Gràcia is full of restaurants, and new ones keep popping up all over the place faster than you can say “bon profit”. As such, choosing the best is a difficult task, and naturally somewhat subjective depending on your tastes, budget and even just the mood you’re in. Here, we’ve tried to select a couple of the “best in class” to give you a range of different restaurants for different occasions.

Best for a romantic date – La Panxa del Bisbe (c/Torrent de les Flors 158)

Despite the distinctly unsexy name, “The Bishop’s Belly” is a great restaurant for romance. You’ll find it in the higher, quieter part of Gràcia, but don’t be fooled – you definitely need to reserve in advance, as it’s always packed. And with good reason. The tapas you’ll find here is an eclectic mix of predominantly local cuisine, with Italian influences and even favourites from further afield such as sushi and ceviche. Flavours and presentation are very creative, but this is not a question of style over substance – you will get a decent meal out of it. We tried parmesan and peach salad, marinated sardines, ceviche and aubergine with asparagus and béchamel. It was as good as it sounds, and the service was incredibly friendly to boot. The softly-lit, artistic buzz of this restaurant, combined with mojitos for €5, makes it a great place to show off to a potential date. A meal will set you back around €25 – €30 per head – this isn’t budget food exactly, but the price is very reasonable for what’s on offer.

Best budget meal – La Vietnamita (c/Torrent de l’Olla 78)

A perennial favourite, La Vietnamita has been serving its own take on Vietnamese food for several years now. Using completely fresh ingredients, La Vietnamita gives a delicious, light and healthy take on take-out. Cosy ambient lighting, stylish decoration and home-made juices served in jam-jars also makes this a great place to eat in, although it’s a small venue so best not to come with a big group. Portions are large and you can eat really well for around €10/head (with a drink included), meaning this is our favourite for coming with a colleague after work one night, or even by yourself if you feel brave. La Vietnamita also has a sister en El Born, although it doesn’t have quite the same feel. The menu is limited to a couple of original dishes – a tried and tested favourite is the Bún Bò.

Best Japanese – Kibuka (c/Goya 9 and c/Verdi 64)

Kibuka is pretty famous in Gràcia and indeed Barcelona, known for its stylish, modern take on Japanese food. Slightly higher-than-average prices don’t stop it from filling up quickly, so make sure you book well in advance. With an inventive variety of sushi and other Japanese dishes, you’ll find fusions such as Greek sushi and chocolate cake with red bean ice cream. Prices might be a little high for some groups, but this is a great place to celebrate something special and there’s a certain amount of space in the premises. There’s actually two Kibukas in Gràcia, one next to the Plaça de la Vila and the other on c/Verdi. They often close over summer, so do make sure you’ve checked opening times beforehand.

Best for Catalan Food – El Disbarat (c/Montseny 14)

If you want to taste traditional Catalan food, you could do far worse than El Disbarat. Unpretentious, this restaurant has a tavern-like feel, but the food is actually one cut above, with playful, simple takes on local dishes like calçot ravioli with romescu sauce on the menu. If Catalonia has become famous recently for deconstructivist-style gastronomy and haute cuisine, El Disbarat takes you back to its roots, with tasty, hearty mountain food on offer. There’s two stories, so plenty of space, and El Disbarat is not overwhelmingly expensive, making this an excellent place to take a group.

Best Brunch – Timeline Bar (c/Providència 3)

Brunch has caught on with Gràcia’s hipster crowd in a big way, and the best brunch in Gràcia has become a point of contention, with entire blogs written on the subject. Our favourite place to go is Timeline Bar, where less than €20 gets you access to an all-you-can-eat buffet, three dishes ordered off the menu and as much Buck’s Fizz as you can stomach. As well as quantity, quality is also very good, with lunchtime delicacies like tomato chutney, bagels, fresh fruit, yoghurt and muffins on offer. Goes without saying that your best strategy is to skip breakfast and dinner. Timeline is relatively small and can fill up very fast on Saturdays during prime brunch hours, so it might be a good idea to book. It’s only open from 12pm-3pm (Sat) and 12pm-2pm (Sun), as well as several evenings, so make sure you arrive in time.

Best for Style – La Pepita (c/Corsèga 343)

La Pepita sells the kind of chichi tapas that became a staple of Barcelona higher-end cuisine when the city officially established itself as one of the gastronomic capitals of the world – marinated sardines, Iberian ham and artichoke, smoked salmon on toast and of course their own take on patatas bravas. This fresh take on traditional cuisine is displayed in a stylish atmosphere with a touch of art nouveau about it. La Pepita’s central location next to the Diagonal metro stop means that a fair few visitors to the city make their way in here, but the restaurant manages to absorb them without becoming a tourist trap. That said, it is often very busy, so best to book. This would be a great place to take someone you want to impress, but be prepared to shell out slightly more for the privilege – you’ll end up spending around €25 – €30 per head, which (for our moderate finances at least) puts it in the “special occasion” range. While you’re waiting for a table, head to their vermutería nextdoor, La Cava, for a quick drink.

Best Patatas Bravas – Mil Miralls (c/Perla 37)

Mil Miralls is another great place for a brunch. But as well as huevos benedictos, you can also find local food here. Attractively decorated, the walls are plastered with mirrors, as the name would suggest. However, this cosy bar offers substance as well as style. The patatas bravas, which came with an usually light, piquant brava sauce, were our favourites in the whole of the Gràcia neighbourhood to date. They cost €4, which is a little on the pricy side but not exorbitant. Great to accompany a drink, a brunch or something more substantial such as the wraps and salads that are on offer. Mil Miralls is relatively small, and is normally quite busy, although not completely packed – get there soon, as we expect this is about to change.

• Bio
• Posts

About Penelope

Penelope likes discovering new places, doing new things and drinking Bloody Maries.

• La Mundana: the best restaurant in Barcelona (or Sants at least)? - 14/01/2018
• The best cafés with WiFi to work in Barcelona - 10/12/2016
• Sa Tramuntana: Mallorcan cafe made with love - 19/01/2016
• Bouzu: Barcelona’s most genuine Japanese restaurant? - 28/12/2015
• L’Antic Bocoi: a slice of local history in an atmospheric restaurant - 03/11/2015
• El Jardi de l’Apat: traditional Catalan cuisine in a setting perfect for large groups - 25/10/2015
• Bar Calders: tapas and vermouth in a buzzing atmosphere - 16/10/2015
• Barcelona’s secret terraces - 05/09/2015
• The best brunch in Barcelona - 19/08/2015
• Jai Ca: authentic Barceloneta tapas since 1955 - 15/08/2015