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The best places to find paella and seafood in Barcelona

Barcelona is undoubtedly home to some of the freshest and finest seafood in Spain given that the Catalan capital is synonymous with the Mediterranean Sea, and what better seafood dish than the famous paella. Paella is an authentic Spanish rice dish infused with various other ingredients including vegetables, beans and of course, the freshest of seafood, meat or poultry. However, when visiting Spain, choosing where to enjoy paella is trickier than it sounds. With practically every restaurant offering it, there are many that perhaps don’t put as much care into their cooking as the dish rightfully deserves. Paella should be an indulgent dish bursting with flavour and fresh, delicious ingredients, but panic not – here’s a list of a few places in Barcelona that definitely do paella and other seafood dishes justice, so you can avoid those that don’t! 7 Portes Located in a building of national architectural interest and just a short walk from Port Vell, 7 Portes is a timeless establishment that boasts over 180 years of experience of Catalan cuisine. Both locals and tourists alike enjoy 7 Portes’ famous paella and other seafood dishes. This restaurant has developed through years of family history and incredible food and ambience, meaning that it is highly recommended amongst Catalan locals when asked where authentic and delicious paella can be found. With many famous faces including the likes of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí having eaten here, 7 Portes is definitely a dining experience that shouldn’t be missed! To avoid disappointment, make sure you book in advance on their website! 7 Portes Address: Passeig d’Isabel II, 14, 08003 La Mar Salada If incredible seafood is what you desire, then La Mar Salada is the place for you. With the freshest produce from the local fish auction, combined with incredible flavours created by Marc Singla and the rest of the kitchen team, eating at La Mar Salada is undoubtedly a gastronomic experience that you won’t forget! Some of their popular dishes include spectacular stews and paellas, such as their black rice with cuttlefish and their ‘de senyoret’ rice with razorfish, monkfish and prawns. Located on Port Vell in the Barceloneta district, this establishment offers a menu that changes with the seasons to ensure seafood dining of the highest quality, all year round! La Mar Salada Address: Passeig de Joan de Borbó 58-59, 08003 El Suquet de l’Almirall Located in the Barceloneta area – which was once a fisherman’s village, El Suquet de l’Almirall is all about organic and local produce. This restaurant is owned by chef Quim Marqués, who puts his own signature on classic and traditional seafood cuisine. Some of their most desired dishes include cod fritters, fisherman’s macaroni and undoubtedly, their Paella Catalana. With their traditional, fisherman’s work-shop style décor and variety of seating areas including an open-air terrace, El Suquet de l’Almirall is the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy some delicious seafood and paella whilst taking in the panoramic Mediterranean views. El Suquet de l’Almirall Address: Passeig de Joan de Borbó 65, 08003 La Muscleria With 10 years of culinary experience, La Muscleria is a traditional seafood restaurant that excels when it comes to the preparation and cooking of mussels, as their name so directly suggests. Their love for mussels derives from inspiration based upon traditional Beligan cuisine, and the restaurant offers the crustacean cooked in over 50 different ways. As well as this, the menu also offers salads, tapas and other exceptional seafood dishes; you will be spoilt for choice! La Muscleria is a prime example of being able to enjoy fresh, flavoursome seafood whilst being sat in the heart of the city, in the trendy Eixample neighbourhood.   La Muscleria Address: Carrer de Mallorca 290, 08037 La Gambeta Located nearby Parc de la Ciutadella in the sophisticated El Born neighbourhood, this much-loved establishment offers an extensive menu of delicious seafood dishes including, of course, paella! The chic venue is situated within an arched building with exposed brick and soft lighting, creating a perfect ambience to relax and enjoy some incredible food. La Gambeta’s aim is to offer a fresh fish and seafood prepared in the traditional Catalan and Mediterrean way. The menu is complemented with daily suggestions from the fish market ‘La Parada’, which is located by the restaurant entrance in order to offer the freshest products of the season. La Gambeta Address: Carrer de la Fusina 3, 08003 Restaurant Elche The Iborra family share the taste of their home in Elche, in the Alicante Province through their restaurant, which is located in Barcelona’s Poble Sec district. Defined as a ‘temple for paella lovers’, Restaurant Elche offers an extensive menu filled with plenty of paella varieties, soups and many seafood and meat dishes. And if vino is on the agenda, the restaurant has a wine list with a vast amount of reds, whites and rosés for you to choose from. Restaurant Elche has gained a great reputation in the city over their 50 years of experience and continues to be one of the most popular paella restaurants in Barcelona. Elche Address: Carrer de Vila i Vilà 71, 08004 Sandra Roig is Marketing Director at AB Apartment Barcelona. If you would like to be a guest blogger onA Luxury Travel Blogin order to raise your profile, pleasecontact us.

Sandra Roig

Sandra Roig is Marketing Director at AB Apartment Barcelona. AB Apartment Barcelona is an apartment rental agency offering over one thousand short and long term apartments across Barcelona. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

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15 Comments

  1. I would head straight to La Mar Salada, simply because I love seafood, especially monkfish! I really like that La Gambeta uses fish from the next door market too. Some really nice places to remember the next time I return to Barca :)

  2. I am in Spain on Monday working ? but on the other side in Rojo. I love Seafood & Paella & my mouth definitely was watering after reading your post places to eat in Barcelona. l especially like La Gambeta, as one l love fish & two they use local products which supports the area.

  3. What a great list! I haven’t been to Barcelona yet, but did go to Madrid earlier this year and paella is one of my favorite foods ever! La Muscleria sounds like it’s right up my alley! Mussels are amazing and a paella filled with them would be wonderful.

  4. I would love to eat seafood in Barcelona! Those restaurants look like such beautiful places to dine in. That last photo with the food has my mouth watering! It looks like Barcelona is a seafood lover’s paradise!

  5. Seafood is my go-to food when I travel. Even though everything looks delicious, if I had to pick any two, I would go with the mussels of La Muscleria and the traditional Catalan and Mediterranean food of La Gambeta. Cheers!!

  6. Would love to sample paella in all of these places! I love the look of La Gambeta, with the exposed brick and the soft lighting. It all helps create a beautiful ambience. Good to know that these places offer a truly authentic dish.

  7. All list of Spainish styled restaurants serving Paella and seafood are great. Dining among authentic styled restaurant must be nice experience to understood culture of Spain. I love Paella as it has lots of spices.

  8. Definitely loved La Muscleria! The mussels were wonderfully fresh and really tasty! Service was great and the place doesn’t at all intimate. I love to eat at places where I can be comfortable to enjoy the food and La Muscleria was exactly that!

  9. I have never been to Barcelona. But I love seafood very mush especially the fresh seafood. Thanks for sharing the list.The best thing is to share something wonderful, especially yummy food. Maybe next summer holiday I will have a visit there.

  10. Relishing on the Paella was my favourite things to do while I was in Barcelona. I’m a vegetarian so I have only tried the vegetarian Paella and Tapas there and I totally recommend it. Having dined at 7 Portes Restaurant, I have to agree it is one of the best places for an authentic Catalan dining experience.

  11. We are delighted you all like this post and it has got you excited about trying seafood and paella here in Barcelona. If you haven’t visited already, we definitely recommend you do soon! If you manage to get to any of these places, we’d love to hear your thoughts! :)

  12. I have visited La Muscleria and it really was an exceptionally meal. It’s in a great location and the service was perfect. These others all look like good options and I’ll definitely be checking them out next time I’m in Barcelona. We often go there for a weekend break, just long enough to fit in one or two restaurants and seafood as at the top of my list.

  13. Eeek – not a fish eater! However, when I visited Barcelona quite recently I tried a vegetable paella and it was still delicious. I would love to know their secret because I cannot seem to make paella tasty at all. All of these places do look lovely though, very luxurious and would be quite an experience.

  14. My paella in El Palmar (Valencia) and my seafood in Galicia, naturally. The best rice based dishes in Catalonia are near Tarragona and the Ebro Delta. Fact.

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