Batea

The 35 Best Restaurants in Barcelona

"If you're in Barcelona, we'll hazard a guess that you're after seafood—ideally without paying an arm and a leg. Come to Batea for top-notch produce at a price point unrivaled in Central Barcelona. Like its sister restaurant Besta, Batea takes its mission seriously so you can be sure it will always be painstakingly fresh and prepared with just the right measure of love and creativity to make it pop without getting pretentious. Kick things off with a couple of Galician oysters and the seafood platter–or crustacean tower, as we like to call it–which, you'll be pleased to know, is just as grand as it sounds. Don’t miss the white prawn tartare roll, before moving onto mains like the vinegar-marinated mackerel escabeche, and the unmissable ultra-gooey Betanzos-style omelet, topped with either shrimp or baby squid, depending on what’s in season. Chef Manuel Núñez’s partner Marta Morales runs the front of house and is also responsible for mixing your cocktails and pairing your wine. Since she does this so flawlessly, our advice is to tell her what you like and leave it in her more-than-capable hands." - Isabelle Kliger, Gemma Askham