The 38 Essential Barcelona Restaurants

"Born in Uruguay and trained in Basque, Spain — both centers for meat in their own right — chef Joaquín Ignacio Sánchez is at the helm of Carnal, a Barcelona boho take on the traditional Spanish steakhouse. At this buzzy spot, hefty cuts of dry-aged beef are charred over oak embers, served medium-rare, and finished at the table on a searing-hot stone slab, allowing diners to dial in their preferred doneness. The steaks on offer come from around the globe and are aged in-house between 45 and 150 days, with prices that range from accessible to wildly extravagant; the menu’s most luxurious item is the 120-day-aged, 2-pound ox chuletón (bone-in rib-eye) from the legendary Bodega El Capricho near León, Spain. Before the main event, warm up with some American black angus beef cheek croquettes, flame-grilled maitake mushrooms, or A5 wagyu tartare kissed with a blowtorch and served over a caveman-esque length of roasted bone marrow. For those who don’t partake in red meat, there is a decent selection of seafood, poultry, and vegetable dishes, providing some welcome balance." - Sam Zucker