Alkimia’s chef, Jordi Vilà, is a follower of Ferran Adrià. Minimalist décor in the restaurant allows guests to focus on Vilà’s deconstructed dishes, including pa amb tomàquet, a typical Catalan dish of white bread rubbed with tomato pulp and olive oil, served in a shot glass; bacallà (salt cod) with eggplant and blood-orange foam; and traditional fried eggs and Mallorcan sausage served with preserved quinces.

Located on the second level of the Hotel Arts, Arola offers diners an opportunity to try chef Sergi Arola’s cuisine in a casual setting. Catalan by birth, Arola travels to Barcelona each week to oversee the kitchen. The patio sits directly beneath Barcelona’s famed Gehry fish sculpture, and the views and sea breeze make this the perfect place for a long, leisurely lunch with a good bottle of wine. There have been some reviews of late, however, stating that the quality of the restaurant has slipped with inconsistent service. The food remains excellent however, if a bit overpriced.

Around the corner from the Liceu Opera House, Bar Cañete offers an extensive selection of creative tapas. The ingredients are fresh, with seafood coming in daily from nearby Catalan fish markets, and the long communal bar offers prime views of the kitchen. The long, narrow room can get boisterous, but that’s part of the fun—and an integral part of Spanish dining. Despite being located in a touristy area, it is a local favorite.

The award-winning mixologist, Alberto Pizarro,  is behind this gin-only cocktail bar in the Gràcia district. The top-grade gin can be enjoyed in a classic G&T or infused with unexpected flavors such as anise or saffron. The extensive tapas menu features tasty treats like Iberian ham and ceviche.

Family-owned and operated since 1970, this restaurant serves refined Catalan cuisine in the Raval neighborhood. Close to MACBA and featuring museum-worthy décor itself (including original engravings by Salvatore Dali), the restaurant is a perennial favorite with Barcelona’s art crowd. The menu is also a work of art, with inspiring dishes such as broad beans sautéed with baby squid and mint; or foie gras and truffle ravioli with port wine sauce. Expect a more traditional crowd of diners than in Barcelona's more hip eateries. (The King of Spain likes to eat here.)

Can Pineda is a Barcelona institution specializing in traditional Catalan cuisine. This century-old restaurant boasts a 3,000-bottle wine cellar, and serves home-cooked specialties with an emphasis on truffles, foie gras, oxtail, lobster, crayfish and the freshest ingredients from the market. The delicious dishes, ever-changing menu, warm atmosphere and friendly service are worth taking the trip to the outskirts of Barcelona.

In Catalan, Cinc Sentits means “five senses,” and indeed this restaurant appeals to all of them. “Food is the star, but we also spent a lot of time conceiving the design, music, light and atmosphere,” says Canada-born Catalan chef Jordi Artal. The entrance façade is half glass, half wood, and the white, minimalist interior is long and rectangular, with beige porcelain-tiled floors. The chef’s tasting menu, which changes frequently, is always a culinary adventure (and is the only option for here). A recent example: dates, mint and mascarpone wrapped in jamón; a wonderfully textured tapioca-and-caviar dish; and an incredibly tender beef fillet with wild mushrooms.

A terrific international wine selection and intimate dining room make this a date-night favorite among Gràcia’s foodies. The inventive, seasonal tasting menu combines Mediterranean and Asian flavors.

Offering haute cuisine in a basement-level dining room at below-market prices, this unassuming restaurant features a reasonably priced seasonal menu. Windows looking onto outside greenery and decorative copper-chain curtains (“coure” means “copper” in Catalan) gives the room a light atmosphere, despite the fact that it is below street level. Attention to detail (even the bread is homemade) makes a meal at this off-the-beaten-path restaurant a special event.

This restaurant inside the bustling Mercado de Santa Caterina is a fun spot to enjoy a casual and delicious lunch. The large restaurant (whose name means “kitchens” in Catalan) is almost always crowded and boisterous. Try to arrive before noon to be sure to get a table, or else plan to sidle up to the long tapas bar. The menu features classic Spanish tapas like ham and cheese croquettas as well as Asian, Mediterranean, Italian and vegetarian specialties. The dining space has a Scandinavian design aesthetic with communal tables and massive bookshelves in light wood.

Disfrutar Barcelona, launched by three former head chefs of the famed El Bulli restaurant, offers gastronomic dishes amid cozy décor. The interior’s main features—clay and plaster—create unique dining spaces that are inspired by the Mediterranean. Order from one of the two tasting menus, which start with hot and cold tapas before moving on to such dishes as the macaroni a la carbonara and the veal with foie gras and black truffle.

This restaurant’s name, which literally translates to “two sticks,” references the toothpicks traditionally used to eat Spanish pintxos (bar snacks) and is also a nod to Albert Raurich’s (head chef at El Bulli from 1999-2007) Asian-inspired cuisine. The hip cocktail bar in the front feels straight out of the 1970s with its retro décor of chartreuse walls and linoleum floors. In the back room, accessed through a beaded curtain, is a 12-seat table where the cooks serve directly out of an open kitchen. There are two fixed menus featuring creative fusion tapas like steamed dumplings with fresh shrimp and Iberian pork or red curry Thai razor clams.

Ideal for lunch, El Quim de la Boqueria counter in the crowded and chaotic Mercat de la Boqueria involves some jostling and angling for a seat, but the food at this eatery is always worth the wait. Specials change according to what’s fresh, and any of the fried egg dishes are reliably delicious. El Quim closes in the late afternoon, so get there early for the best selection.

Chef Robert Gelonch, who honed his molecular gastronomic skills working at El Bulli, is behind this bi-level restaurant in the removed Eixample Dreta neighborhood. The menu features inventive creations such as carrots with “nitro popcorn,” which arrives at the table still smoking and has a delectable melt-in-your-mouth consistency. The 10-course tasting menu is the best way to sample them all. Not-to-be missed is the sous-vide suckling pig, which, though not on the tasting menu, is definitely worth ordering.

The Mandarin Oriental’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant highlights neo-traditional Catalan cuisine. Whether you opt for the “micro-menu” (a five dish tasting menu, plus dessert) or order à la carte, the culinary team’s creations are as exquisite as the dining room’s gold leaf ceilings. The desserts, which are made-to-order and must be selected at the same time as the rest of the meal, include whimsical creations like the “New Pajamas,” a combination of custard, liquid pineapple, peach bonbons and ice cream.

Quimet y Quimet is located in a small liquor store in the Poble Sec barrio to the west of La Rambla. The tiny shop has no tables, and patrons order from the counter then jockey for spots at a few wine barrels or spill out into the street. For diners who can handle the less-than-formal accommodations, however, the reward is some of the best food in Barcelona. Owned by the Quim family for four generations, the shop is manned by Mr. Quim, who mixes drinks and creates memorable tapas on the spot. When I visited, we followed his expert recommendations rather than ordering from the menu. His creations included montaditos (Catalan mini-tapas, like a small open-faced sandwich) made with mussels, caviar and tomatoes and smoked salmon over fresh cheese topped with a drizzle of honey and aged balsamic.

This classic, Michelin-starred restaurant has been around since 1869. It relocated into the Hotel Cram but continues to attract a loyal following for its marvelous salt-cod cakes, suckling pig served with seared strawberries and potato Parmentier topped with a poached egg and white truffles.

Martin Berasategui’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the Hotel Condes de Barcelona is named after the Basque town of Lasarte, where the chef opened his first restaurant. The intimate dining room, which seats just 30 people, means that service is impeccable during lunch and dinner. The lunchtime tasting menu features decadent, well-prepared fare like ox filet served with potatoes, a bacon mille-feuille and foie gras sauce.

The elegant and modern dining room tucked away in the Ohla Hotel’s upper lobby provides the perfect setting for Michelin-starred chef Xavier Franco’s haute Catalan cuisine. The menu changes according to the season, but you can expect to find adventurous, rich offerings like cannelloni of roasted duck with an emulsion of foie gras, truffle, pear and pine nuts, or a roasted milk-fed veal shank for two served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Dinner tasting menus range in price but the weekday lunch prix fixe is a great deal.

Tapas 24 is the most casual restaurant from El Bulli alum Carles Abellan. It serves old standbys with a gourmet twist in a bustling yet relaxed space. The no-reservation policy means there's usually a line of hungry patrons snaking onto the street, but once inside, diners can order a bottle of wine to enjoy during the wait. Menu staples are the umami-packed Bikini (a ham and cheese sandwich layered with black truffle), the McFoie Burger and xocolata amb pa oli i sal (three quenelles of chocolate mousse with a touch of salt and olive oil).

The nearly century-old deli accross the street from the famed Vila Viniteca wine store sells various cheeses, jamon and packaged food items like jams. Downstairs are a few small tables and one long table in the former cellar, where patrons can have a snack or meal composed of items from the shop. A recent visit included plate after plate of bread with tomatoes, cheese (the store boats 350 different varietals), ham and chorizo, all accompanied by various wines. This is a local favorite in Barcelona and a first-time must to understand the tradition of an excellent Spanish lunch.