Food and drink blog

by Tara Stevens

May 28, 2009

Paella

I confess to a slight obsession with paella. For years I’ve thought about doing a story whereby I travel the length and breadth of the country tracking down the best and most authentic paella in the world, but of course I never got around to it and now Jeff Koehler has written the book (La Paella, Chronicle Books) and so I’m back to randomly musings about it.

You can read all about El Vell Sarrià in the July issue of the magazine so I won’t bang on about that. Suffice to say they do a truly great paella and it’s about the only place left in Barcelona that still cooks over wood fires so the resulting rice is sticky, rich and the colour of mud, but tastes delicious.

Thing is, up in Sarrià you don’t get to sit by the sea, and although purists would say you shouldn’t be anywhere near the sea in the first place, but in the middle of the countryside under an olive tree with a light breeze ruffling your hair, I do rather like the sea. And so, I reckon with a little help from my friends i.e. you, we can nail this.

Can Majó (C/ Almirall Aixada 23, 93 221 5455) is an obvious one, but it is reliable and consistent and most of all you’ve got to love that cornflower blue picket fence they use to contain people on the terrace. For your basic paella marisco it’s as good a place as any on the beach. At least I used to think that until a friend took me to Villoro.

Villoro (Paseo Juan de Borbón 73, 93 221 4804) is as ordinary as they come, a place where they go all out to put you off by advertising their wares though shiny, technicolor photographs of calamari rings and other dubious looking tapas that anyone with half an ounce of sense would avoid. I think I went there eight years ago for a caña.

When I finally got around to eating there it knocked me for six with the brilliance of it. I went on and on to friends about the mountainous portion of arròs negre thick with ink and alioli, and then went back a week later for paella, also superb. Both had plenty of heart, and were served with a healthy dose of cynical grumpiness. The madam rules with an iron fist, and the hen-pecked waiter, I’ve come to realise, cheers considerably if you ask him for a little amor as my friend the Swedish giant did. They got on famously after that. Oh, they also have their own band, who perform on the terrace once a year.

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by Tara Stevens

May 28, 2009

Latest Comments

  • Best paella at Barcelona's beach

    Go to Restaurante Catamaran. It's a great choice since the paella is the best I've ever tried and, believe me, I'm a real fan of this spanish dish. You can enjoy not only its paellas or fideuas but also fantastic salads and others tipical starters. At the same time the atmosphere is relaxing with a whole view of the sea....

    Posted by Kelly Chan July 13, 2010 23:32:28

  • Paco Alcalde

    Paco Alcalade in Barceloneta - almirall aixada 12 is my favourite by far. You can order paella and other rice dishes for one. The portions are generous and it has been around forever. The service is also friendly and they remember you when you go back.

    Another one I tried in Poble Nou is Sabores... more Fidua then paella... is amazing there... it is on rambla poble nou near Mercadona... cheap and cheerful 14€ for starter, Fidua and dessert cant go wrong on a sat or sun!

    Posted by Heather ( Barcelona Metropolitan) March 31, 2010 13:11:31

  • Best Paella

    We tried Kaiku - it was good, but not amazing. And you could only get in with reservations! (not so friendly staff). We liked the fideu one better (others were a bit too fishy for me/us, although the black rice one was ok).
    However, we prefer CavaMar's paella. Yummy - and take our guests there. And they have the most amazing Cava Sangria (with strawberries)! Not being a cava lover - that says something! It's in the Barceloneta Beach area.

    Posted by Josephine Tustin July 11, 2009 20:58:52

  • Elche

    Went to Elche for lunch today and had delicious black rice. Service was pretty good - one of the men in suits needs to work on his smile and laying out of cutlery (rather than just throwing down the knives and forks), but otherwise it seemed fine

    Posted by Hannah (Barcelona Metropolitan) June 01, 2009 20:45:14

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