The Top 10 Spots To Try Authentic Catalan Cuisine

As with most good places in the city, La Pepita is hard to get a table at, but luckily they’ve opened up a sister bar next door called La Cava, their own take on the vermuteria. This means there’s more food to love and hopefully a shorter wait list. At both, they offer their classic small plates, as well as a changing menu del dia. La Pepita specializes in their pepitas, an open-faced tartine with decidedly un-Catalan toppers like smoked salmon and dill or blood sausage with apple. Nevertheless, you’ll find a number of regional dishes like fried eggs with artichokes and cured ham, mussels cured in a vinegary sauce called escabetx, and boquerons which are anchovies marinated in vinegar. The latter is a dish that actually hails from the south of Spain but one that nevertheless makes most Catalans swoon. The gin and tonics are another specialty of the house, so make sure to leave room for one or maybe two.

La Pepita, Carrer de Còrsega 343, Barcelona, Spain, +34 932 38 48 93

It’s not a bad idea to head to Jordi Cruz’s restaurant, Ten’s, at the Park Hotel in the Born neighborhood. The menu is a lively play on the traditional with fairly modern touches. Despite clear Asian influences, there are plenty of locally sourced delights like oysters from the Delta del Ebre. These are served up with a local arbequina olive oil, apple and celery or perfectly prepared octopus served alongside a potato puree served under a glass cloche infused with wood smoke. Try the lobster rice, which is made extra decadent with a topping of foie gras. Or, keep it simple with a coca bread served up in the most Catalan of ways, with fresh tomato and a drizzle of local olive oil. While the desserts are hard to pass up, it’s a good idea to try the cheese plate for dessert.

Ten’s, Carrer del Rec 79, Barcelona, Spain, +34 933 19 22 22