Barcelona Restaurants and Catalan Food

Barcelona Restaurants - Catalan Cuisine

Selection of Restaurants

Looking for a good value "menu del día"? Or splashing out on an intimate dinner? Whatever you want, find out where, when and how: recommendations, reservations, translated menus, the Eating Survival Guide. It's all here on the Restaurants Page.

Catalan Cuisine

A selection of our Catalan colleague's favourites.

Eating survival guide

How to cope with lunch at 3:00pm and dinner after 10:00pm.

A-Z "of eating"

Fancy trying "pies de cerdo" (pig's trotters) or are your tastes less exotic? Our A-Z guide lists popular dishes in Spanish and Catalan with their English translation.

Selection of Barcelona restaurants

El Cafetí
Tipo de cocina: catalana, arroces. Excelentes arroces y decoración kitsch con muebles antiguos en el corazón del Raval. Local con personalidad propia. Tipo de cocina: Catalana. Arroces. Ayuda para encontrarlo: Cerca de La Rambla a la altura del Liceu. Metro: Liceu (L3).
933292419  www.elcafeti.com Sant Rafael 18 Ciutat Vella - El Raval 30 Euros (precio medio por persona) 12 Euros (menú mediodía, días laborables)
Los Caracoles (Casa Bofarull)
Tipo de cocina: Catalana. Lugar con historia y personalidad. Ambiente muy especial. Las paredes están cubiertas de fotografías de famosos dedicadas. Excelente sangría. Cocina de calidad y buen servicio. Por la noche canta la tuna (canciones populares españolas). En la entrada del restaurante se encuentra un grill en el que se asan pollos. Dispone de una barra para tomar algo mientras se espera mesa. Ayuda para encontrarlo: Cerca de la Plaça Reial y La Rambla. Metro: Drassanes (L3).
933012041  www.loscaracoles.es Escudellers, 14 Ciutat Vella - Barri Gòtic 40 Euros (precio medio por persona) -- Euros (menú mediodía, días laborables)
Sagardi
Tipo de cocina: vasca Bar de tapas vascas y restaurante en pleno barrio viejo. Buenas tapas, buena comida y buena sidra. Tómese un txakolí (vino blanco vasco) y uno o más pinchos, no se arrepentirá. Ayuda para encontrarlo: Cerca de Via Laietana y de la iglesia de Santa María del Mar. Metro: Jaume I (L4).
933199993 / 902 520 522  www.sagardi.com Argenteria, 62 Ciutat Vella - Born 40 Euros (precio medio por persona) -- Euros (menú mediodía, días laborables)
Torre d'Altamar
Tipo de cocina: cocina marinera, mediterránea. Exclusivo restaurante situado en la torre de San Sebastián del teleférico, a 75 metros de altura sobre el mar, con vistas panorámicas sobre el mar y Barcelona.
+34 932210007  www.torredealtamar.com Passeig Joan de Borbó, 88 Ciutat Vella - Barceloneta 95 Euros (precio medio por persona) 70 Euros (menú mediodía, días laborables)
Restaurante El Consulado s.c.p.
Tipo de cocina: Mediterránea de mercado. Menú mediodía. Menú para grupos 20?. Excelentes ensaladas, crepes, pizzas y carnes. No se pierdan nuestros postres caseros. Todo ello en un ambiente familiar y la mejor relación precio-calidad. Situado entre Las Ramblas y el Paralelo, y junto al metro Paral.lel.
934419828  www.restauranteelconsulado.es Nou de la rambla,95 El Raval 15 Euros (precio medio por persona) 10 Euros (menú mediodía, días laborables)

Catalan Cuisine

The variety and originality of Catalan cuisine will be a pleasant surprise to most visitors. I am Catalan and although not a great exponent of the culinary arts, I do love to EAT! In the past I have been suprised by the reaction of foreign friends to dishes which I thought were universal, such as "pan con tomate", which is the way we serve bread here, rubbed with tomato, rather than spread with butter as elsewhere.

Here are some of the main items which characterise Catalan Cuisine: 

	Anchoas de L'Escala		I remember the suprise of a French friend seeing us eat a big sandwich of these anchovies in Cadaqués, in place of the coffee and croissant which she was expecting.
	Arros negre (arroz negro)		The most famous dish of the Costa Brava, which combines rice, squid, fish, onions, tomatoes, olive oil and the ink from the squid.
	El allioli		Garlic and oil paste to accompany grilled meat.
	La cava		A sparkling wine made in the same way as French champagne, produced in the Penedés region close to Barcelona. It is the traditional accompaniment to the special cocas (cakes) eaten on the night of San Juan. But you don't need to wait 'till then try try a glass of cava!
	El chocolate suizo		Super-thick chocolate with cream. It is served in a cup but you'll need a spoon! The specialty of the Carrer Peritxol and the "Granjas Catalanas", milk-bars of Barcelona.
	Fideua		A type of paella made with noodles, it originates from Gandia near Valencia.
	La butifarra		Grilled sausages served with white beans.
	La coca		A cake made with dried fruit or pine nuts, there are many varieties available all year. Perfect for lunch, afternoon tea and for special festivals.
	La crema catalana		Served in an earthenware dish with caramelised sugar on top, like a creme brulée. The British go mad for this Catalan custard.
	La ensaimada		A pastry for breakfast or afternoon tea. The specialty of Mallorca, don't leave the island without one.
	La escalibada		Made from roasted peppers, aubergines, onions and tomato. The best is my mother's which she makes in winter in the fireplace of the family house at Moià.
	La escudella		Thick soup with meat, ideal at Christmas.
	Las espinacas a la catalana		Spinach cooked with pine nuts and sultanas.
	Las habas a la catalana		Beans cooked with black-pudding (blood sausage), the specialty of my French friend Muriel.
	Los bunuelos		Profiteroles which seem to be full of air but beware...
	Los canelones		Home-made canneloni, the best are from guest-houses in villages.
	Los embutidos		Charcuterie, especially fuet, butifarra blanca, butifarra catalana and el bull (a type of sausage which my Scottish friend saw in the fridge and mistook for a haggis).
	Los rovellons		(Autumn), grilled mushrooms with chopped garlic and parsley. The best are those we gather near my friend Isabel's farm-house at Lluçà.
	Mel i mato		Young fresh cheese (the best is from Montserrat) with honey. One of my favourite desserts.
	Pa de pages		Round loaf of bread cooked in a wood-fired oven, ideal for making pan con tomate.
	Postre de músico		A selection of nuts (normally served with a glass of sweet muscatel). Why "music", well the musicians in the band never had enough time in their meal break to have dessert, so they would put a handful of nuts in their pocket to eat while they were playing.
	Sopa de galets		El caldo, consommé from la escudella (see above) with huge pasta shells.

If Barcelona is to be your first experience of Spain, there are some dishes which are part of the national culture. Don't forget to sample these:

	El jamon curado		Cured ham, called pernil in Catalan. A plate of finely sliced ham is an experience which can become addictive, as happened to my Scottish friend.
	Las tapas		A slice of bread topped by something delicious, a small portion on a plate to accompany a glass of wine or a beer, or simply a portion of olives. Something for every taste.
	La tortilla de patatas		Spanish potato omelette is the national dish par excellence. At dinner time the patios echo to the sound of eggs being beaten in the kitchens.
	La paella		Best made with rice from the delta of the Ebro. It can be made with fish, meat, or both. The degree of "bite" in the rice is the most important thing.

and always with olive oil, the pride of the nation. ¡Que aproveche! Bon profit! Bon appetit!

Eating survival guide

Be prepared!! In Barcelona your concept of time will change. Midday is at 2:00pm, and the afternoon starts at 5:00pm - after lunch! If you're coming from the UK for a long weekend, for once the time difference works to your advantage. A 6:00pm flight from London Heathrow arriving at 9:15pm will get you into the city at 10:00pm, just as the restaurants are filling up for the first sitting! Turn up any earlier and they'll tell you to come back later when they've opened.

It's 3:15am on a Friday or Saturday night and the streets around the Plaça Real are packed with people. The bars have just closed and the highthawks are moving on to a club or disco. For the more laid-back, just take a stroll along the Ramblas where the kiosks stay open all night!

The Spanish word for afternoon, tarde, also means late... everything is late. My theory? The time shift is essential to accommodate the unique culture of social eating and drinking. Here's how the Barcelonese do it:

	8:00am		Coffee and a croissant in a bar on the way to work. You'll see special offers of "cafe y croissant".
	11:00am		Second breakfast of a coffee or small beer, with a sandwich of jamon (dry cured ham), chorizo (spicy, sliced sausage) or a slice of tortilla española (omelette with potatoes), with pan con tomate (slice of bread rubbed with ripe tomato).
	2:00pm		Lunch is the bargain meal of the day. Even the most expensive restaurants offer excellent value "menus del dia" - menus of the day. A good and varied choice of starter (primer plato), main course (secundo plato) followed by coffee or a desert, and including a half bottle of wine.
			Siesta. An afternoon snooze back at the hotel is essential if you are to survive the night ahead. Many shops and businesses close from 2-5pm which makes the siesta possible.
	any time		A small beer or glass of wine with tapas (snacks served on bread or cocktail sticks), or spectacular pinchos (Basque style tapas) in one of the Basque bars.
	10:00pm		Dinner! With a few exceptions 10:00pm really is the time to eat. This is a substantial meal of hearty portions, meat and a wide variety of fish and shellfish cooked simply.
	12:00pm		The bars are starting to buzz. ... and tomorrow the cycle starts over again.

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Page information used with permission by NICESTAY

A - Z "of eating" / Unser A-Z-Führer	Top

Catalán/Katalan	Español/Spanish/Spanische	English	Deutsch
a la brasa	a la brasa	charcoal-grilled / broiled	vom Rost
a la graella	a la parrilla	grilled	gegrillt
a la plantxa	a la plancha	fried	gebraten
a la romana	a la romana	batter dipped & fried	in Bierteig frittiert
al'ast	al ast	spit roasted	am Spiess gebraten
ailloli	ajoaceite	garlic paste	Sosse mit Knoblauch und öl
al forn	al horno	baked or roasted	im Ofen gebacken
al gust	al ast	to taste	Je nach Geschmack
al rom	al ron	with rum	mit Rum
albercocs	albaricoques	apricots	Arikosen
albergínies	berenjenas	aubergine / egg plant	Auberginen
all	ajo	garlic	Knoblauch
alls tendres	ajos tiernos	shoots of young garlic	junge Knoblauchtriebe
alvocat	aguacate	avocado	Avokado
amanida	ensalada	salad	Salat
amb nata	con nata	with cream	mit Sahne
amb pisto	con pisto	with ratatouille	Ratatouille
amb tòfones	con trufas	with truffles	Mit Trueffeln
ametlles	almendras	almonds	Mandeln
ànec	pato	duck	Ente
anguiles	anguilas	eels	Aale
angules	angulas	elvers (baby eels)	junge Aale
anques de granota	ancas de rana	frogs legs	Froschschenckel
anxoves	anchoas	anchovies	Sardellen
arrebossat	rebozado	batter dipped & fried	in Bierteig frittiert
arròs	arroz	rice	Reis
arròs amb llet	arroz con leche	rice pudding	Milchreis
assortiment	surtido	assorted	Gemischt
assortit	surtido	assorted	Gemischt
bacallà	bacalao	salt cod	Kabeljau
barrejada	barrejada	meat stew	Fleischeintopf
batut de fruites	batido de frutas	fruit milk-shake	Früchtemilchshake
be (xai, corder)	cordero	lamb	Lamm
becada	becada	woodcock	Schnepfe
bescuit	bizcocho	biscuit	Biskuit
bistec	bistec	steak	Steak
botifarra	butifarra	pork sausage	Bratwurst
botifarra negra	butifarra negra	blood sausage	Bratwurst
bou	buey	beef	Rind
brochette	pincho	kebab / brochette	Fleischspiess
brou	caldo	consommé	Klare Fleischbrühe
bullabesa	bullabesa	bouillabaisse	Fischsuppe
bunyols	buñuelos	fried batter balls	Span. Ölgebäck
cabrit	cabrito	kid goat	Zicklein
calamars	calamares	squid	Tintenfisch
calamarsets	chipirones	small squid	Tintenfisch
calamarsets amb la tinta	chipirones en su tinta	small squid in ink	Tintenfisch in seiner Sosse
calçots	calçots	roasted long spring onions	gegrillte junge Zwiebelsprossen
calent	caliente	hot	heiss
cama de	pierna de	leg of	Fuss von
canelons	canelones	cannelloni	Canneloni
cap	cabeza	head	Kopf
cap-i-pota	cap-i-pota	head and foot	Kopf und Fuss
carbassó	calabacín	courgette / zucchini	Zucchini
cargols	caracoles	snails	Schnecken
carn freda	fiambres	cold meats	Wurstaufschnitt
carxofes	alcachofas	artichokes	Artischocken
ceba	cebolla	onion	Zwiebel
cervellets	sesos	brains	Hirn
cigaló	carajillo	coffee with liquor	Kaffee mit Likör
cigrons	garbanzos	chick-peas	Kichererbs
cireres	cerezas	cherries	Kirschen
cloïsses	almejas	clams	Muscheln
còctel	cóctel	cocktail	Cocktail
col	col	cabbage	Kohl
col-i-flor	coliflor	cauliflower	Blumenkohl
colomí	pichón	young pigeon	Junge Taube
cols de Brusel.les	coles de bruselas	brussel sprouts	Rosenkohl
congre	congrio	conger eel	Meeraal
conill	conejo	rabbit	Kaninchen
costelles de xai	costillas	small lamb chops	Lammkotlett
cranc	cangrejo	crab	Flusskrebs
cranc (cabra de mar)	centollo	spider crab	Seespinne
créixens	berros	watercress	Kresse
crema catalana	crema catalana	crème brulée	Katalanischer Cremepudding
croquetes	croquetas	croquettes	Kroketten
cuixa	muslo	drumstick	Keule
de bosc	silvestres	wild	Wild
del temps	del tiempo	of the season	nach Saison
déntol	dentón	dentex fish	Zahnbrassen
embotits	embutidos	charcuterie	Wurstaufschnitt
endívies	endibias	endives / chicory	Chicorée
entremesos	entremeses	hors -d'oeuvres	Vorspeise
escalivada	escalivada	peppers, aubergine, zucchini.	Paprika, Auberginen, Zucchini
escamarlans	cigalas	dublin bay prawns	Kronenhummer
escopinyes de gallet	berberechos	cockles	Herzmuschel
escudella barejada	escudella barejada	Catalan soup with meat	Katalan.Suppe mit Fleisch
escumat	escalfado	poached	Verlorene (Eier)
espaguetis	espaguetis	spaghetti	Spaghetti
espàrrecs	espárragos	asparagus	Spargel
espinacs	espinacas	spinach	Spinat
estragó	estragón	tarragon	Estragon
farcit	rellenado	stuffed	Gefuellt
farigola	tomillo	thyme	Thymian
faves	habas	broad beans	Bohnen
fetge	hígado	liver	Leber
fideuada	fideuada	paella with vermicelli	Paella aus Nudeln
fideus	fideos	vermicelli	Dünne Nudeln
fideus de cabell d'àngel	fideos de cabello de ángel	fine vermicelli (angel hair)	Feine Kürbisnudeln
filet	filete	fillet	Filet
flam	flan	crème caramel	Karamel-Pudding
formatge	queso	cheese	Kaese
fred	frío	cold	kalt
fregit	frito	fried	gebraten
fresc	fresco	fresh	frisch
fruita seca (o ganyips)	frutos secos	nuts	getrocknete Nüsse
fuet	fuet	salami type sausage	Salamiart
fumat	ahumado	smoked	geraeuchert
galets	galets	shell pasta	Kekse
gall dindi	pavo	turkey	Truthahn
galtes	galets	cheek	Bäckchen
gambes	gambas	prawns	Garnele
garotes	erizos	sea urchins	Seeigel
garrí, porcell	lechón	suckling pig	Spanferkel
gaspatxo	gaspacho	cold tomato soup	kalte Tomatensuppe
gelat	helado	ice cream	Eis
gerds	frambuesas	raspberries	Himbeeren
gratinat	rallado	grated	überbacken
guarnició	guarnición	garnish	Beilagen
guatlles	codornices	quail	Wachtel
hamburguesa	hamburguesa	hamburger	Hamburger
herbes	hiervas	herbs	Kräuter
isard	gamuza	chamois	Gemse
julivert	perejil	parsley	Petersilie
lassanya	lasaña	lasagne	Lasagne
llagosta	langosta	spiny lobster	Languste
llamàntol	bogavante	lobster	Hummer
llebre	liebre	hare	Hase
llegums	legumbres	dried beans	Gemüse
llengua	lengua	tongue	Zunge
llenguado	lenguado	sole	Seezunge
llenties	lentejas	lentils	Linsen
llet	leche	milk	Milch
lletó	lechal	suckling	Lämmchen
lletonets	menudillos	giblets	Innerein
llimona	limón	lemon	Zitrone
llobarro (llobina)	lubina	sea bass	Wolfsbarsch
llom	lomo	pork loin	Schweinefleisch
llonganissa	longaniza	hard cured pork sausage	Schlackwurst
llonza, costella	chuletas	chops	Kotlett
lluç	merluza	hake	Seehecht
llucet	Pescadilla	young hake	Weissling
macarrons	macarrones	macaroni	Makkaroni
macedònia	macedonia	fruit salad	Früchtesalat
maduixes	fresas	strawberries	Erdbeeren
magrada	granada	pomegranate	Granatapfel
mandonguilles	albóndigas	meat-balls	Hackfleischbällchen
margallons	palmitos	palm hearts	Palmenherzen
marisc	marisco	shellfish	Meeresfrüchte
marmita	marmita	casserole	Eintopf
mel	miel	honey	Honig
minestra	guisado	stewed	Gemüsesuppe
moll	salmonete rojo	red mullet	Rotbarben
mongetes seques	judías blancas	white beans / haricot	Weisse Bohnen
mongetes tendres	judías verdes	green beans	Grüne Bohnen
mongetes vermelles	judías rojas	runner beans	Rote Bohnen
morralla (reballa)	morralla	assorted fried small fish	kleine gegrillte Fische
musclos	muslos	mussels	Muscheln
nabiu	arándano	bilberry / blueberry	Heidelbeeren
naps	nabos	turnips	Raps
natural	natural	fresh	frisch
navalles	navajas	razor clams	Schwertmuschel
nècora	nécora	velvet crab	Schwimmkrabbe
nero (anfós)	mero	grouper	Grouper
nous	nueces	nuts	getrocknete Nüsse
oca	ganso	goose	Gans
orada (daurada)	dorada	gilthead / bream	Goldbrassen
orella	oreja	ear	Ohr
ostres	ostras	oysters	Austern
ous	huevos	eggs	Eier
paella	paella	spanish risotto	Paella (Reisgericht)
pagell	pajel	sea bream
palaia	platija	flounder	Flunder
pastanagues	sanahorias	carrots	Karotten
pastís	pastel	cake / pastry	Kuchen
pastisseria	pastelería	pastries	Konditorei
patates	patatas	potatoes	Kartoffeln
pebre negre	pimienta negra	black pepper	Schwarzer Pfeffer
pebre verd	pimienta verde	green pepper
peix	pescado	fish	Fisch
percebes (peus de cabra)	percebes	barnacles	Entenmuschel
perdiu	perdiz	partridge	Rebhuhn
peres	peras	pears	Birnen
pernil del país	jamón del país	dry cured ham	roher Schinken
pernil dolç	jamón dulce	cooked ham	gekochter Schinken
pernil serrà	jamón serrano	serrano dry cured ham	roher Schinken "serrano"
pescadors	pescadores	fisherman	Fischer
pèsols	guisantes	peas	Erbsen
peus	pies	feet / trotters	Fuesse
peus de porc	pies de cerdo	feet / trotters	Fuesse
pijama	pijama	ice cream, fruit & syrup	Eis mit Pfirsich
pilota	pelota	large meatball	Fleischball
pinya	piña	pineapple	Ananas
plàtan	plátano	banana	Banane
pollastre	pollo	chicken	Haehnchen
poma	manzana	apple	Apfel
pomelo	pomelo	grapefruit	Grapefruit
pop	pulpo	octopus	Oktopus
popets	pulpitos	small octopus	Junger Oktopus
porc	cerdo	pork	Schwein
porc senglar	verraco	boar	Wildschwein
porros	puerros	leeks	Lauch
postres de músic	postre de músico	dried fruit & nuts	Getrocknete Nuesse
postres de músic	postre de músico	dessert of dried fruit & nuts	getrocknete nüsse
potes	patas	feet / trotters	Fuesse
préssec	melocotón	peach	Pfirsisch
prunes	ciruelas	plums	Pflaumen
raïm	uva	grapes	Trauben
rajada	raya	skate / ray	Rochen
rap	rape	monkfish (angler fish)	Seeteufel
rascassa (escòrpora o cap-roig)	escorpina	scorpion fish	Skorpionfisch
remenat	revuelto	scrambled	Geruehrt (Ruehreier)
rocafort	roquefort	roquefort - a blue cheese	Roquefort
ronyons	riñones	kidneys	Nieren
rosbif	rosbif	roast beef	Roast Beef
rossellones	chirlas	venus clams	Herzmuschel
rostit	asado	roasted	geröstet
rovell d'ou	yema de huevo	egg yolk	Eidotter
rovelló	níscalos	mushrooms	Champignon
salmó	salmón	salmon	Lachs
salsa	salsa	sauce	Sosse
salsitxes	salsichas	sausages	Wuerstchen
saltat	salteado	sautéed	Leicht angeroestet
sardines	sardinas	sardines	Sardinen
sèmola	sémola	semolina	Griess
síndria	sandía	watermelon	Wassermelone
sípia	sepia	cuttlefish	Tintenfisch
sipiona	sepia	cuttlefish	Tintenfisch
sobrassada	sobreassada	soft pork sausage	Feine Paprikastreichwurst
sopa	sopa	soup	Suppe
suc de taronja	zumo de naranja	orange juice	Orangensaft
tallarines	tallarines	tagliarini	Tallarines
taronja	naranja	orange	Orange
tartuf	tartufo	truffle ice cream	Trueffeleiscreme
tomàquets	tomate	tomato	Tomate
tonyina	atún	tuna	Thunfisch
torrons	turrones	nougat	Nougat
tripes	callos	tripe	Kutteln
truita	trucha	omelette	Omelett
truita de riu	trucha de rio	trout	Forelle
tudó	paloma	wood pigeon	Taube
turbot	rodaballo	turbot	Steinbutt
turmes	criadillas	fries / testicles	Gericht aus Hoden
vedella	ternera	veal	Kalbfleisch
verat	ceballa	mackerel	Makrele
verdura	verdura	vegetables	Gemuese
vichyssoise	vichyssoise	leek & potato soup	Vichysoisse-Sosse
vieires	vieiras	scallops	Jakosbmuscheln
xampinyons	champiñones	mushrooms	Champignon
xanguet	chanquete	white bait	Fritüre aus sardellart.Fisch
xerès	jerez	sherry	Sherry
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