigma. The newest restaurant in the elBarri group, from the Iglesias and Adrià brothers, surprises diners with an avant-garde and spectacular meal. The successive tasting menu of fabulous creations becomes an experience, to which RCR Arquitectos’ galactic decor adds. Good cocktails and wines. Sepúlveda, 38-40. Tel. 616 69 63 22​​​​​​​
• Disfrutar. Building on their experience at Ferran Adrià’s elBulli, Eduard Xatruch, Oriol Castro and Mateu Casañas opened their own restaurant in Barcelona, where they offer three tasting menus that encourage diners to have fun and be thrilled. Informal decor. Open kitchen.  Villarroel, 163. Tel.: 933 486 896.​​​​​​​

All the rage

• Gresca. Chef Rafa Peña runs one of Barcelona’s most acclaimed restaurants, by public and critics alike. Product-based signature cuisine, an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere, few tables and an excellent wine menu. Lunch menu and wines by the glass.  Provença, 230. Tel.: 934 516 193.​​​​​​​
• Coure. Another little nook in Barcelona where you can enjoy the other cuisine. Albert Ventura offers up his own personal recipes based on Catalan cuisine, at a very competitive price. Tasting and group menus on request. Passatge Marimon, 20. Tel.: 932 007 532​​​​​​​
• Moments. Raül Balam and Carme Ruscalleda are behind the two Michelin stars at the plush Hotel Mandarin Oriental located on Passeig de Gràcia, one of Barcelona’s most emblematic shopping streets. Tasting menu that is scripted, creative and original and changes every season. Elegant, modern decor. Passeig de Gràcia, 38-40. Tel.: 931 518 781.
• ABaC. One of the three Michelin-starred restaurants in town is in the deluxe ABaC Restaurant & Hotel, in Barcelona’s uptown.  Haute cuisine led by chef Jordi Cruz. A tranquil, neutral and elegant atmosphere with a sophisticated touch. Diners can also take a tour of the kitchen to see the chef in action. Avda. Tibidabo, 1. Tel.: 933 196 600​​​​​​​
• Dos Cielos. Occupying the top floor of Hotel Meliá Sky Barcelona and run by brothers Sergio and Javier Torres. Recently awarded its second Michelin star. Open kitchen and a menu defined as “experimental haute cuisine”. Elegant atmosphere, with views and natural light. Pere IV, 286. Tel.: 933 672 070​​​​​​​
• Gaig. A Barcelonan classic with a Michelin star but a menu that offers a modern take on Catalan dishes. Their canelons are not to be missed. Honest cuisine in a modern, tranquil setting. Còrsega, 200. Tel.: 934 532 020.​​​​​​​
• Roca Moo. Restaurant overseen by Joan Roca inside Hotel Om. An easy-going way of savouring the creativity of the chef from Celler de Can Roca, who has gone for upmarket sandwiches and informal dishes here. Central, elegant, urban. One Michelin star. Rosselló, 265. Tel.: 934 45 40 15​​​​​​​

Vegetarian

• Raso Terra. Cosy, Nordic-style bistro in Barcelona’s Gothic quarter, where the ethos is slow food and local produce. Delicious, flavoursome juices, smoothies and dishes made with top-quality seasonal ingredients. Palau, 5. Tel.: 93 318 69 26
• Green Spot. An imaginative menu with several international influences and cool interior design in keeping with what is on the menu: dishes that vary according to what’s in season. Open kitchen and views from the street. De la Reina Cristina, 12. Tel.: 938 02 55 65

Tapas

• Tapas 24. A tribute to tradition, local produce, home-made dishes and a unique way of eating that has gone beyond our borders. There are three Tapas 24 restaurants in the city, all owned by chef Carles Abellán. Diputació, 269. Tel.: 934 88 09 77​​​​​​​
• Casa de Tapas – Cañota. An extraordinary assortment of typical and traditional tapas with a friendly, bustling and lively atmosphere. Every so often top chefs donate a tapas recipe to the owners, Grup Iglesias, the proceeds of which go to charity. Lleida, 7. Tel.: 933 25 91 7
• Tickets. A playful, fun and carefree space that seeks to recreate a theatrical atmosphere, devised by Albert Adrià and elBarri. Its formula is based on the format of the creative trompe l’oeil tapa. Avda. Paral·lel, 164. Book online.​​​​​​​

Around the world

• Pakta. Factoria Adrià. Based on Nikkei cuisine (Japanese and Peruvian). A Michelin star in a colourful setting. Lleida, 5. Tel.: 936 240 177.
• Hoja Santa. From the Factoria Adrià with a Michelin star. Here the menu is devised around the Central American country of Mexico. A carefree and colourful atmosphere. Avda. Mistral, 54. Tel.: 933 482 194.
• Yakumanka. Owned by the renowned Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio. The aim is to bring authentic Peruvian cuisine to the western palate without adaptations. It also seeks to recreate the atmosphere of a typical restaurant in Peru. Full of flavour and surprises.  València, 207. Tel.: 935 66 15 48
• Koy Shunka. A Japanese with a Michelin star run by Hideki Matsushisa. It offers a tasting menu and is regarded to be the best in Barcelona in its category. D’en Copons, 7. Tel. 934 12 79 39.

Unique

• Dos Pebrots. Chef Albert Raurich dives into the history of gastronomy in this establishment, bringing to life recipes from another century with a personal stamp. Historic Mediterranean cuisine. Dr. Dou, 19. Tel. 938 539 598​​​​​​​

Seafood

• Rías de Galicia. Regarded as the best Galician seafood in Barcelona, it is owned by Grup Iglesias which has various restaurants in Barcelona and Madrid, and is a partner of the Adrià brothers in several others, including Hoja Santa, Enigma and Tickets. Good products, good service and a good wine menu. Lleida, 7. Tel.: 934 248 152​​​​​​​

Hotels

• Hotel Majestic. A five star that dates back over a hundred years and was the first to open in Barcelona in 1918. It is still in the hands of the founding family, who have refurbished and renovated it to keep it up to date. Chef Nandu Jubany is responsible for the food. Passeig de Gràcia, 68-70. Tel.: 934 88 17 17​​​​​​​
• Hotel España. A little gem of Catalan modernist architecture located in Barcelona’s old town near the Liceu opera house and Las Ramblas, and offering all mod cons. Germán Espinosa and Martín Berasategui are the two chefs behind the ‘Tribute to Modernism’ menu in the hotel restaurant. Sant Pau, 9-11. Tel.: 935 50 00 00​​​​​​​
• The One Barcelona. One of Barcelona’s newest five-star hotels. The spacious floors are built around a central glazed courtyard, filling the hotel with natural light. There is a restaurant and cocktail bar on the ground floor and roof terraces with panoramic views. Provença, 277. Tel.: 932 14 20 70​​​​​​​