Cal Pep

Ask any of Barcelona’s best chefs for their favorite tapas restaurant and most will send you to Cal Pep, a gourmet institution. It’s always packed with locals and travelers, but a table here is worth the wait and the elbows in your sides. The trick is to come early, when the restaurant opens, or to book one of the backroom tables several days in advance. If dining at one of their tables, the chef will most likely choose the best tapas for the number of people, taking into account any dietary restrictions and the staff is especially wonderful. Some of the classics they serve include fried artichokes and baby squid as well as the butifarra (Catalan pork sausage) with white beans, foie gras and port reduction.