The Mediterranean diet is world renowned as being balanced and key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. One of the cornerstones to this diet is fish and seafood, and Barcelona is an excellent place to try the fruits of the sea, with a busy port and plenty of options to get those taste buds tingling!
First of all, it has to be said that one of the most fun parts of trying seafood is to do it yourself. Barcelona has many markets with extremely fresh produce and with the extensive range of self-catering accommodation in the city, such as tourist apartments, it0s great fun to pick up some local produce and make a meal in, or prepare a barbeque on your terrace. Gone are the days of worrying about properly cooked fish, or seafood which might disagree with you – Barcelona’s fishmongers are the happiest in recommending different ways to prepare your catch of the day, and personally, I have learned many techniques of different ways to prepare fish and seafood from many friendly fishmongers. The famous Boqueria market on the central Las Ramblas street is a great stop to view different types of seafood and fish, but the Barceloneta and Sant Antoni markets are equally central, stocking the same produce and are often less crowded. Whether it’s ingredients for Paella, a Peruvian cebiche or fresh sardines for the barbeque – head down to the markets early and stock up on the catch of the day.
If you prefer to be waited upon, then you’re spoilt for choice in Barcelona. With so many seafood restaurants to choose from, and every city guide book often choosing different ones, I’ll try and recommend a few of my own experiences and some of the un-missable spots, too.
The old fisherman’s quarters of La Barceloneta lie right next to the beach and those narrow streets have some of the oldest and most established restaurants serving the freshest fish and seafood to this day. So when the new red-brick building which now houses the Catalan History Museum was commissioned, there was to be space underneath for the select few restaurants from Barceloneta to choose their spot. In a nutshell, the best places in the old fisherman’s neighbourhood were given their choice of restaurant space. Now, since then, in my opinion, some of those restaurants have let their standards slide a little, given the fact that they will easily fill tables on their terraces on a summer’s day due to the prime location. This is all apart from one – El Merendero de la Mari – which has maintained the best standards since “Mari” used to make the broth for the Paella and those Mariner’s mussels. For me, they just have got everything right, from the waiters and the crockery and cutlery (sounds stupid, I know, and I’m no restaurant critic, but things like that stick in your mind!) to the wine and the speed of service.
Just along the way from El Merendero, and of a completely different ilk, is El Rey de la Gamba. Here it’s a much more modest place, with paper napkins, waiters who shout the orders back to the kitchen, and the like, but it’s always busy, and they have a great turnover of the fish, so it’s always fresh. The biggest reason for me including this place as well, is that the portions are huge! Often we have gone in a group of four and ordered a seafood platter and Paella for two – and had plenty of leftovers for a doggy bag, too!
Staying in Barceloneta, is the new addition to the Michelin restaurants in the city – Lluçanés which moved to the Barceloneta Market earning itself a star in the process. Here Angel Pascual does what he has been doing best for 16 years at the other location, providing hearty, earthy ingredients in interesting combinations. Perhaps one of the other classic restaurants (that also used to be Michelin starred) is one of the only places outside Barceloneta which does great seafood – Botafumeiro. For nigh on 30 years, Wacky chef Moncho Neira and his team up on Gran de Gracia have been proving that you don’t need to be next to the port for great seafood.
