BIG BARCELONA RECOMMENDATION LIST

BIG Barcelona Recommendations List: Resources and Tips

A brief summary of the best

- Best tapas: Cerveseria Catalana

- Best healthy food: Honest Greens

- Best sangria: Casa Lolea

- Best paella: Arume

- Best seafood: Puertecillo

- Best coffee: Nomad

- Best cocktails: Paradiso

- Best cheap food: pintxos bars (buffet style) on Carrer Blai

- Best brunch: Billy Brunch and Garden

- Best croissant: Hofmann's (get the mascarpone croissant)

- Best ice-cream: Gocce di Latte

- Best churros: La Pallaresa

- Best rooftop Bar: Barcelo Raval (360 views of city)

- Best ramen: Ramen-ya Hiro

- Best sunrise: anywhere along the beach

- Best sunset: Bunkers del Carmel

- Best spa: Aire Ancient Baths

Breakfast/ Brunch

Firebug

Billy Brunch and Garden (interior garden with a cat who sits on your lap, friendliest staff in Barcelona)

Paella

Arume (Fantastic seafood paella in Raval neighbourhood)

7 Portes (Fancy historic restaurant. More expensive, but offers one of the best seafood paellas)

Tapas

Cerveseria Catalana (One of the best tapas restaurants in town. Be prepared to wait for a table)

Ciudad Condal (central location, near Plaza Catalunya)

Quimet & Quimet (Poble Sec)

Cañete (Raval)

L'Alcoba Azul

Bar del Pla (El Born)

For one of the more intimate tapas experiences, check out Blavis, a small tapas restaurant with only 7 tables. Excellent tapas suggested by chef/ wine/dessert and reasonable pricing. Often the owner is present, caring for each and every guest.

Pintxos/ Buffet

Pintxos are small servings of bread with meat/fish/cheese placed on little sticks, cheap and delicious! Carrer de Blai is nicknamed “Pintxos alley”, it is a great place to find lots of super fun buffet-style bars, the waiter counts your sticks when you're leaving to know how much you owe..

On Blai street, I recommend the following:

La Tasqueta de Blai

Blai 9

Taberna Blai Tonight

Sangria

BarCeloneta Sangria Bar (The best sangria I’ve had in Barcelona)

Casa Lolea (great homemade sangria, reserve a table)

Churros con Chocolate

La Pallaresa (One of the oldest and most famous traditional churros places. Try the Crema Catalana too)

Casa Amatller (Best hot chocolate in Barcelona, served with dipping bread instead of churros)

Coffee

Nomad (This is a coffee chain throughout the city)

Traditional Catalan

Can Sole, (Barceloneta)

Nou Cellar (El Born)

Ice-cream

Gelaaati di Marco (Goticó)

OGGI Gelato (Goticó)

Paral-lelo (Gràcia)

Foodhalls

El Nacional (super beautiful modernist building. It's worth going inside just to have a look at the building - great place for a drink, but dining not the best)

Sandwiches

Brunch & Cake (Instagram friendly sandwiches, multiple locations)

Bo de B (cheap and popular, Goticó)

Conesa Entrepans (Very popular for locals at lunchtime, Goticó)

Menu del Dia

(These special lunchtime menu deals run during weekdays, until 4pm, usually costing between €12 - €20 including 3 courses and sometimes a drink).

Elsa y Fred (Excellent, 3 courses around €17)

Rosa Negra (Mexican; 3 courses & drink = around €11)

Bar Oviso (2 courses for €6.50. Won't find cheaper than that)

Veggie Garden (Vegetarian; multiple locations, 3 courses around €11. One of the best value meal deals)

Vegetarian

Veggie Garden (multiple locations)

Maoz

Teresa Carles

Flax and Kale

Gallo Santo (Mexican vegetarian €€, midweek they do a 3 course meal-deal for about €11)

Vegan

Sesamo (Intimate vegan restaurant, great for evening meal or a special occasion)

BarCeloneta Sangria Bar (vegan tapas and sangria)

CatBarCAT Vegano

Gocce di Latte (ask for the vegan ice cream options)

Vacka (best vegan burger and vegan cheeses)

Flax & Kale Passage (Best vegan pizza)

Gluten Free

Messié Gluten Free (pizza and salads)

Jansanna Gluten Free Bakery

Creps al Born (French Galletas from Breton)

El Mesonet

SomSacs

Flax and Kale

Pizza

NAP (multiple locations)

Blau

Made in Sicily (multiple locations)

Pummarola

Pasta

Macchina Pasta Bar (multiple locations)

Burgers

Bacoa (multiple locations)

Mexican

El Pachuco (best Mexican food in Barcelona)

Seafood

La Paradeta (super fresh seafood, multiple locations)

El Vaso de Oro (seafood tapas and great house beer)

Middle-Eastern

Ziryab Fusion Tapas Bar (Gothic Quarter)

Maoz (great cheap falafel wraps)

Indian

Asian Restaurant (super cheap food in a basic-looking restaurant, authentic and tasty)

Tandoori Nights (great value, outside terrace seating available)

Bombay Spicy (one of the most popular Indian restaurant in town)

Koh-i-Noor India

Thai

Thai Barcelona Royal Cuisine

Ramen

Ramen-ya Hiro

Madame Ramen (Raval)

Grasshopper Ramen Bar (El Born)

Vietnamese

Mon Viet (Great value tasting menu, vegan option available too)

Ethiopian

Addis Abeba

Dumplings

Mosquito (El Born)

Cafés

Alsur Cafe (multiple locations)

Alice Garden (quirky interior and nice garden terrace; great cake and tea selection)

Caj Chai (relaxing teahouse in old Jewish quarter)

Bakery/ Pastry Shop

Pastisseria Hoffmann (get the mascarpone croissant, it’ll change your life)

La Colmena (Goticó)

Caelum (Goticó)

Tiramisu

Nabucco Tiramisu

Bars

Antic Teatre (outdoor beer garden, El Born)

33/45 Bar & Gallery (cool hipster bar, complete with neon lights, 1980's style)

Bar Marsella (atmospheric old absinthe bar)

Casa Almirall (one of the oldest bars in Barcelona, intimate wooden interior)

Nevermind (skater bar, complete with half-pipe ramp)

The Bollocks (heavy metal bar)

Craft Beer Bars

Garage Beer Co

Olgod Brewpub

Black Lab Brewhouse & Kitchen

Beer Gardens

Antic Teatre

El Jardí

Mescladis del Pou

Cocktail Bars

Paradiso (Voted number one bar in the world)

Dr. Stravinsky (voted one of the 50 best bars in the world)

Boadas Cocktails (oldest cocktail bar in Barcelona)

Bobby's Free (cocktail bar that looks like a barbershop from the outside)

Rooftop Bars

Barceló Raval (Bar with 360 degree view)

Irish Bars

Scobie´s (best Guinness in Barcelona)

The Michael Collins (most authentic Irish bar)

The George Payne (backpacker atmosphere, fun karaoke nights, drinks promotions)

Bars to watch football matches

La Taverna de Barcelona

Sonora Sport Tavern

Night Clubs

Sala Apolo (electronic)

Razzmattazz (electronic)

Moog (techno)

Macarena (tiny techno club)

Jamboree (hip hop)

Marula (funk)

Sidecar (indie rock)

Jazz

JazzSi

Harlem Jazz Club

Live Music

La Taverna de Barcelona

JazzSi (Raval)

Places to Dance Salsa

Antilla Salsa Disco

Mojito Club

Flamenco Show

Palau de la Musica (excellent quality and stunning setting)

Free Museums on Saturdays

MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia, 3pm-6pm, also free first Sunday of the month)

MACBA (Contemporary Art Museum, 4pm-8pm,).

Free Museums on Sundays

Barcelona History Museum: (3pm-8pm, includes underground remains of the ancient Roman city)

Catalonia History Museum (first Sunday of the month, 10am - 2.30pm)

Maritime Museum: (3pm-8pm)

CCCB (Contemporary Culture Museum, 3pm - 8pm, limited capacity, pre-booked tickets required)

Montjuic Castle (from 3pm, Great panoramic views, also free all-day on the first Sunday of every month)

BIG BARCELONA RECOMMENDATION LIST

A brief summary of the best

​

- Best tapas: Cerveseria Catalana

- Best healthy food: Honest Greens

- Best sangria: Casa Lolea

- Best paella: Arume

- Best seafood: Puertecillo

- Best coffee: Nomad

- Best cocktails: Paradiso

- Best cheap food: pintxos bars (buffet style) on Carrer Blai

- Best brunch: Billy Brunch and Garden

- Best croissant: Hofmann's (get the mascarpone croissant)

- Best ice-cream: Gocce di Latte

- Best churros: La Pallaresa

- Best rooftop Bar: Barcelo Raval (360 views of city)

- Best ramen: Ramen-ya Hiro

- Best sunrise: anywhere along the beach

- Best sunset: Bunkers del Carmel

- Best spa: Aire Ancient Baths

Breakfast/ Brunch

Firebug

Billy Brunch and Garden (interior garden with a cat who sits on your lap, friendliest staff in Barcelona)

Paella

Arume (Fantastic seafood paella in Raval neighbourhood)

7 Portes (Fancy historic restaurant. More expensive, but offers one of the best seafood paellas)

Tapas

Cerveseria Catalana (One of the best tapas restaurants in town. Be prepared to wait for a table)

Ciudad Condal (central location, near Plaza Catalunya)

Quimet & Quimet (Poble Sec)

Cañete (Raval)

L'Alcoba Azul

Bar del Pla (El Born)

For one of the more intimate tapas experiences, check out Blavis, a small tapas restaurant with only 7 tables. Excellent tapas suggested by chef/ wine/dessert and reasonable pricing. Often the owner is present, caring for each and every guest.

Pintxos/ Buffet

Pintxos are small servings of bread with meat/fish/cheese placed on little sticks, cheap and delicious! Carrer de Blai is nicknamed “Pintxos alley”, it is a great place to find lots of super fun buffet-style bars, the waiter counts your sticks when you're leaving to know how much you owe..

On Blai street, I recommend the following:

La Tasqueta de Blai

Blai 9

Taberna Blai Tonight

Sangria

BarCeloneta Sangria Bar (The best sangria I’ve had in Barcelona)

Casa Lolea (great homemade sangria, reserve a table)

Churros con Chocolate

La Pallaresa (One of the oldest and most famous traditional churros places. Try the Crema Catalana too)

Casa Amatller (Best hot chocolate in Barcelona, served with dipping bread instead of churros)

​

Coffee

Nomad (This is a coffee chain throughout the city)

​

Traditional Catalan

​

Can Sole, (Barceloneta)

​

Nou Cellar (El Born)

​

Ice-cream

Gelaaati di Marco (Goticó)

​

OGGI Gelato (Goticó)

​

Paral-lelo (Gràcia)

Foodhalls

El Nacional (super beautiful modernist building. It's worth going inside just to have a look at the building - great place for a drink, but dining not the best)

Sandwiches

Brunch & Cake (Instagram friendly sandwiches, multiple locations)

Bo de B (cheap and popular, Goticó)

Conesa Entrepans (Very popular for locals at lunchtime, Goticó)

Menu del Dia

(These special lunchtime menu deals run during weekdays, until 4pm, usually costing between €12 - €20 including 3 courses and sometimes a drink).

Elsa y Fred (Excellent, 3 courses around €17)

Rosa Negra (Mexican; 3 courses & drink = around €11)

Bar Oviso (2 courses for €6.50. Won't find cheaper than that)

Veggie Garden (Vegetarian; multiple locations, 3 courses around €11. One of the best value meal deals)

Vegetarian

Veggie Garden (multiple locations)

Gallo Santo (Mexican vegetarian €€, midweek they do a 3 course meal-deal for about €11)

Vegan

Sesamo (Intimate vegan restaurant, great for evening meal or a special occasion)

BarCeloneta Sangria Bar (vegan tapas and sangria)