BotafumeiroCity/Region: Barcelona
Widely considered to be the best seafood restaurant in Barcelona, Botafumeiro consistently presents the finest regional cuisine of Galicia and prides itself on the freshness of its fish, clams, mussels, lobster, crayfish and scallops, which are either kept in large tanks near the entrance or flown in daily from Galicia. The impeccable treatment of customers and the private atmosphere makes this a perfect dining experience for both business and pleasure. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Reservations essential.
Address: El Gran de Gràcia
81
Website: www.botafumeiro.es
Can GaigCity/Region: Barcelona
An old favorite, Can Gaig was started in 1869 by the great grandmother of the present owner as a travelers' inn and today its stylish appearance retains an old hospitable atmosphere that is celebrated for the quality of its market-fresh ingredients. Cuisine is based on traditional Catalán home cooking that the chef combines with modern, innovative ideas. The menu includes specialties like roast partridge with Iberian ham, as well as game and seafood dishes that are complimented with an impressive wine list. Desserts are also superb. Lunch daily, dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Closed in August.
Address: Carrer Arago 214
Website: www.restaurantgaig.com
AgutCity/Region: Barcelona
For almost a century this restaurant has been a family-run business and today the homey atmosphere still welcomes with its old-fashioned wooden panelling, and time-tested culinary fare. Catalán paintings from the 1950s serve as reminders of Agut's time as a meeting place for artists and writers. The hearty food includes such dishes as sweet and sour wild duck, layers of pastry filled with Catalán sausage and mushrooms, or monkfish with prawns, while desserts are light and creative. Not to be confused with the Agut d'Avignon restaurant nearby. Closed Monday; no dinner on Sunday. Closed in August.
Address: Gignàs 16, Ciutat Vella (Gothic Quarter)
Jean Luc FiguerasCity/Region: Barcelona
On the short list of Barcelona's top restaurants, Jean Luc Figueras ensures that the 19th-century townhouse continues to produce an award-winning cuisine by using only the freshest in-season ingredients. The Catalán dishes are enhanced with a subtle French emphasis, with a prominence of seafood on the menu evident in outstanding creations such as the fried prawn and ginger pasta in a mango and mustard sauce. Menus change frequently but the meat dishes like the pork with goat's cheese and peach honey are good and the selection of homemade breads and sumptuous desserts must be sampled. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Reservations essential.
Address: Santa Teresa 10
Jaume de ProvençaCity/Region: Barcelona
Celebrity chef Jaume Bargués has developed a well-earned reputation for deliciously original variations on traditional Catalán cuisine blended with southern French cooking. A favorite of the King of Spain this cosy restaurant features tempting dishes such as sole stuffed with seafood; mushrooms and oloroso sauce, Fillet with truffle sauce and Madeira wine or rabbit loins. The extensive wine list covers Spain, France and Catalonia. Closed Monday, Sunday evening.
Address: Provença 88
Website: http://www.jaumeprovenza.com/
Can MajóCity/Region: Barcelona
On the beachfront, Can Majó serves delicious seafood that can be enjoyed on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. Specialties include paella, but the fish is also superb. Choose from a daily catch including barnacles, prawns, crab, oysters and clams. Reservations required. Closed Monday. No dinner Sundays.
Address: Almirall Aixada 23, Barceloneta
Website: www.canmajo.com
OvisoCity/Region: Barcelona
One of the many unassuming sidewalk café-bars on Placa George Orwell in the Gothic Quarter, Oviso offers reasonably priced food and an intimate, bohemian ambiance. Good for breakfast or an afternoon snack, this bar restaurant often serves as a place to begin a night out or to end a long day. Great for people watching, Oviso attracts many artists and students and is a good choice for idling away a few hours in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Expect to pay only EUR7 for a soup and a main.
Address: 5 Calle de Arai, Placa George Orwell
RubiCity/Region: Barcelona
Not called Rubi for nothing, this vibrant restaurant and nightspot is ideal for couples and friends looking for a chic but understated modern restaurant. With bright crimson booths, an elegant bar and high ceilings, Rubi has become one of Barcelona's quintessential nightspots. In true Barcelona style, Rubi is friendly and laid back. Serving contemporary fusion cuisine made from only the freshest produce from local markets, Rubi also bakes homemade breads and deserts. After 11.30pm the restaurant shifts gears and the venue is transformed into a groovy bar with Latin American and funk tunes, heating things up a little. Open for dinner, Tuesday to Sunday.
Address: Calle Banys Vells, 6 bis
Petit SafraCity/Region: Barcelona
A great place for a wholesome lunch, Petit Safra is the sister restaurant of Safra 18, sharing a similar character and good quality Mediterranean and Catalan cuisine. With affordable lunches (three course set menu EUR9.50) and a winelist with over 50 local wines, diners could spend a few hours enjoying the hospitality of this small Barra Gòtic gem. Enjoy pasta elbows with ham, black olives, walnuts and cream or prawn kebabs with saffron au gratin. Boasting homemade deserts, sample the yogurt mouse with mango coulis or famous chocolate crepes with ice cream to name a few.
Address: Santa Caterina Market
AmalteaCity/Region: Barcelona
Serving creative vegetarian cuisine, with dishes from all over the world and a keen eye for presentation, Amaltea is a well-known and frequented Barcelona vegetarian eatery. The décor is stylish but down to earth, ensuring that the all the limelight is afforded to the colorful dishes of food that emerge out of the kitchen. For lunch there is a choice of four starters, mains and various house deserts with a fixed menu of EUR10. Open for lunch and supper, Monday to Saturday.
Address: Diputació 164
OnofreCity/Region: Barcelona
A classy but affordable tapas establishment in the Gothic Quarter, Onofre will get wine and cheese lovers' hearts racing. Combining only the good things in life, food and wine, patrons of Onofre can expect an unhurried afternoon sampling different varieties of red and white wine, accompanied with boards of cheese, Iberian ham and pates. The lofty restaurant has a sophisticated air, combining the décor of a traditional wine bar and café. Meals are carefully created and beautifully presented and can include goat's cheese, tomato and anchovy salad, tuna carpaccio and mouth watering profiteroles. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Address: Magdalenes 19
Sobrino de BotinCity/Region: Madrid
Immortalised by the final two pages of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises when Jake invites Brett to Botin for the Segovian specialty, the Sobrino de Botin has been captivating locals and foreigners for over 200 years. Something of a Madrid institution, Sobrino de Botin is a family run restaurant that has eclipsed three generations, carrying over its friendly customer service ethic. With much of the décor still pertaining to the original restaurant, patrons look into the open kitchen which houses a charcoal hearth, hanging copper pots and an 18th century tile oven used especially for roasting suckling pig, one of the house specialties. Try that, the Segovian Lamb, baked Cantabrian hake or the fillet mignon with potatoes. A desert favorite is strawberries with whipped cream, if in season. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended.
Address: Calle de Cuchilleros 17
Website: www.botin.es
Taberna ToscanaCity/Region: Madrid
A friendly tapas restaurant with charming Spanish décor adorning the white walls, Taberna Toscana has the all the characteristics of a village restaurant with legs of hams hanging from above the bar, earthenware jars containing chilled sangria and colorful plates and an assortment of framed photographs decorating the walls. An authentic tapas restaurant, guests can choose from a range of small dishes to have in succession, accompanied with fresh bread and a standard wine list, although most guests opt for a glass of sangria. A dining experience that encourages a leisurely pace, patrons should try the chorizo, snails in hot sauce or kidneys in sherry sauce. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday.
Address: Manuel Fernández y Gonzales 10
JockeyCity/Region: Madrid
A favorite of international celebrities, diplomats, and heads of state, Jockey has been serving up gourmet Spanish cuisine for over four decades and has carried its dedication to customer service and quality produce over the years. A recipient of a Michelin star, this superb Madrid restaurant is ideal for a special occasion. A small but sophisticated restaurant, Jockey extends over two levels with wood panelled walls, white linen tablecloths and turquoise suede seating. Recommended dishes are the sea bass, lamb a la Provencal and marinated partridge. With a wine list of over 600 wines from different regions across the globe and a mouth-watering desert menu, a night at Jockeys is a gastronomic experience you won't forget. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Address: Amador de los Ríos 6
La BolaCity/Region: Madrid
A blood red façade used to be commonplace with fashionable restaurants in Madrid and La Bola is one of the last restaurants in the city to don one. Initially operating as a wine shop in 1802, this family owned restaurant has been passed down over seven generations and continues charming visitors with its olde worlde décor of aging velvet, Spanish tiles, lace curtains and cosy nooks. Although attracting quite a touristy crowd, La Bola guarantees affordable prices and homemade dishes packed with flavor. Some house specialties include grilled sole, fillet of veal, Basque-style hake and grilled salmon. A traditional favorite is Madrileno cocido, a slow-cooked meat dish prepared in earthenware pots on a wood fire. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for dinner only.
Address: Calle de la Bola 5
WagabooCity/Region: Madrid
A great modern restaurant that offers cool interiors, good food, attentive service, affordable prices and consistency, Wagaboo is a good bet for lunch or dinner in Madrid. Specialising in pasta and noodles, Wagaboo has a great selection of contemporary Italian and Asain cuisine. The stylish industrial interior of exposed brick and piping is complimented with chic modern lighting, red leather seating and shiny dark wood tables. Contemporary art and photography adorn the walls and the glassed-in kitchen allow patrons to see the pasta and noodles being handmade. Try an Asian stirfry, tuna pasta salad, spring rolls or thin crust pizza with pesto, cherry tomatoes, arugula, feta and parmaham. Finish off any meal with some refreshing fruit sorbet. There are four Wagaboos in Madrid and all are open for daily for lunch and dinner.
Address: Calle Gravina 18, Chueca
La BrocheCity/Region: Madrid
With a white minimalist setting, designer cutlery and large windows onto the street, La Broche has been designed so that the only color in the restaurant exudes from your plate. Opened in February 2000 in the Hotel Miguel Angel, Catalan chef Sergi Arola uses his gastronomic creative wizardry to compose dishes that are unique and unforgettable. Even the freshly baked bread that is placed on the table is offered with four different olive oils. A perfect location for a special celebration or important business meeting, La Broche's menu offer a variety of haute cuisine from a carpaccio of wild mushrooms to escargots and salmon risotto. A recipient of two Michelin stars, visitors looking for creative Spanish cuisine should head to La Broche. Don't forget to look at the desert menu. Open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended.
Address: Calle Miguel Angel 29-31
BazaarCity/Region: Madrid
A good restaurant for a laidback luncheon or dinner with friends, Bazaar serves low-price creative Mediterranean food in a trendy environment. Priding itself on fresh produce and modern cuisine, Bazaar serves dishes such as thinly sliced tuna served with mango chutney and tender ox with parmesan and rocket. With racks filled with oils, wines and various fripperies, Bazaar has an initial delicatessen feel to it. Follow the large staircase to the dining area with cream leather banquettes and windows overlooking the streets of Chueca, ideal for people watching. The affordable menu is displayed as a list of dishes with no definition between starters, mains and deserts and is complimented with a wide-ranging wine list. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Address: Calle Libertad 21
ChicCity/Region: Madrid
A small wine bar situated oppostie the Royal Opera House in Madrid, Chic serves seasonal cuisine with a new daily menu, priding itself on fresh produce and innovative combinations. Located in a long low-lit cellar, the restaurant is made of up three rooms, the cool bar area with crisp light colors, the first dining area with cream walls and crimson tablecloths and the second dining area with olive green walls, exposed brick and white linen tableclothes. Compliment your Iberian nouvelle cuisine with one of the wines from the cellar or snack on some tapas before headin out to the opera or one of the many bustling bars in the area. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Address: Calle Campomanes 5
Casa PacoCity/Region: Madrid
Maintaining its olde worlde charm, quality dishes and unpretentious ambiance, Casa Paco is a favorite of Madrilenos and foreigners who have been visiting Madrid for over thirty years. A superb steak house, meat at this taverna is ordered by weight and the Casa Paco Solomilo (fillet steak) is a firm favorite, best accompanied with chips, a fresh salad and local red wine. For those looking for some variety, the sole and baby lamb are also first-rate dishes. The tiled dining room and traditional décor at Casa Paco add to the homegrown atmosphere, as does the old fashioned bar, natural sidra (cider) and conscientious service. Start with a garlic soup or chorizo a la sidra. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Address: Puerta Cerrada 11
Café BalearCity/Region: Madrid
For the best paella and a quality selection of cavas (Catalan champagne-type wine) that compliment this traditional dish, Café Balear is the place. A traditional Spanish eatery, Café Balear serves a variety of superb paella, vegetable and seafood dishes. The elegant dining room is simply decorated with cushy white linens and curtains, lifted by art prints and potted palms. Attentive staff and a friendly atmosphere add to the appeal of Café Balear, as do the main specialties of Caldereta de Langosta (seafood and lobster casserole), Paella de Centollo (crab-based paella), Arroz Negro (rice with squid in its own ink) and the standard Paella Mixta (paella with seafood, pork and mixed vegetables). Open daily for lunch and Tuesday to Saturday for dinner.
Address: Sagunto 18 near Plaza de Chamberi
