Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems
Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Tasting tapas beyond La Boqueria market
Barcelona's famed La Boqueria market is undeniably one of the best places in the city to sample authentic Spanish tapas. From jamon Iberico to manchego cheese, you'll find all the classics here. But to really discover Barcelona's culinary soul, you need to venture beyond the tourist-packed stalls of La Boqueria.
El Born, Barcelona's old town, is home to some of the best tapas joints that only locals know about. On Carrer de l'Argenteria, unassuming Bar del Pla has been serving up innovative small plates since 1920. Order the bombas - fried mashed potato balls stuffed with meat that will blow your mind. Down the street, miniature Bar Pinotxo with its handful of stools is famous for charcuterie boards piled high with chorizo, lomo and butifarra sausage. Grab a glass of vermouth on tap and take in the atmosphere.
For a dazzling modern take on tapas, head to El Nacional restaurant in Poble Sec. This converted parking garage is home to four different tapas bars, each with its own specialty. At La Taperia, a chef's table faces the open kitchen so you can watch seasonal creations like roasted sweet peppers with anchovies come to life. For seafood, La Mar has the famous bomba rice dish made with seafood fumet stock and aioli. With exposed brick walls and vintage touches, El Nacional feels like a hidden find.
No tapas tour is complete without traditional patatas bravas - fried potato cubes smothered in a spicy tomato sauce and aioli. At Quimet & Quimet in Poble Sec, this bite-sized snack is elevated with the addition of pork sausage for an added kick. This standing-room only joint also offers montaditos, open-faced mini sandwiches piled with ingredients like smoked salmon and cream cheese. For a modernist take on patatas bravas, Nublo in Poble Sec uses molecular gastronomy techniques like foams to put a unique twist on the iconic dish.
Finally, Gràcia's cozy bars are ideal for a tapas crawl. Start the evening at Bar Canigó with their famed patatas bravas dripping in homemade aioli. Then head to Bar Pagès for Catalan sausage cooked in cava alongside golden fried artichokes. End your evening at Bar Trenta-Tres - order a jar of red vermouth and enjoy their specialty of sliced pan con tomate sprinkled with jamon Iberico.
What else is in this post?
- Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Tasting tapas beyond La Boqueria market
- Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - A food tour of Barcelona's El Born neighborhood
- Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Hidden gem restaurants for traditional Catalan cuisine
- Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Modernist cuisine you won't find anywhere else
- Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Artisanal chocolate shops to satisfy your sweet tooth
- Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Unconventional culinary experiences in the Gothic Quarter
- Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Off-the-beaten path food trucks with local favorites
Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - A food tour of Barcelona's El Born neighborhood
Nestled in the heart of Barcelona is El Born, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. With its Gothic architecture, winding alleyways and bustling plazas. El Born is like taking a step back in time. Over the past decade, the neighborhood has also become a culture and foodie mecca attracting locals and visitors alike thanks to its concentration of artisanal shops, boutiques and culinary gems.
One of the best ways to experience El Born is through an organized food tour, where you will be guided to some of the neighborhood's best kept secrets by a local expert. Your tour will kick off in the morning at a family-owned bakery that has supplied Barcelona with bread for generations. Savor a coffee and pastry and learn their techniques for crafting traditional Catalan loaves. Next, you'll stop at a chocolate factory that creates single-origin bars using centuries-old recipes. Sample their offerings and gain insight into how El Born's chocolatiers helped shape Spain's sweet history.
After working up your appetite, lunch will take you to Teresa Carles, a brightly lit restaurant perpetually crowded with Barcelona locals. Here, you'll indulge in one of Catalonia's classic rice dishes paired with regional wines. The ambiance radiates a sense of community that reflects Born's tight-knit spirit. Your post-lunch destination is Bar del Pla, where you'll nip into the standing-room-only spot to try bombas, meat-stuffed mashed potato balls that have kept locals coming back for a century.
Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Hidden gem restaurants for traditional Catalan cuisine
Tucked away in Barcelona's lesser-known neighborhoods are a treasure trove of hidden gem restaurants serving up traditional Catalan cuisine. Getting off the beaten tourist path and exploring these family-owned locales lets you experience the true roots of the city's culinary heritage.
In the residential Gracia neighborhood, unassuming Can Dende is a local favorite for no-frills, authentic Catalan fare. Run by a husband and wife duo, the restaurant's menu focuses on time-honored recipes passed down through generations. Daily specials showcase seasonal ingredients like white beans stewed with sausage in winter or garlicky calçots grilled with romesco sauce in spring. Signature dishes include the intensely flavorful mar i muntanya, surf n' turf with tenderloin steak and shrimp sautéed in olive oil and garlic. Can Dende's fried eggplant drizzled with honey demonstrates the rich melding of sweet and savory flavors characteristic of Catalan cuisine. With just a handful of tables and a casual atmosphere, Can Dende offers a quintessential local dining experience.
In Sarrià, the quiet residential area nestled at the foothills of the Collserola hills, Restaurant Santceloni provides a refined take on regional classics. Helmed by Michelin-starred chef Óscar Velasco, Santceloni's menu pays homage to Catalunya's roots with updated interpretations of iconic dishes. Velasco's version of the mar i muntanya features lobster and Iberian pork cheek slow-cooked to melting tenderness in an earthy mushroom broth. His unique twist on the classic escudella i carn d'olla stew incorporates game meats like rabbit and quail. Dining in Santceloni's elegant dining room with its floor-to-ceiling windows, you'll gain a modern appreciation for Catalan gastronomy.
No culinary exploration of Barcelona is complete without sampling its famous seafood. In Barceloneta, the coastal neighborhood by the marina, family-run Can Solé has been serving up the catch of the day since 1903. Specializing in traditional fish stews, their signature botifarra amb mongetes features morsels of tender cod in an aromatic broth studded with white beans and spicy sausage. Run by four generations of local women, Can Solé embodies the welcoming spirit of Barcelona. Savoring their fresh seafood dishes on the covered terrace, you'll feel transported to a seaside village rather than Spain's second-largest metropolis.
Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Modernist cuisine you won't find anywhere else
While traditional Catalan cuisine remains a staple of Barcelona's dining scene, some chefs are pushing boundaries with Modernist cooking techniques that reimagine local flavors in innovative new ways. El Bulli alum Albert Adrià's new restaurant Enigma is at the forefront of this experimental molecular gastronomy movement, developing dishes you simply cannot experience elsewhere.
Located just outside the city in a nondescript warehouse, Enigma remains purposefully off the grid. Diners who manage to secure one of the ultra-exclusive 22 seats each night are in for a multi-course sensory journey like no other. Upon arriving, guests surrender their phones ensuring complete focus on the food. Over the next 4 hours, servers in lab coats bring out dish after colorful dish sending intriguing aromas wafting through the room.
Rather than relying on traditional cooking methods, Adrià and his team use science and technology to transform textures, temperatures and flavors. Dishes like a ball of liquid olives that bursts open like a bubble upon biting reveals how molecular gastronomy can suspend expectations. Another course comes in the form of a sphere that shatters like glass to release liquid nitrogen-frozen olive ash that evaporates on the tongue.
Some criticize such molecular dishes as gimmicky. Yet diners here are spellbound as each new creation pushes boundaries in fascinating new directions. A root vegetable dish arrives resembling shiny pebbles but transforms to an ultra-creamy mousse in the mouth. Another course plays with natural vs processed foods by pairing freeze-dried plankton crackers with live brine shrimp seasoned to taste just like Cheetos.
Beyond revolutionizing tastes, Enigma also stimulates our senses through presentation. Vibrant yellow "flowers" made of kombucha and edible paper are as visually stunning as they are refreshing. Servers silently immerse bubbly sphere appetizers in liquid carbonation that fizzles on contact. The multi-sensory experience brings to life science lessons many of us fell asleep to in school.
Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Artisanal chocolate shops to satisfy your sweet tooth
There is perhaps no city better than Barcelona for discovering artisanal chocolate shops dotting its narrow streets and plazas. What makes Spanish chocolate so special stems from a combination of climate, tradition and modern innovation merging together. The sunny Mediterranean weather and fertile coastlines have long provided an ideal growing environment for cocoa. Local chocolatiers then build upon centuries of refining cocoa into nuanced chocolate creations.
Tucked along Carrer del Rec in the historic Gothic Quarter, Caelum offers a window into Barcelona’s chocolate past. Its traditional production techniques date back to the mid-19th century, using natural ingredients and time-honored methods little changed since. Visitors can watch cocoa beans being roasted, winnowed and ground on antique stone mills to experience chocolate’s transformation from bean to bar. For samples highlighting cacao’s diversity, try Caelum’s tasting plate featuring single-origin bars from Venezuela, Ecuador and Madagascar with subtle variances in flavor and texture.
Not far in El Born, Oriol Balaguer ushers chocolate into the 21st century with innovations like embedding cocoa nibs into gin-filled truffles for an added crisp snap. His artisanal boutique sources unusual varietals from specialty groves, enabling experimentation. Must-tries include stimulating chili chocolates accentuating cocoa’s natural spiciness and fruity pralines blending blackberries or raspberries into smooth ganaches. For adventurous palates, sea-salt caramels marry chocolate with subtle briny notes.
Also in El Born, Víctor the Baker combines patisserie and chocolate mastery. In his minimalist workshop, housemade creations align precision with wilder seasonal choices. Winter mandates truffles flecked with orange zest and springtime puffs filled with whispers of elderflower. No craving goes unindulged, whether fruity or nutty or boasting intriguing flavor fusions. With methodology prioritizing quality over quantity, any sweet treat from here resonates with true artistry.
Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Unconventional culinary experiences in the Gothic Quarter
Tucked within Barcelona's atmospheric Gothic Quarter lie hidden culinary gems that provide unconventional and unforgettable dining experiences far from the well-trodden tourist path. Venturing to these establishments lets you see the creative spirit of Barcelona's culinary scene from a different perspective.
At HYMN Barcelona, a Progressive Catalan Bistro located on a quiet side street, pioneering chefs create avant-garde tapas and share plates that merge science, art and tradition. Diners can expand their palates with unexpected flavor combinations like oysters with passion fruit and ginger or scallops with black garlic and coffee. The chefs employ modern techniques like sous-vide, dehydration and fermentation to put an inventive spin on local ingredients. A dish called Green landscapes serves up herb salad spheres that burst with vivid natural colors, showcasing how HYMN's plates appeal as much to the eyes as the taste buds.
For an evening of mystery and intrigue, Paraigua is an unmarked speakeasy-style eatery requiring reservations made solely by email, exemplifying its exclusive underground ambiance. Once inside, guests are immersed in 1920s nostalgia with servers in period attire, vintage décor and a retro soundtrack. The tasting menu offers playful takes on classics like Deviled quail eggs and Foie gras doughnuts alongside intriguing cocktail pairings. With seating for just 16 diners a night, Paraigua provides an adventure through culinary time travel.
At Rouge, diners embark on a choose-your-own-adventure tasting journey directed entirely by their personal whims and senses. Rather than ordering from a menu, your experience unfolds based on sharing flavor preferences with your waiter upon arriving. They then return with a series of small plates meant to tantalize and transport your palate, aligned solely to your tastes of the moment. With no set menu, each visit to Rouge offers a chance to explore flavors unbound by conventions.
For a fully immersive feast for the senses, The Opera Samfaina experience begins with greeting your personal chef and sommelier who will guide your evening. Guests are then blindfolded while being led into the pitch-black dining room, relying solely on non-visual cues. Amidst the darkness, your other senses become heightened to focus intently on aromas, textures and flavors. Mystery dishes arrive from the kitchen provoking curiosity and conversation to identify ingredients. When the blindfolds finally come off, diners gain new appreciation for how vision shapes and limits our enjoyment of food.
Chef Albert Adrià’s guide to Barcelona’s undiscovered culinary gems - Off-the-beaten path food trucks with local favorites
Barcelona’s vibrant street food scene reaches far beyond the hot dog carts dotting Las Ramblas. Venturing to the city’s outer neighborhoods reveals a fleet of wildly creative food trucks serving up traditional Catalan flavors with modern twists not found in the tourist center. These mobile kitchens attract droves of locals craving a taste of nostalgia. Tracking down Barcelona’s roving food trucks takes some sleuthing, but offers an authentic and affordable way to indulge in true local cuisine.
In the beachside neighborhood of Barceloneta, look for Vaho, a bright yellow truck dishing out contemporary pinchos and montaditos. Their mini grilled cheese sandwiches stacked with Manchego, Serrano ham and fig jam offer the ideal balance of sweet and salty. Don’t miss their signature patatas bravas topping crispy fried potato cubes with alioli and a drizzle of smoky pimentón. Vaho takes this iconic tapa to new heights by frying the potatoes in duck fat for crispy edges that snackers swear by.
On the outskirts of town in Sant Andreu, Bitem brings Catalan soul food to the streets with traditional escudella stew and conill amb samfaina rabbit dishes popular with multi-generational local families. Hefty portions of slow-cooked meats and beans encapsulate the comforting, no-fuss flavors of home. Bitem also excels at dessert with crema catalana custards flecked with cinnamon and crispy pastry creations. With picnic tables beside the truck, this pitstop lets you unwind over hearty Catalan comfort food away from the bustle of downtown.
Near the trendy Poblenou warehouses, one green truck has achieved legendary status for its burgers. B.Burguers draws endless lines and boasts months-long waitlists for its smash burgers cooked to order and heaped with housemade aioli. Diners customize burger stacks with add-ons like guacamole, Manchego and smoky bacon before hitting the extensive self-serve aioli bar to add garlic or spicy chile kick. While impossible to predict B.Burguers’ roving location, tracking down these burgers offers the ultimate street food achievement.
Keep an eye out for Brighton Burger and Onna Burger, two other trucks garnering buzz for their smashed patties sizzling on flattop grills inside cute remodeled Airstream campers. Brighton adds English influence with Cheddar and tangy piccalilli relish while Onna takes inspiration from Japan with teriyaki and pickled radishes.