Located in the historical heart of Barcelona, El Born seamlessly transcends the old and new parts of the city, representing constant evolution. It is now a huge nightlife hub, however El Born also has a vast array of restaurants, ranging from fancy Michelin Star establishments to trendy cosmopolitan restaurants with fusion cuisine. Check out this selection of the best restaurants and cafés in El Born.
Hidden in the small backyards of El Born, Mosquito Tapas specializes in serving fresh homemade Chinese dumplings in various forms and shapes. Visit Mosquito Tapas for a lovely lunch or early dinner and try their mouthwatering steamed pork or crispy duck dumplings to start, followed by a warm bowl of Vietnamese pho noodles. You can then finish with a drink; Mosquito has an excellent selection of beers, some of which are specifically brewed for the restaurant in Catalonia.
Brad Ainsworth, a famous chef that originally brought the tradition of gourmet burgers to Barcelona with Little Bacoa, has since opened another establishment, Kiosko. It is a comfortable venue with a spacious open terrace. Kiosko focuses on burgers, and the special ingredient added to many of its recipes is delicious chutney sauce. Kiosko puts priority on destroying a negative stigma attached to fast food, and Ainsworth believes that fast food can be healthy if prepared correctly. Only the best ingredients are used in meal preparation, including top quality matured meat, lamb from Burgos region and marinated chicken breasts. Vegetarians will not feel left behind, as El Kiosko offers chickpea burgers and freshly picked vegetables.
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Image courtesy of El Cafè de La Casa de Les Lletres
Located near to Port Vell, this little café is a charming meeting point for many locals. It offers fantastic views of the city from the heated open terrace, which becomes a perfect place to sit and watch the city during the colder months. The menu is oriented towards Mediterranean-style cuisine. A good choice of meals for breakfast include scrambled eggs with Iberian ham, while for lunch you can choose a heavier dish, such as lamb confit with potatoes. La Casa de Les Lletres also serves incredible Galician monkfish.
Located in the Park Hotel Barcelona, Ten’s Tapas serves personalized tapas in a casual relaxed atmosphere. The food is cooked by chef Jordi Cruz, the youngest chef in Spanish history to receive a Michelin Star (he now has obtained 4 Michelin stars in total). The menu comprises of classic Spanish meals, and Jordi also does weekly specials with fresh seasonal ingredients. The portions are big enough to feed two people. Speciality gourmet treat dishes worth paying attention to are the fig and foie gras ice cream, oysters in cucumber ice cream, and the famous patatas bravas with spicy stir-fried vegetables.
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Located in an elegant 19th century building, 7 Portes is a classic Barcelona restaurant with a long history. It specializes in reviving regional recipes. 7 Portes serves paella rich in flavors, with different stuffing everyday (even including rabbit), and fantastic meat dishes with sauces and spiced with herbs. It is a very popular spot, and it is advisable to book in advance. The interior is sophisticated and chic, while the artwork is by some of the best artists. Their legendary paella parellada, made from boneless chicken, mussels and clams, is itself worth traveling to Barcelona for.
Gravin Restaurant offers a fine dining experience in an authentic Italian restaurant. The principal idea behind its creation is the desire to present customers with genuine and rare Italian recipes that are not widely available everywhere. Members of staff originate from Puglia in Italy, and have received positive reviews from customers for their professionalism, dedication and respect for their own roots. Typical dishes served in Gravin will include orecchiette prepared with clams and tomato or slightly fried mushroom, and onion tuna paste with cumin. Gravin collaborates directly with the wine producers that capture their attention for their passion for wine.
Restaurant Club Bananas, Barcelona | Image courtesy of Bananas
Restaurant Bananas is a very exotic place, and an unique concept for Barcelona. It offers a cool and relaxed ambiance, in a venue which is perfectly suited for escaping from busy schedules and grabbing a lunch or a light dinner. The open terrace provides fantastic views of the city center and El Born market. The interior decoration is a combination of colonial architecture, modernist style, tropical neon signs and bright woven chairs. They specialize in international fusion cuisine with light influences from Italian, Peruvian and traditional Spanish gastronomy. Typical dishes include cod omelet, duck tataki or meagre ceviche.
This tiny local restaurant is hidden away and presents a creative combination of Catalan cuisine with French-inspired meals. It offers a variety of delicious fondues with cheese, chocolate, fish and meat, as well as an excellent selection of carpaccios with exotic flavors, such as deer, duck and even kangaroo meat. Open for dinner only, La Carassa boasts an elaborately designed interior and ornamented table clothes. The charming atmosphere created by the intimate ambiance is ideal for quiet romantic dinner.
Located within walking distance of to the Arc de Triomphe, this restaurant serves up genuine Japanese cuisine. Nakashita welcomes you into an attractive, intimate space perfect for sushi and evening drinks. The menu consists of carefully selected quality products and fresh fish. Nakashita takes its inspiration from traditional Japanese inns, and updates them with a commitment and dedication to creating new flavors and tastes. Food is accompanied by a choice of wine, beer or excellent Japanese sake. Nakashita is a family-friendly place, where everyone is welcomed. Typical dishes include spicy maguro, sushi omakase and sashimi.
