Once a simple rice dish made from leftovers, is now Spain’s most famous culinary food. You won’t have a hard finding a place that serves paella. However finding a place where you can eat an authentic paella is not so evident. And let’s be honest, of all things you should definitely eat in Barcelona, a traditional, good paella is one of them. Even though paella originates from Valencia, citizens of Barcelona have developed their own version of the paella recipe, featuring seafood. So don’t miss out and learn about the best paella restaurants in Barcelona.
FYI: Paella is a lunchtime meal in Spain. But no worries, lots op places also serve it as dinner.
Are you ready to immerse yourself in the world of paella? Do you like the idea of attacking the big pan with your friends or family? Don’t mind putting your last effort into scraping out the pan to taste that heavenly crust at the bottom of the pan? Then you are ready to get cracking with the lemon and aioli soon while devouring an authentic paella!
Some things to know about paella
- The “soccarat” is the roasted rice on the bottom of the pan that has the most flavour.
- A busy paella restaurant on Thursday? Not so strange since it is the traditional day to eat paella in Spain.
- Avoid restaurants with picture cards! You can be sure, you won’t be served authentic paella there. Chances are you’ll even get a deep-frozen one.
- Keep in mind that you can only order paella starting from 2 people in proper paella restaurants.
- The prices indicated for the paella are per person. So you have to multiply that at least by two.
Best places for paella in Barcelona
Xiringuito Escribà
Known for its delicious paella de Marisco and superb vegetarian paella, this place is desired by both tourists and locals. This “xiringuito” is located directly on Bogatell beach which provides a wonderful view of the sea. Perfect for those romantic nights out or to take a break from your day at the beach during the hottest time of the day. Another reason, we highly recommend this fine place is that the paella can be ordered per person. It’s true that normally this would be a red flag but this one is the exception to the rule. Also, be sure to keep some room so you can still enjoy the delicious desserts the family Escribà makes. Don’t forget to make a reservation in advance!
Address: Avenida del Litoral, 62, 08005 Barcelona
Price class: €€€
Opening hours: Everyday 12:00-22:30
Can Solé
This place full of history has been around for more than 110 years and is now run by the fourth generation. At first it was a fishermen’s tavern and now it’s the place to be when it comes to stew rice dishes in the city. It’s a classic marine cuisine in Barceloneta that has a great reputation and is recommended by a lot of locals. On the walls, pictures of happy customers over the years are framed as proof of it. How could it be any other way? At this restaurant, you can eat all the traditional paellas made from fresh ingredients. The so-called secos and caldosos!
Address: Carrer de Sant Carles, 4, 08003 Barcelona
Price class: €€€
Opening hours: Monday closed, Tuesday to Thursday 13:00-16:00 and 20:00-23:00, Friday and Saturday 13:00-16:00 and 20:30-23:00, Sunday 13:00-16:00
Cheriff
The people that ate a paella at Cheriff, swear by it. Certainly their fish paellas have lots of fans that will say it’s the best paella they’ve ever eaten. Just like Can Solé, you can find this restaurant in the neighbourhood of La Barceloneta. Wonder why there’s so many great paella places there? It’s the seaside location of course! Thanks to the good and long-term connections with fishermen, they are able to strike up the freshest seafood and offer it to their customers. That’s why you should definitely try out their lobster paella and fresh seafood tapas.
Address: Carrer de Ginebra, 15, 08003 Barcelona
Price class: €€€
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 13:00-16:00 and 20:00-00:00, Friday to Sunday 13:00-00:00
7 portes
Event though this fancy restaurant has a lengthy menu and therefore a lot of options to choose from, more than 70% of the people pick the fabulous paella Parellada. And that’s for a good reason. This paella comes full package. Monkfish, mussels, squid, lobster, minced pork, “botifarra” sausage and rabbit are the ingredients that will make you feast on this paella. Doesn’t this get you all excited? No worries. There are still mouth-watering other options like the seafood-only paella which is – just like the Parellada – peeled in advance. When you visit this restaurant – which was once a favourite of the one and only Pablo Picasso – you’ll immediately find yourself in the Casablanca atmosphere due to the live piano music. Because of that, expect slightly higher prices.
Address: Passeig d’Isabel II, 14, 08003 Barcelona
Price class: €€€
Opening hours: 13:00-01:00
La mar salada
You can probably guess it already but this restaurant is also located in La Barceloneta. Making it the perfect spot, to not only get a hold on authentic paellas but also on top quality seafood. They value respectful treatment of their products and bring in fresh fish every single morning. With that, they set to work serving up creative dishes. The star dishes on the menu are the “paella del senyoret” with the catch of the day and the black rice with artichokes and cuttlefish. Don’t forget to leave some space for their praiseworthy desserts as well!
Address: Passeig de Joan de Borbó, 58, 59, 08003 Barcelona
Price class: €€
Opening hours: Tuesday closed, Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 13:00-16:00, 20:00-23:00, Sunday 13:00-16:30
Barraca
Barraca’s slogan reads “Rice and Sea”. This means they specialize mainly in paellas. However, this beautiful restaurant – with its lovely terrace on the beachfront of Barceloneta – also offers a range of tapas, delicious appetizers and locally caught fish. On the menu, you’ll find 6 different paellas made with a gourmet touch. What makes these rice dishes so delicious are the organic products that are locally-sourced. Will you be people-watching with views on Passeig Marítim at this restaurant overseen by two-Michelin-starred chef Xavier Pellicer?
Address: Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 1, 08003 Barcelona
Price class: €€
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 13:00-16:00 and 20:00-23:00, Saturday and Sunday 13:00-16:30 and 20:00-23:00
Martinéz
For this one we leave Barceloneta behind us and we head for the mountains of Montjuic. Why? Because on top, the luxurious “mountain bar” Martinéz is located. This establishment provides a dreamlike panoramic view of the city, Tibidabo Mountain and the Mediterranean sea. These are fantastic sights to enjoy while you feast on your authentic paella. The menu features a variety of paellas as well as fideuàs with products obtained from La Boqueria market. Definitely go for the “arroz Martinéz” which is a traditional Valencian paella that contains rabbit and chicken. It’s a dish to die for!
Address: Ctra. de Miramar, 38, 08038 Barcelona
Price class: €€€
Opening hours: Everyday 13:00-00:00, but kitchen work only 13:00-16:00 and 19:00-22:30
Cheap paella?
Most of the time if you are ordering paella and it’s cheap it is this frozen one, but dont worry we know also about a few places with cheap paella :)) Here are some tips:
- Bar Rodrigo, address: Carrer de l’Argenteria, 67, 08003 Barcelona
- Restaurant Bodega John, address: Carrer del Rosselló, 164, 08036 Barcelona
Different types of paella
- Paella valenciana: this original paella recipe was born in Valencia. It includes chicken, rabbit, green beans and is cooked in chicken broth with saffron and paprika.
- Paella del señorito: It’s a Barcelona seafood paella, cooked with squid, langoustines and clams.
- Fideuà: Catalan dish, similar to paella, with short noodles instead of rice. It can be made in any of the traditional paella styles.
- Paella de marisco: A traditional Spanish paella that includes roasted red peppers, peas, clams, mussels, and prawns cooked in a seafood broth.
- Paella mixta: A surf and turf paella that includes chicken breast, prawns, pork ribs and clams.
- Arroz negro: This one is very similar to the paella de marisco. With the difference that it gets prepared with squid ink. Hence, the black colour.
Now you probably know where to go for the best paella restaurants in Barcelona. Still have doubts? Find something to your own liking along the seaside in Barceloneta to be served a tasty paella. Whatever you do, never eat a paella on Las Ramblas, it is never authentic.
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