A beach hut with a sea view: top-quality fish and rice at this restaurant in Barcelona
A waterfront restaurant offering good food and even better views
When you think of eating by the sea, the first thing that comes to mind is beach bars; authentic spots on the beach where typical seafood dishes are prepared. But beach bars are open-air, only open in summer, and full of sand, so if you want to enjoy good seafood at any time of year without giving up the seaside, the Barraca de la Barceloneta restaurant is your ideal choice.
Tables in a gazebo
The Barraca restaurant (Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta, 1) is one of Barcelona's classic seaside establishments. It is reopening with an improved offering that retains the essence of the old restaurant. It is a place that opens onto the sea; although it is not on the beach like a beach bar, the outdoor terrace and the ground floor opening onto the street invite strollers to occupy the deck chairs. The best, however, is hidden on the second floor. A large dining room with wooden furniture, an open kitchen at the back, and windows overlooking the sea provide the ideal setting for a good family meal. It is a renovated and bright dining room that includes a small terrace in one corner of the second floor.
The restaurant's ideal location is complemented by high-quality cuisine.
Chef Marcos Bautista and his team are responsible for working their magic in the kitchen. One of Barraca's most interesting features is its fish-on-demand service. Twenty-four hours in advance, customers can call the restaurant to order fish from the market and ask the chef to prepare it however they like: baked, fried, grilled, boiled... This service was very common in our grandparents' day, but today it is almost impossible to find in Barcelona.
Guided tour, fantastic food
Don't be fooled by the restaurant's prime location. People tend to think that seaside restaurants are tourist traps serving frozen paella. But nothing could be further from the truth. The restaurant's ideal location is accompanied by the high quality of the food served. At Barraca, they offer all kinds of classic starters, such as croquettes, oysters, and the traditional Barceloneta bomb, but the highlight of the menu is the rice and fish dishes.
Special mention for the creamy chocolate with a hazelnut center, a dense, intense, and very tasty dish.
The average price for this place is around €40, including drinks. The most important thing when paying for a meal is to be satisfied. And at Barraca, you eat very well. The duck rice and seafood paella are cooked to perfection and have balanced flavors. The fish, in this case bass, is not only tender and flavorful, but it is also accompanied by baked potatoes that complete a delicious dish. The icing on the cake, however, is the desserts. They are a little pricey, but they are also exquisite. Special mention goes to the creamy chocolate with a hazelnut center, a dense, intense, and very flavorful dish.