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What does Quirat mean? Quirat is Catalan for ‘carat’, a unit of weight equivalent to 200 milligrams, for pearls, stones and precious metals. And figuratively, it refers to the degree of purity, in this case of the culinary gems served at this Michelin-starred restaurant in the InterContinental hotel. Chef Víctor Torres fuses tradition and innovation in a concept based on subtle technique-based sophistication, working with seasonal and local products. And he offers two seasonal tasting menus –18K and 24K– in a room truly befitting of the grand hotel where it is located: spacious, elegant and with exceptional service. In essence, signature Catalan cuisine, from the sea and the mountains –the natural limits of the city– to be paired with more than a hundred wines. 

This culinary hotspot a bit off the beaten path, a rarity in its area, is packed to the rafters daily, thanks to its charisma and ‘neighbourhood haute cuisine’, in its own words. This eatery, which since 1974 has served breakfast and lunch (it does not open at night) to the residents and workers of the Zona Franca, and to those who make a special trip, is run by the Sierra Calvo siblings, who took over from their parents. Borja, who can be found in the kitchen, studied at a catering school and at Hilario Arbelaitz’s Zuberoa restaurant, whose cheesecake tops the dessert menu. They first welcome early risers, eager to break their fast with sandwiches, fried eggs with all the trimmings and hearty dishes. Mother’s casseroles without trick or gimmick, which the son has made his own. And in the second shift, for the lunchtime clientele, you’ll want to make a reservation so you don’t miss out on the Iberian ham croquettes (original recipe), whole fried suckling pig’s head as in La Tasquería, tomato tartar with scallops or risotto, fish dishes clearly influenced by the Basque master, and meats, sometimes game. 

Vicky Maccarone and Jaume Marambio met twelve years ago while working near Girona, at Mas de Torrent, and since then they have followed similar paths on the culinary scene. In other words, they have evolved at the same time (a la par, in Spanish), hence the name of this restaurant. In 2022 they decided to undertake a joint project, she at the front of house and he in the kitchen. They would apply everything they had learnt at Saüc, St. Rémy, Disfrutar, and at other elBarri group restaurants (Tickets, Pakta, Hoja Santa and Niño Viejo), transforming the former Pakta into an Asian-inspired tavern. The menu of this unique izakaya is based on seasonal Mediterranean produce, prepared with finesse using Japanese cooking, pickling, marinating and cutting techniques, resulting in tasty and fun creations. ‘We bring together two equally marvellous cultures’, they say. Montaditos such as the one made with squid sashimi and Iberian bacon, nigiris such as the one made with bonito, kizami and miso, Poget nº2 oysters from Marennes-Oléron with ponzu and ikura or grilled with escabeche, stews, such as the tuna sirloin fricandeau and the sea and mountain combination of eel, pork jowl and onion dashi, and desserts such as the grilled chocolate mochi and olive oil ice cream. 

Can Recasens is ‘a bodega of art and good food’ and an iconic venue on Rambla del Poblenou housed in an Art Nouveau building, whose interior still boasts the original rosettes and hydraulic tiles. One day the mastermind behind the restaurant, Jaume Recasens, decided to offer ham and sausages in a corner of the family butcher shop that had opened in 1906. Thus, he explains, his enthusiasm for artisan products and his vocation for service became the seed of what is his biggest endeavour today: a simple yet high-quality restaurant that he launched with his sister Teresa. Can Recasens offers generous boards featuring that ham and those sausages along with bread with tomato, carpaccio and fresh salads, like their foie-gras salad. Authentic flavours merge with artistic expression, because it also serves as an art gallery, and they display works in a venue with different rooms which also house their dried flower, fruit and vegetable compositions and feature the live music of a jazz band two nights a month. In the gourmet shop, you can buy and bring home whatever you've eaten at the restaurant: charcuterie, Catalan and French cheeses and a well-curated selection of wines. They opened a second branch in Sant Cugat del Vallès in 2023.

This restaurant offers home- made market cuisine that combines tradition with modern culinary techniques. They are experts in rice dishes, specifically seafood paella, which they make with fresh seafood. They have a daily menu –two courses, or a half-menu with either the first or second course– with a variety of options to choose from. Their best-kept secret is their recipe for cheesecake, and they accept take-out orders (classic, with 4 cheeses, Manchego or Cabrales). They are known in the neighbourhood for having two private dining rooms, which can host business events and celebrations like weddings or first communions. Their menus, which may be customised, can include dishes like cannelloni stuffed with beef cheeks with Idiazabal cheese or Castile-style roasted lamb. For morning snacks, they offer cold and hot sandwiches. They open from 6.30 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday.

In 2009, Xavier Jovells (Can Pineda), his cousin Marc Cuenca and his friend Joan Valencia (Cuvée 3000) created this gastropub with a relaxed atmosphere, although now Marc runs it on his own. At Els Tres Porquets they idolise traditional, familiar cuisine and apply what they have learned in dishes worthy of attention. Crafted on the spot with their special touch, they are served without fanfare, the way it's always been done. Small plates plus cold and warm tapas with the best fresh, seasonal products from the market. Their blackboard menu includes Our pork shoulder and its 25 ingredients, My grandmother's pipirrana tomato salad, toasted baby blood sausages, fresh foie-gras with caramelised leeks, tripe with chickpeas, scallops with creamy Jerusalem artichoke and cured pancetta, black truffle from Teruel and peas from the Maresme, and more. Plus they serve organic and natural wine to accompany these dishes. Private dining room and menus for groups. 

This ‘pizza tavern with plenty of flow’ and a charitable bent dispenses artisan, classic and original pizzas for omnivores and vegetarians, along with a seasonal special and build-your-own pizzas, in either family or individual sizes, and they let you choose your dough (buckwheat, turmeric or gluten-free). The menu is rounded out with appetisers like smoked eel, two types of patatas bravas, toasted bread, mandongas (giant meatballs served with focaccia), oven-baked dishes, pasta, sandwiches, vegan options, salads and hamburgers that can be made to order. To eat in or take home. They donate part of their quarterly profits to an NGO that works in sea conservation, they give away surplus food via charitable organisations and they focus on sustainability using local ingredients. 

In 1980, Josep Maria Maulini and Toia Duran renovated the venue where they opened Els Pescadors while retaining the genuine essence of a fishermen's tavern they had found. Over time, this Mediterranean fish and seafood restaurant has become a must-see in Poblenou, with their son Marc at the helm since 2020. Their menu is based on the quality of the products and their painstaking rendering of simple recipes. Their direct relationship with producers and suppliers, whom they mention on their menu, enables them to offer the best, respecting the seasons. Their rice casseroles, fresh seafood and fish, codfish di-shes and traditional desserts like the brazo de crema attract couples, groups of friends and families to their peerless terrace, located in a quiet square with three stately evergreen trees. Impressive wine selection.

Sant Martí offers Mediterranean product-driven cuisine with a variety of tapas, rice dishes like soupy lobster rice and mountain rice, and Angus beef from the Granja Corominas farm in Avinyó. They offer a lunchtime menu Monday to Friday, and Thursday evenings there is a fresh seafood platter, market fresh fish and cuttlefish or calamari. It’s a restaurant that reached ‘adulthood’ in 2023. Even though the history of this family business in the restaurant sector dates back to 1969, it has now celebrated its eighteenth anniversary in Sant Martí, bringing good taste to each of its dishes, which they recommend be eaten with the wines and sparkling wines from their well-curated wine list. Their effort to create an eloquent menu, the outcome, they say, ‘of many early mornings thinking and evenings cook-ing’, is rewarded by a loyal clientele. 

With Can Culleres, chef Jordi Asensio went back to the place where he grew up to serve up what he learned in prestigious kitchens (Martín Berasategui, Pierre Gagnaire). The restaurant's name refers and pays homage to Metales y Platería Ribera, a silverware factory in Poblenou known popularly as Can Culleres, where many people in the neighbourhood used to work; in the 1960s, the grandfather of his partner, Patricia Nieves, who waits tables here. The space evokes and proudly showcases the area's industrial past with the goal of being a safe harbour for family mementos and the collective memory. It offers a seasonal menu and dishes with fresh, premium ingredients and flavours rooted in the local culinary tradition, along with creative dishes. The rostit cannelloni with truffled béchamel sauce and shaved ham, along with the rice dishes, help to instantly turn this restaurant into a favourite location.