9 restaurants in the Left Eixample where you can (still) eat Catalan cuisine

BarcelonaThe Left of the Eixample in Barcelona is a neighborhood with its own life, but whoever walks through it at lunchtime knows that finding a plate of Catalan cuisine among so much brunch, poke and franchise offerings is increasingly difficult. The offerings have multiplied, yes, but not always in favor of those looking for a fricandó, some well-made bravas, or a Sunday rice dish.

That's why we have selected nine restaurants where Catalan cuisine is present in very diverse ways: from the bodega with queues on the street to the tavern of a Michelin-starred chef, through cooperatives, traditional bars, and new establishments that have already earned a place in the neighborhood. Nine proposals and two extras that are worth considering.

Gelida and Migrat

Six hundred people a day queue at the corner of Urgell with Diputació to eat dishes like chickpeas with hard-boiled eggs, sardines with battered eggplant, fricandó, or capipota. The bar bodega Gelida is an institution with wine boots on the walls and Barça memorabilia, where Albert Llopart and his son Gerard have fed generations of neighbors at prices that defy logic. In 2024, furthermore, they also opened Migrat, just across the pedestrian crossing, with the same cuisine and the same soul, but with more space. If you find a queue at Gelida, cross the street.

Thursday Bar

A cooperative of twenty-five partners has opened a bar on Consell de Cent street where ganxet beans, fricandó with chanterelles, and cod esqueixada are cooked with the rigor of someone who takes it seriously. Chef Joan Vallès, who previously ran El Gegant in Poblenou, has designed a menu that champions the hearty breakfast and traditional main courses. You'll find bulk wine in half-liter pitchers and a midday set menu formula that allows you to eat very well for a few euros. They are open from Wednesday to Sunday.

Clínic Tavern

The tubular bravas potatoes with a heart filled with brava sauce are the dish everyone orders at Carrer Rosselló 155, but it would be unfair to reduce it to eighteen years of cooking. Chef Toni Simôes took over the kitchen at a young age to help his father and has never left it. The fine roasted duck cannelloni with mushrooms, the oxtail stewed with Priorat wine, and the tripe with pork head are unmovable classics. For those seeking adventure, the grilled hake cockles with pil-pil or the surf and turf of langoustines with deboned pig's trotter are off the script with very high marks.

Trü

Artur Martínez, a Michelin-starred chef from l'Aürt, has a tavern on Còrsega street that he describes as informal and less academic. Don't trust the word informal: dishes like thyme consommé, green "xatonada" with spinach, sprouts, and anchovy, or the farmer's omelet in "capipota" juice reclaim regional cuisine with impeccable execution. The desserts, by Mar Ibáñez, include feats like a hot cream "xuixo" that is worth the entire meal. They serve dinner every day except Sundays, and on Fridays and Saturdays, they also open for lunch.

Fiero House

If you see a man looking at macaroni with three-meat roast gratinated with cheese as if it were the first dish of his life, you are probably at London street 89. Casa Fiero is the second restaurant of the partners of Maleducat de Sant Antoni, and they have brought the spirit of dipping bread with a menu that includes noodles in a casserole with sausage and cod, pork ear with roast juice, and cheeks with chickpeas and mushrooms. The space, designed with a well-executed retro vibe, hides monologues by Pepe Rubianes and jokes by Eugenio in the bathroom.

Glug

Beatrice Casella and Ivan Garcia opened Glug on the corner of Viladomat and París with the idea of cooking together as they are: she Italian, he Catalan. The result is an honest fusion that includes gordal olives stuffed with roast chicken "a la manresana", large croquettes made with whole macaroni, and mackerel with escarole and bagna calda. They were chosen as the best chefs in Catalonia at the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona and they often renew the menu so that regular customers always find something new. The bar with white and red squares is the place to have a good time.

77 Kilos

Gerard Cuartero and Sara Di Bari run this restaurant on Mallorca street where the menu, handwritten by her, changes according to the season. Both worked at La Panxa del Bisbe in Gràcia and have brought the same solvency to the Eixample in the form of small sharing plates. The croquettes are iconic and Sara knows a lot about wines, and she likes to recommend them glass by glass. It's a discreet place, with very reasonable prices, designed for going with someone you want to talk to.

Pepa Wine Bar

At Aribau street 41 there is a small place where Camila Espinoza, owner and sommelier, perfectly remembers what you drank the last time you visited. El Pepa serves small plates for sharing: a foolproof Russian salad, ensaimada with Ricotta, sobrasada and honey, eggs with broad beans and crumbled white sausage. It is one of the favorite spots of Barcelona's celebrities, as evidenced by the Polaroid photographs hanging on the walls. A tip: go with a reservation and without rushing, because at El Pepa you know when you enter, but not when you leave.

Joy Bar

The truffle trout and the bikini that transports you to childhood are two of the dishes that have turned this establishment on Conde Borrell street 133 into a meeting point for vermouth lovers. Bar Alegría, which has over a century of history, is run with style by Tomás Abellán. It is a place with a lot of past and a lot of life in the present.

Two extra options beyond Catalan cuisine

Maitea Taberna

Basque tavern on Casanova street 155, near Hospital Clínic, which solves practically any situation: large groups, impromptu dinners, celebrations or a day when you can't be bothered to cook. You will find classic pintxos such as Arbizu's chistorra and cod omelette, but also good Catalan products such as Cal Rovira's butifarra del perol. They have an enviable wine cellar and prepare group menus so you only have to worry about eating.

Yipin Lanzhou Noodles

An authentic Chinese restaurant on Calabria street 110, between Gran Vía and Diputación, where the owner, Xiaomei Gao, prepares handmade Lanzhou noodles with a broth of spices that once you've tried, you'll miss. Grilled lamb and beef skewers are the other specialty. At lunchtime, a queue forms on the street, especially of young people of Chinese origin, which is always a good sign. It's a very economical place, suitable for all budgets, and you order by QR code as they do in China.