"They looked like sales", one of the Parada Torres workers tells me. And indeed, we are visiting the new establishment of the Torres brothers, Sergio and Javier, just one day after it opened. The space, located within the Santa Caterina Market, is large and open-plan, measuring 440 m²and can accommodate 160 people. It is a place where a high turnover of diners is expected. The kitchen is located, framed by an immense bar that surrounds it. One side faces directly onto the market. In fact, the windows can be opened, and during the hours when the stalls are open, the bar becomes integrated into the life of the market. In the evening, when there is no longer activity at the stalls, it can be closed and operate independently. "Our parents sold the bar so that we could do fine dining, and we wanted Barcelona to have a bar with our vision," says Sergio Torres, who adds that the food has "a Torres touch." The quality-price ratio has been one of our obsessions from the start. And it's true that you can eat without spending too much. "It's the bar we owed to Barcelona," affirms the chef. With this establishment, the brothers have three restaurants: the crown jewel, Cuina Germans Torres, with three Michelin stars, the gastronomic Eldelmar, and now the popular Parada Torres. "A fun place where the food is good," summarizes the chef.

Can Lluís, in the Raval neighbourhood of Barcelona, is a symbol of the changes the city is undergoing. So we visit it to see the state of the establishment, as this Friday the series Ravalejar, by Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez on HBO Max, and in November it will arrive on 3Cat. It so happens that Can Lluís was the restaurant of Rodríguez's family, a historic venue from 1929 from where Peret spread Catalan rumba, where Vázquez Montalbán used to dine, or where Leo Messi stopped during his early years in Barcelona.

Who is Àlex Vall? A boy from a well-to-do neighborhood in Barcelona who, one day, after many years of work, decided to open his own restaurant. His story would not be understood without the figure of Hideki Matsuhisa, owner and chef of Koy Shunka, a benchmark and responsible for his appreciation for Japanese cuisine. Àlex is not a vocational chef, but the hours he dedicated to the trade brought out a talent and vocation that remained hidden.The experience in different cuisines and a scholarship from the Japanese government to work in the Asian country were the triggers for deciding, last June, to move forward with a personal project. Umo Àlex Vall is a restaurant with clear Japanese influences, located on a quiet corner of La Bonanova, where a menu adapted to the product and seasonality is served. Fire is its protagonist. There is only one service and a single bar for twelve diners. Àlex welcomes us and offers a brief explanation of where we are and what will happen during the time we will be seated at an open and comfortable bar, with street light and a very good atmosphere.Let's start! The hassun serves as an appetizer, it is a classic of kaiseki cuisine and represents elements, colors, and different cooking techniques. We continue with the calçot dofu, a taste that reminds us of our cuisine, but with clearly Japanese texture and connotations; sashimi of sea bream from Arenys de Mar; udon with prawn (thick noodle); a marvelous temaki of eel from the Ebro Delta; oshizushi (pressed sushi) of sea bass; futomaki (large and thick roll) of tuna belly, and grilled sea bream head. We pause for a moment to talk about the wine. This time, and we promise it won't happen again for a long time, we opted for an external wine. The chosen one was Julius Höfflin Vulkanstoff 2023, a light and fresh red wine, made mainly with the Spätburgunder variety, from volcanic lands of Kaiserstuhl, in the Baden-Württemberg region, in southwestern Germany. Anyway, the menu offers good options of both local and international wines, as well as a variety of sake.Highest quality

We resume the meal with the chicken skewers: one stuffed wing and the other from the tail. They remind us, very pleasantly, of classic Japanese yakitori. We add to the menu (€85) two dishes that are separate and not included: the angus rib and the fat shrimp temaki (€24). These suggestions are left out of the menu so as not to increase its price, but, despite the cost, we couldn't help but try them. The quality of the product, the presentation, and the good execution mean that we do not consider the price paid to be high. The miso soup and the choco tart conclude a surprising and very high-quality experience.Alex Vall is a calm and apparently pragmatic guy. He has created a very personal proposal, with many possibilities of becoming a benchmark in Barcelona. "At UMO you will eat well and find an atmosphere similar to what you would have at home with a group of friends. It is important that everyone is punctual so that we can all start at the same time and share the sensations that each dish provokes in us", Alex tells us, aware that his proposal is taking root and that it is being talked about. It is not mandatory to interact with the bar neighbors, but the dynamic itself invites it. We have greatly enjoyed the experience and we predict success and recognition for him. They haven't even been open a year and we are already thinking about the day we will return.

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Robert Serna i Mundet is a guy from El Raval. He was born there, lives there, and has his business there. He is self-taught. Talent and effort opened the doors to the world of restoration for him at just twenty-two years old. Since then, he has participated in his own and others' projects, always at the forefront of prestigious kitchens.One day, walking through the old Barri Xino, he discovered a small corner on Requesens street and decided to turn it into his refuge to be happy. Cal Robert opened its doors in 2014. At first it was more of a bar than a restaurant, but eight years ago, with David's arrival in the kitchen, the project found its definitive direction: traditional Catalan cuisine with a touch of Iberian flair. Starters to share and main courses to each one's liking. A simple formula that works if the product and execution are good. The team is as important as the food, and with Marc in the dining room, a small but very efficient team is completed.There are fixed dishes and others (those on the blackboard) that change according to the seasonality of the product. Thus, neither they nor the clients get bored: every day there is something new to taste. We start the meal with some black pudding bags and some chard fritters. We continue with a dish of tripe and some meatballs that comfort us from the outside cold and confirm our success in visiting Robert. Before dessert, a hake tail in the Donostiarra style reconciles us with product cuisine. A cream millefeuille, a meringue and lemon tartlet, and a cheesecake fulfill the purpose of ending the meal.Wine deserves a very remarkable separate chapter. The menu is oral and changing. Robert explains it to us: “We only work with local wines and none cost more than nineteen euros. It makes no sense to spend twenty euros on food and order a seventy euro wine. We are looking for a wine profile with good value for money to be able to offer them at a reasonable price.” We choose a bottle of Un Onzè black wine from the Cal Cabo winery, in Sant Martí de Maldà. They have vineyards in the Corb valley. Sometimes, oil can be as important as food and drink. In the case at hand, we highlight it for its quality. It is from Nalec, the smallest town in Urgell. “My father-in-law is from Nalec. In the mornings I make breakfasts and I try to give an outlet to the oil, the wine and the sausages from there. They are very good!”The universe of Raval

Cal Robert is much more than a bar-restaurant: it is a service to the neighborhood. It collaborates with neighborhood associations and NGOs based in the neighborhood, especially with Pallapupas, the beloved hospital clowns. It has also unofficially become the bar for the Taller de Músics. The clientele comes mainly from Sant Antoni and L'Eixample, as the population of Raval is increasingly diverse and does not always match its gastronomic proposal or the establishment's budget. The average bill is around thirty-five euros per person.Robert is a Raval resident who loves his neighborhood. El Raval has life and color, but this particular universe of Barcelona is often underestimated and feared in equal measure. We take advantage of its geographical location to walk through these streets in the heart of the city. El Raval and Cal Robert show us two of the realities of our country: the diversity of our fellow citizens and the good health of Catalan cuisine. We can be happy.

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The Hotel Palace has an undeniable mystique, as it is a historic enclave in the city of Barcelona. For many, it will always remain the Ritz, and in fact, when you enter, you can't help but look around to see if Xavier Cugat's chihuahua is still lurking. If we are not staying there, we can access it to use its gastronomic offerings. We can go

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Tomás de la Paz, Chilean by birth, will never forget how it all began with Gastón Acurio. “About twenty-five years ago, I showed up at the door of one of his restaurants in Peru, knocked, and blurted out: ‘I want to learn!’”. That audacity, almost unconsciously, changed his life forever. “After three months, he had already sent me to another establishment in Lima… and here I am today,” he recalls with a smile that still holds the spark of that first impulse.

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Let's imagine a good pasta al dente. A cacio e pepe, for example. With the integrated sauce. They bring it in a deep pan and put it directly on your plate with tongs. Succulent, right? Or a beautiful tomato and a mozzarella so sublime that they serve it naked. When something is perfect, the only obligation is not to spoil it. Or a bresaola made of wagyu. It shines with the marbling of the fat. On the side, a raviolo filled with ricotta, truffle and tuorlo (that is, egg yolk). One last example: an eggplant parmigiana with that intense tomato flavor that obligatorily makes you dip bread. All these are some of the dishes that can be tasted since Tuesday at Bottega Bernacca (Carrer de Bonavista, 10), the Italian restaurant that lands in the Gràcia neighborhood and that curiously, unlike what it might seem, comes to us from São Paulo, Brazil. But you will see, dear readers, that everything has a reason.

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“I am a romantic”, Gerard Martí tells me. Probably because I am too, I have enjoyed his proposal so much. Gerard is a young chef, butcher, and whatever else is needed. His family runs the Casanovas butcher shop, at Carrer Calàbria, 113, in Barcelona. It is the fourth generation dedicated to it. They are aware that these are difficult times for the trade. Many artisan butchers are closing and there is no succession. The Martí family, however, have found a way to make the business profitable: combining the butcher shop with a restaurant. And the restaurant in question has turned out to be very surprising and recommendable.

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The restaurant director, Joaquim López, welcomed the diners. It was a special dinner because Xerta, the restaurant that brings a piece of Terres de l'Ebre to Barcelona, is celebrating 10 years since its opening. López is the fourth generation of restaurateurs. In fact, his parents were also among the diners at the establishment located within the Ohla Eixample hotel. The family manages another hotel, Villa Retiro in Xerta, hence the name of the establishment in Barcelona, and there, Joaquim's brother, Fran López, leads the kitchen at the restaurant.

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Congratulations. Twenty years ago, a small restaurant opened next to the Hospital Clínic. It has grown over the years, but we'll get there. Now the concept wouldn't seem innovative, but at the time it certainly was. Pepe Simôes had a bar just a few steps away and decided to open a restaurant, something well-made but informal, and call it La Taverna del Clínic. It was a pleasant place, and the menu will sound familiar because it's the model that has triumphed in Barcelona: expertly prepared tapas (nothing like a mediocre potato salad) to share. Pepe Simôes had a chef lined up, but at the last minute, the deal fell through. And that's how, 20 years ago, his son Toni took over the restaurant. And he has grown it into the landmark it is today.

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Blau i Verd is a restaurant that just opened in the center of Barcelona, ​​on Consell de Cent street, between Rambla Catalunya and Balmes. It's very spacious, and I'd say it's one of those perfect places for large groups and families, or for impromptu meals. Especially if you're a group that needs generous portions. Their model is this: you pay a fixed price (€19.95 for weekday lunches and €29.95 for dinners and weekends) and everything is included. First, you'll find an all-you-can-eat buffet loaded with small bowls of food. These are the starters, designed as individual tapas. There are many types, and you can eat as many as you like. Iberian ham, hummus, anchovy flatbread, flame-grilled escalivada, empedrado, derrama... The restaurant's focus is Mediterranean cuisine. The owners of Blau i Verd are of Chinese origin, and they entrusted chef and neurologist Miguel Sánchez Romera with the role of gastronomic consultant and menu designer. The idea is for everything to be digestible and healthy.

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From the Rosa de Fuego to the conscript revolts. Perhaps it's harder to see now, but Barcelona has always been a rebellious city. A place where not everything has to be the same. Where another way of doing things is possible. Even when the proposed changes are small, modest, but no less relevant for that. Today I'll tell you about an excellent bar-restaurant located on Consell de Cent. On a beautifully designed pedestrian street, filled with options dominated by restaurant chains. Here, in the middle of it all, like Thursday, Bar Jueves was born.

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"I want it to be the place where a bricklayer working next door can come and eat," says Gerard Sans. In times when bars are becoming increasingly rare gourmetizing And therefore, prices go up even though the glasses are still Duralex; it's news that someone has taken A classic, old-fashioned bar that simply wants to serve butifarra sausage with dried beans, cod cooked in a tin, or capipota (a stew of tripe and beans) at a good price. We're at the Veracruz bar-restaurant. The previous owner was there for many years and had kept the name of an even earlier owner, so we'll never know what connection this place has with Mexico. We're on Mallorca Street in Barcelona, ​​between Gerona and Bailén. Surrounded by places to have a good time. brunchThis humble oasis opens with a Voll-Damm tap. Llach and Mishima are playing. Sans says his role model is Gelida. a place that we will never tire of recommendingAs I savor a sublime hake and prawn croquette, I sense an elderly couple behind me (if we never cross paths, dear readers, know that I'm always on the lookout): "I'll spread the word about this place, it's fantastic. If you don't dip bread, you're missing out," she exclaimed to the sea. "Listen to your wife," I think.

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From Aürt to Trü. It sounds like a play on words, but it's all like playing Scrabble with the letters of the name. ArthurThe fact is, chef Artur Martínez can't sit still. He's temporarily closed his Michelin-starred restaurant, Aürt, to find a better, more central location in Barcelona. While that's happening, which is expected by the middle of next year, he's created a new piece of his culinary universe: Trü, a more "informal, dynamic, and less academic" restaurant, according to the chef. Right now, while awaiting the opening of Aürt 2.0, the team working there is the same one that worked at the fine-dining establishment.

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We're in pre-Olympic Barcelona, ​​"they'd barely even opened the Gamba del Mariscal," says Isidre Soler. It was then, 35 years ago, that they started their adventure with Reyes Lizán, his wife. Since then, they've opened the doors of the Tram-Tram restaurant (121 Carrer Major de Sarrià) every single day, despite the various crises and the many ups and downs Barcelona has seen. But they've reached 2026 with the dining room full of regular customers.

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One of the best Peruvian restaurants in the city of Barcelona is Free PeopleLocated on Sepúlveda Street. Its owner, Pablo Ortega, has now opened a second establishment, with a different offering, which should be a must-visit for lovers of [the cuisine]. ceviche And for anyone who has enjoyed—or wants to discover—Peruvian cuisine. It's located in Poble-sec, where the highly successful Mano Rota restaurant once stood.

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Chef Rafa Zafra, of the restaurants Estimar (in Barcelona's Born district) and Amar (inside the Hotel Palace), will open a restaurant in June inside the Tibidabo amusement park after winning the city's competition. It's believed that this could be the highest restaurant in Barcelona. "Right now I don't even know what I'm going to call it, but we're very happy with the project because I want to give back to Barcelona everything it has given me," says a delighted Zafra. The restaurant will have a prime location, with views across Barcelona, ​​and the chef's concept is based on a philosophy: "That children learn to eat like adults, and that parents become like children again." This is the idea he's working with, but construction is currently underway. "We have three months of work planned, but I expect it will be ready in three and a half months," says the Seville-born chef.

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Inside the Hotel Arts, you'll find a restaurant with a life of its own: Enoteca, helmed by chef Paco Pérez. Fans of his restaurant in Llançà, Miramar, know that Pérez excels at rice dishes. And this is the place to experience his work in Barcelona. The Barcelona establishment has begun serving a rice-themed menu on Saturdays at lunchtime. Enoteca is typically a dinner-oriented restaurant; it's only on Saturdays that they take advantage of the natural light in their seaside location to offer this special menu. Named "Paco's Rice," it's proving very popular with locals, who are eager to discover this two-Michelin-starred establishment.

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The decor at Carballeira is designed to transport you to the interior of a ship, but it's clear that you don't come here to sail, but rather to enjoy the finest seafood that Barcelona has to offer. The restaurant opened its doors in 1944 and, despite changes in ownership, has managed to maintain its original essence for over eighty years. Those who have been around for a while will remember that the old Barcelona customs house was located right next door. The sea is very close, as is the mouth of Via Laietana.

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I was looking for a place to eat on Aribau Street and stumbled upon Bar Fischer. It's true that going somewhere without expectations usually works in your favor. When you walk in, you immediately see that it's a comfortable atmosphere. Then they give you the menu and the lunchtime set menu, and you think, "Hey, that looks good." At that moment, I didn't even know who owned the restaurant, or what skilled hands were behind the kitchen. That came much later.

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