From humble beginnings in the Raval, Colibrí rose like, well like a humming bird I suppose, and fluttered off to the fancier quarters of the Eixample. From there it started to gain the attention of roving critics worldwide and for a while everyone was taking about it, then, silence. Perhaps to remind us of their existence, they’ve rather generously come up with a gourmet, four-course, tasting menu for just €37 (lunch and dinner). Highlights include grilled octopus on a yellow chilli and potato puree, loin of bacalao with ginger and bean confit topped with a poached egg, or steak tartare a la “Colibrí” and pineapple soup with bitter orange and coconut pearls. I’m drooling just typing it.
Colibrí. Casanova 212. Tel. 93 443 2306,
The neighbourhood classic
Local stalwart La Gardunya, like so many of these places, has a tendency to fall off the radar. But they celebrated 30 years of business on July 13th, so they must be getting something right. Like sourcing all of their products straight from the stalls of the Boqueria and cooking them there and then in their premises at the back of the market. If you can, snaffle one of the high tables on the terrace—they have a uniquely back-door atmosphere, what with delivery trucks coming and going—but it’s a great place to tuck into one of their hearty, summer-friendly salads and watch the to-ings and fro-ings of the market. Menú del dia €13, menú del noche €16.
La Gardunya. Jerusalem 18. Tel. 93 302 4323,
The newcomer
Old-timer Casa Delfín reopened earlier this year with new owners and a serious makeover and quickly started making waves of its own. Now retro wallpaper in soothing shades of green line the mezzanine floor and a Pop-art chandelier dominates the main dining room. Go for breakfast and locals are gathered sipping coffee and having their daily tertulia. For lunch a mixed crowd can be found people watching on the terrace with huge pots of arroz caldoso and paella. By dinner it’s all about the tapas: meaty slivers of mojama (dry-cured tuna) topped with a Catalan mirepoix (a combination of onions, carrots, and celery), sardines cooked in salt, and bubbling chorizos in cider with plenty of crisp Marques de Alella to wash it down. Shared tapas approx €25 per head.
Casa Delfín. Passeig del Born 36. Tel. 93 319 5088.
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