Cal Pep

The line-up at this traditional, boisterous tapas bar includes top-notch cured hams and sausages, truita de patates (potato omelette), fresh mariscs (shellfish) and an array of daily tapas specials. See Cal Pep.

Noti

In a city where style often triumphs over substance, Noti stands out as a glorious exception. The decor is as stylish and glamorous as the crowd, but doesn’t draw focus away from the main event – the exceptional Mediterranean and French cuisine, prepared with flair and originality. See Noti.

El Asador d’Aranda

This palatial restaurant, perched high above the city on Tibidabo, dishes up the best in Castilian cuisine. Sizeable starters include pica pica, a tasty array of sausages, peppers and hams. The signature main dish is lechazo (young lamb) roasted in a wood-fired oven. See El Asador d’Aranda.

Kaiku

This unassuming, beachfront restaurant makes possibly the best paella in the city. It is on the menu as arròs del xef, and is prepared with smoked rice and succulent shellfish. The desserts are great too. In the summer book a table on the terrace and enjoy the views and sea breeze. See Kaiku.

Inopia

It may be off the beaten track, but this bar is a must for dedicated foodies. The menu has gone back to basics, offering classic tapas such as croquetas and patatas bravas, prepared with the finest local ingredients. The tuna and tomato salad and anchovy-wrapped artichoke are both excellent. See Inopia.

Bar Ra

A funky, flower-filled oasis in El Raval, this juice-bar-café-restaurant is the place for organic, multi-cultural cuisine. Start your day with muesli or muffins and a fresh papaya or pear juice. The lunch and dinner menu might include Japanese tofu, Peruvian ceviche (raw seafood marinated in lemon) or a Cuban chicken and mango chutney dish.

Cinc Sentits

This elegant restaurant is known for its innovative cuisine. The tasting menu, created by chef Jordi Aretal, can be paired with specially chosen wines. The set-price lunch menu, available from Monday to Friday, is a bargain. See Cinc Sentits.

Casa Leopoldo

This comfortable, family-run restaurant serves some of the finest Catalan cuisine in the city. Fresh seafood is the highlight, with innovative platters of bacallà (salt cod), llenguado (sole) and gambes (prawns). See Casa Leopoldo.

Bar-Restaurante Can Tomàs

A cheap, no-nonsense tapas bar in the uptown area of Sarrià. Every tapas-lover knows that the city’s best patates braves and patates amb alioli are found here. Ask for the doble mixta to sample both. See Bar-Restaurante Can Tomàs.

Comerç 24

Perhaps one of the most adventurous restaurants in the city, Comerç 24 has an innovative head chef, Carles Abellan. The constantly changing menu consists of a series of platillos (small dishes), which fuse an extraordinary variety of flavours and textures. Try the quail lollipops, sea urchins with foie gras ice cream, or gold-wrapped macadamia nuts. See Comerç 24.

Patates Braves

This traditional tapas favourite consists of fried potatoes topped with a spicy sauce. Equally tasty are patates heaped with alioli (garlic mayonnaise).

Calamars

A savoury seafood option is calamars (squid) a la romana (deep-fried in batter) or a la planxa (grilled).

Pa amb Tomàquet

A key part of any tapas spread is this bread topped with tomato and olive oil.

Croquetes

A perennial favourite are croquettes; tasty fried morsels of bechamel, usually with ham, chicken or tuna.

Musclos o Escopinyes

Sample Barcelona’s fruits of the sea with tapas of tasty mussels or cockles.

Truita de Patates

The most common tapas dish is this thick potato omelette, often topped with alioli.

Ensaladilla Russa

This “Russian salad” includes potatoes, onions, tuna (and often peas, carrots and other vegetables), all generously enveloped in mayonnaise.

Gambes al’allet

An appetizing dish of fried prawns (shrimp) coated in garlic and olive oil.

Pernil Serrà

Cured ham is a Spanish obsession. The best, and most expensive, is Extremadura’s speciality, Jabugo.

Fuet

Embotits (Catalan sausages) include the ever-popular fuet, a dry, flavourful variety, most famously produced in the Catalonian town of Vic.