Best Paella in Barcelona
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Are you wondering where to get the best Paella in Barcelona? When you are traveling and want to enjoy the culinary delights of your destination often it can be difficult to find just the best place to go. It can be tedious to compare reviews and best-of-lists. But no worries, I have done all the research for you and am happy to present my findings on where to get the best Paella in Barcelona!
First things first. We have to acknowledge that Paella is originally from Valencia. Not only is it famous for Paella, but many other fun things to do in Valencia make it worth adding a night or two to your Spain itinerary. In Valencia, locals will tell you that real Paella is made with a limited number ingredients. If you add anything else, you are not making Paella, but arroz (meaning a rice dish).
Paella in Barcelona
However, many skilled chefs make delicious Paella in Barcelona as well. And as much as the authentic paella is a treat, sometimes you may want a fresh twist on a traditional dish.
Naturally, tastes are different and what may be the best dish for one person, may not be for another. That’s one of the reasons why food bloggers just cannot seem to agree on where to get the best paella in Barcelona.
Many guides will tell you, if you want good Paella, go down to the sea, go to Barceloneta. The neighborhood is famous for seafood and charming on top of that. Your google search will likely confirm that notion. But the list also features the best Paella in Eixample.
Having compared reviews on Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, Foursquare and Timeout I did find overlap, though. Some restaurants keep coming up top in reviews. These are what I base the top 5 selection in this article on. So, let’s dig in!
Top 5 Barcelona Paella Restaurants
1. 7 Portes
7 Portes (Seven doors) has been an institution in Barcelona since 1836. That means it’s older than Antoni Gaudi and modernism. And to this day, they spoil their guests with fresh, local ingredients and what we would now call Slow Food. You will find authentic Catalan dishes on their menu, but also notice the international influence that came with time.
While they adapted their menu to the tastes of each generation, it also features some of those traditional dishes. Amongst them one of the dishes they are most famous for: Paella.
7 Portes is more than just a restaurant. Poetry recitals, concerts, book presentations other forms of culture find a venue here as well. It’s the deep dive into Catalan culture and cuisine.
Location & contact
Passeig Isabel II, 14.
Barcelona 08003
+34 93 319 30 33
reserves@7portes.com
@7Portes
Opening hours
Monday to Sunday from 1pm to 12am
2. Arume
Food so good, even the New York Times wrote about it, Arume brings Galician cuisine to Barcelona. The location is as off-the-beaten-path: the house in which writer Manuel Vazquez Montalban was born gets to welcome diners in Raval.
The seafood in their Paella comes from Galicia, just as the founders of the restaurant. Galicia, the province at the northwest corner of Spain, is famous for Santiago de Compostella, especially amongst long distance hikers #caminodesantiago
Location & contact
Carrer d’en Botella, 11
08001 Barcelona
+34 933 154 872
info@arumerestaurant.com
@arumebarcelona @arumerestaurant
Opening hours
Wednesday and Thursday: 7pm to 11pm
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 1pm to 3pm / 7pm to 11pm
3. Barraca
Barraca opened its doors in 2013, in a prime location on the beach of Barceloneta. Very spacious for this neighborhood, it offers two floors: a terrace on the ground floor and modern dining room with views of the sea on the top floor.
The famous chef Xavier Pellicer and his colleagues are committed to locally grown produce, fresh local seafood and organic ingredients. Healthy and with low environmental impact – what’s not to love?
Location & contact
Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 1
08003 Barcelona
+34 930 180 801
@barracabarcelona
Opening hours
Wednesday to Saturday: 1pm to 4pm and 8pm to 11pm
Sunday to Tuesday: 1pm to 4pm
4. La Mar Salada
Admittedly, the sheer number of restaurants on Passeig de Joan de Borbó is overwhelming. Most of them are the kind that want to lure you in with pictures of their food, chatty hosts on the sidewalk and tourist friendly menus in six different languages. It’s not easy to know where you may find good food. The answer is: La Mar Salada.
The fish and seafood here comes straight from the fish auction, 327 steps away (they counted!) – it doesn’t get more local and fresh than that! Picture local fishermen going out in the morning in their little boats and returning in the afternoon with the catch of the day to the port of Barceloneta. Restaurant owners await their goods upon their return and take it directly to the kitchen where within a day it will be cooked. That is La Mar Salada.
Location & contact
Pg. de Joan de Borbó, 58-59
08003 Barcelona
+34 93 221 2127 // +34 93 221 1015
@restlamarsalada
Opening hours
Monday from 1pm to 3.45pm and 8pm to 10.45pm
Tuesday closed
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 1pm to 3.45pm and 8pm to 10.45pm
Saturday from 1pm to 4:15pm and 8pm to 10.45pm
Sunday from 1pm to 4:15pm
5. Micu Maku
Yeah yeah, they’re all different. But this one is really different. A life size gorilla statue welcomes you at the door, presenting the menu. Black painted walls give it a more cozy vibe than the light and airy sea front white dining rooms of La Barceloneta.
Micu Maku in the Eixample neighborhood is the epitome of listening to guest feedback and putting it into action, from design choices to the menu. They adapt, they chance, they make it better, since 2014. Paella is one of the dishes most in demand at Micu Maku.
It’s a place you go to for service with heart, for a welcoming atmosphere, for feeling part of something no matter where in the world you are from.
Location & contact
Carrer d’Aribau, 22
08011 Barcelona
+34 931 58 41 98
+34 931 58 41 98
info@micumaku.es
@micumaku
Opening hours
Monday to Sunday 12pm to 11:45pm
Honourable Mentions
Based on my personal experience at the following restaurants I would like to add three contenders from Google’s top 10 “best paella Barcelona” list. You may not find them at the top of every review list, but these are where the locals go, inlcuding myself. Sunday lunches are a big family affair in Catalonia, you’ll be lucky to get a table.
Can Ramonet
On the quieter side of the central square of Barceloneta sits Can Ramonet. Their story started in 1753 and the place feels historic and updated at the same time. The terrace is busy even in the winter months, when they add gas fires to keep guests warm, travelers and locals alike love their seafood dishes.
Location & contact
Maquinista 17
08003 Barcelona
+34 933 193 064
@ramonetdelabarceloneta
Opening hours
From Mondays to Sundays from 1pm to 11pm
El Nou Ramonet
El Nou Ramonet is the young, modern version of Can Ramonet, located around the corner. You wouldn’t walk past this place by chance, a few blocks from the beach and all the main roads. It’s great for groups with its spacious interior that can be devided up into smaller spaces as needed.
When Can Ramonet was bursting out of its seems, El Nou Ramonet was born. The well-kept secrets of the chefs were shared of course so that the cooking from the start of the restaurant has been at the same level as its sister property but it’s still a hidden gem. In the most geographic meaning of the phrase.
Location & contact
Carrer Carbonell, 5
08003 Barcelona
+34 93 268 33 13
@ramonetdelabarceloneta
Opening hours
From Mondays to Sundays from 1pm to 12am
El Cheriff
Compared to every other establishment on this list, El Cheriff deems the most elegant in the traditional sense. With a bit of show, white table cloths and traditionally uniformed staff it’s far from the casual tapas place. Even though, from the outside, it blends in with the surrounding bars on Carrer Ginebra in Barceloneta.
Without a doubt, Paella is the dish El Cheriff is most famous for, since the 1950s. The curious name used to be nickname of the first owner, given to him by local friends because of his love for American Western movies. Since then it changed hands and in 2019 underwent a comprehensive renovation.
Currently it is owned by the same restaurant group that also own Elche, which despite its scandinavian sounding name, is rather famous for good Paella itself.
Location & contact
Carrer Ginebra 15
08003 Barcelona
+34 93 319 69 84
@cheriff_restaurant
Opening hours
Monday to Thursday from 1pm to 4pm and 8pm to 12am
Friday to Sunday from 1pm to 12am
Make the best Paella in Barcelona yourself!
Going out is fun. But how much more fun would it be to emerge yourself into the culinary traditions of Barcelona and take a cooking class? You will learn about the ingredients, how to prepare the dish, meet new people and have lots of fun!
Some cooking classes actually include a bit of sightseeing, as they take you to the famous Boqueria Market as part of the experience. I always think they teach you much more than just a recipe. And doesn’t food always taste better when you know it is prepared with love and attention?
Paella Cooking classes
Get the fully experience from shopping to tapas to Paella at these cooking schools in Barcelona! Great for groups and team building as well.
Basic Seafood Paella Recipe
Do you want to recreate the experience yourself in your own kitchen? What better way to cherish the memory of your trip to Barcelona to host a dinner party with home made Paella and tell your friends and family all the exciting stories?
Cooking Paella is about as easy as cooking risotto. If you are feeling adventurous and want to try it out, here’s a basic recipe for four servings.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 tsp each hot smoked paprika, saffron and dried thyme or Paella seasoning
- 300g Arborio rice
- 3 tbsp white wine (optional)
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 900ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 400g frozen seafood mix, defrosted
- 1/2 lemon
- chopped parsely for serving
Preparation
Step 1
In a large frying pan, heat some olive oil and fry onion until translucent, about five minutes.
Step 2
Add the spices and rice and cook for 1 minute, while stirring. Optional: add the white wine. When all the liquid is absorbed, add the chopped tomatoes and vegetable or chicken stock.
Step 3
Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirr occasionally, leaving the pan uncovered.
Step 4
Add the seafood mix and cover. Simmer until the rice in tender and the liquid is absorbed fully. Then add the lemon juice and serve, sprinkled with parsley.
And after you have tasted the best Paella in Barcelona, enjoy a glass of Sangria or wine at one of these rooftop bars in Barcelona.
FAQ
Can you get good paella in Barcelona?
Yes you can! Paella is not originally local to Barcelona, but given the widely available fresh seafood the chefs prepare Paellas both authentic and traditional as well as with a twist, depending on what you prefer to try.
How much is a paella in Barcelona?
Paella is not necessarily a cheap dish, so be prepard to pay anywhere between 15€ and 40€. It is possible to find cheap Paella in Barcelona as well, but local, organic ingredients and fresh seafood have their price, so often you get what you pay for. Also pay attention to the menu, because many times Paella is a large dish meant to be shared and the price may be advertised for two people.
What is paella in Barcelona?
At its core, Paella is a rice dish. Different from Valencia, where Paella would only include specific animal meats, on menus in Barcelona you can find anything from vegetarian to black rice Paella. But don’t tell anybody in Valencia 😉
Where in Spain is paella from?
Paella originates from Valencia, south of Barcelona, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. That is why in its authentic style it is often called Paella Valenciana.
Hopefully this article was useful for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to use the comment section below and let me know. Enjoy your Paella experience in Barcelona!
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