Restaurants

Barcelona is the right place for Catalonia's diverse cuisine. Having been influenced by other Mediterranean countries, like France and Italy, over the years Catalan cuisine features lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, pork and veal.

Some suggestions on what to try: cold meats (embutidos) of all sorts, especially pork sausages (butifarra), the staple dish butifarra amb mongetes is a stew of pork sausage and white beans, Escudella, a traditional stew made with sausage, chickpeas, pasta and a giant pork meatball. Usually made for Christmas time and followed by crema catalana, a sweet egg custard topped with caramelized sugar that has become a popular dessert throughout Spain.

For fish eaters there is the Zarzuela, seafood casserole that originated in Barcelona and spread to other parts of the country. Also Bacallà a la llauna, cod cooked in a tin dish.

During summer try escalibada, red peppers mixed with aubergines and onions, and esqueixada, red peppers with cod and onions.

Traditional Catalan restaurants along with places featuring regional cuisine from other parts of Spain include Ca l'Isidre, Botafumeiro Moncho and Casa Leopoldo.

Basque cuisine is served in Taberna Vasca Irati and Zure Etxea.

For seafood and paella check Can Ramonet and Set Portes.

For bullfighting memorabilia, try Los Toreros on Calle Xuclà, close to Las Ramblas.

There's also a variety of eating places serving Italian, Chinese, North African, Middle Eastern and Mexican dishes along with trendy designer restaurants, such as Dong Lin, Restaurant Jiu, Shojiro, Al Passatore, Cuixart, Los Inmortales, El Rodizio, and Thaï Gardens.