Last Updated on November 21, 2025 by Emma Fajcz | Published: November 7, 2017
Barcelona is an incredible city filled with towering churches, bustling avenues, and charming squares dotted throughout its numerous neighborhoods. Each of these areas have one thing in common: their incredible dining scenes! From quirky bistros and dusty-floored local tapas bars to elegant dining rooms, you’re sure to find an amazing place to eat in Barcelona. Here’s our top 4 experience restaurants in Barcelona so you can enjoy an innovative and unforgettable meal in this beautiful city.
Going to Barcelona for the first time? Here’s our best tips for eating in Barcelona and our budget for eating out in Barcelona.
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1. El Bosc de les Fades
Want to experience a real-life fairy tale forest right in the heart of the Gothic Quarter? El Bosc de les Fades is calling your name.
The whimsical decor at this magical spot makes it so much more than just a tapas bar. You’ll meet fairies, talking trees and more as you make your way through your culinary adventure. This is one for your bucket list!
Address: Passatge de la Banca, 7, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
2. Disfrutar
A list of experience restaurants in Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without a mention of this Michelin-starred wonder. Disfrutar has been steadily climbing up the fine dining pyramid since it opened in 2014. Their modern Mediterranean cuisine is paired with impeccable service.
Expect the usual fancy tricks like dry ice, bird cages, and even the odd blowtorch, but don’t think that this is like any other European fine dining restaurant. The end result is a mind-blowing meal which will leave you hungry to return again and again! With not one, but three very famous chefs heading the kitchens, who also worked together in elBulli, it really is no surprise that Disfrutar is one of our favorite experience restaurants in Barcelona!
Address: Carrer de Villarroel, 163, L’Eixample, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
3. Santa Rita Experience
Have you ever wished to step inside a local chef’s kitchen and watch him prepare a meal for you? Then Santa Rita Experience is for you!
This intimate little restaurant allows you to watch chef Xabi Bonilla prepare a gourmet meal right in front of you–replicating the comfort of a home-cooked meal with a touch of class. This is the perfect place to help you feel at home while enjoying an amazing meal.
Address: Carrer de Veneçuela, 16, Sant Martí, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
4. Los Caracoles
Las Caracoles is a Barcelona restaurant that actually started as a grocery store back in 1835. Eventually, they started serving food, and soon became well known for their signature dish: caracoles, or Spanish snails. Since the early 1900s, they have also become famous for their rotisserie chickens, which you can watch them roast through one of the windows.
Throughout the decades, Las Caracoles has been visited by many celebrities, such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, John Wayne, Errol Flynn, and Julio Iglesias, and is also a favorite of local tourists to this day.
Address: Carrer dels Escudellers, 14, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Taste the Best of Barcelona on a Guided Tour
Barcelona’s old town is packed with places to eat—but finding the right ones? That takes a local. Our Ultimate Barcelona Food Tour cuts through the tourist menus to show you how Catalans really eat: from hand-carved jamón ibérico to an authentic (not yellow!) seafood paella in a family-run tavern that’s been around since the 1950s.
Along the way, you’ll walk the city’s most historic streets, meet the people keeping tradition alive, and taste the flavors that give Barcelona its soul. This is the food tour for travelers who want to go deeper—and leave full.
Featured Review: Ultimate Barcelona Food Tour
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “We had a fantastic time with Hector! He was gloriously entertaining and full of so many historical and interesting facts that kept us engaged through the entire experience! From markets, to delicious tapas, to a fantastic paella…our minds and tummies were so satisfied!”
– Quest747247 on Tripadvisor
Best Experience Restaurants in Barcelona FAQs
What is a must to eat in Barcelona?
When visiting Barcelona, you must try classic Catalan dishes like pa amb tomàquet (tomato-rubbed bread), esqueixada (salt-cod salad), botifarra sausage, and crema catalana. Seafood lovers shouldn’t miss suquet de peix, a Catalan fish stew, or fresh grilled prawns. In addition, Barcelona is famous for its exceptional tapas.
What is the number one restaurant in Barcelona?
Barcelona’s “number one” restaurant depends on the ranking you follow, but Disfrutar consistently holds the top spot. Frequently listed among the best restaurants in the world, it’s run by three former elBulli chefs and offers an innovative tasting-menu experience known for playful techniques and unforgettable flavor combinations. Reservations book out months in advance, so plan ahead if you want to visit!
Where do celebrities go to eat in Barcelona?
Celebrities in Barcelona often dine at high-profile, design-driven restaurants such as Tickets (which is now closed), Disfrutar, and Enigma for avant-garde tasting menus. They’re also known to visit trendy hotspots like Botafumeiro for seafood, ABaC for Michelin-starred luxury, and stylish beachfront spots in Barceloneta.
