This 30-seat Barcelona culinary institution began as a simple bar in 1904. Back then, customers drank wine straight from the wooden barrels. Now, there’s 200-300 bottles from Spain and beyond. Plus, a great sommelier to help you choose. For food, the guisantes lágrima (peas, ham, garlic and mint) is our favorite. The meatballs and xipirons, baby squid, is a delicious Catalan surf & turf. End with bombetas, small phyllo bites stuffed with warm cream or chocolate that is a house specialty.

Named “unhurried,” meals here are meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace. Customers come to this cozy, 25-seat eatery for the friendly service and chef José Luís Díaz’s traditional fare. Be sure to order the chickpeas, fried egg, and espardenyes (sea cucumber) a salty, briny marvel. Other dishes might include cold tomato soup with lobster and brandade-stuffed squash blossoms. We can’t leave without the generous chocolate soufflé. Yet another reason to linger at the table. Reservations only.

Despite the 1970s-era sign that says “Granja” (“farm”), this restaurant is actually a temple of neighborhood haute cuisine. On the traditional side, savor cap i pota amb sanfaina (beef head and leg stew with ratatouille) and a potent callos (spiced chorizo, tripe stew). More contemporary dishes include roasted tuna cheek (galete) and piquillo peppers. At this third-generation family business, Borja is the head chef; Patricia, the sommelier, and their brother, Guillermo, takes care of the bar.

A family affair in Sant Antoni. Lined with Valencian tiles and wooden rafters, the dining room is cozy and convivial. The open kitchen at the far end churns out Catalan-Valencian recipes that deftly navigate between familiarity and modernity. They are renown for rice dishes. We’re fans of the sepionets (baby cuttlefish), tender garlic, and clams. Non-rice options include monkfish croquets, salt cod with romescu sauce, and lentil stew. All dishes are meant to be shared. Just like home.

When you hear something go “crunch” (the restaurant’s name), there’s a good chance it came from Miquel Pardo’s kitchen. His fun, relaxed spot fills the void of rice places in town. Individual rice dishes are a steal at 14€. We adore the global-inspired tasting menus. Smoked cod churros and ray and trout roe tacos explode with flavor. The pork, green bean, and roasted eggplant paella comes with socarrat rice, in which the rice is caramelized crisp in the pan. As crunchy as it gets!

Partners in work and life, chefs Maria and Guillem cook with the pedigree of the top tables where they worked. But, their first place has the conviviality and price point of a neighborhood tapas bar. Enjoy delightfully crispy fried sonsos (sand eel) and squid. Must orders are cod fritters and rabo de toro (oxtail). The scallops smothered in carbonara sauce are simply fantastic. TocaTeca has put Sant Andreu on the dining map; it can get packed in the evenings.

A welcoming shrine to vegetables in meaty Barcelona. We love the briny chickpea and algae hummus. Roasted and peeled squash escalivada is amped up with barbecue sauce and caramelized squash seeds. Made with grated parsnip confited in Marcona almond oil, the parsnip rillettes has a meat-like texture. Half the Catalan-Mediterranean dishes are purely vegetarian – the other are veggie-centric. Plus, everything at GatBlau comes from less than 50km away, earning them the Km0 Slow Food designation.

Come here to find the freshest catch in Barcelona. The wooden boat-shaped bar and nautical décor gets you in the seafaring spirit. Order the iconic grilled and fried fisherman’s tapas: a medley of clams, sardines, octopus, and more. Fried fish, fish stews, seafood casseroles, and exquisite rice dishes are also hot items here. The owner’s fisherman husband ensures everything is top quality at the “Sailor’s Corner.”

At dinnertime, venture past the wooden barrels at this Gràcia wine shop for a dining destination serving seriously delicious plates of home-cooked food with a creative touch. We love the anarco bravas (garlic and squid ink potatoes) or the “Destroyer,” pureed potatoes topped with jamon, morcilla (black pudding) and bacon. Everyone orders the pan-fried foie gras in a boozy port, raisin, and apple sauce. Come hungry – the portions are generous.