It’s not hard to find paella in Barcelona. But the authentic stuff? You’ll have to do a bit of homework! Check out our recommendations for where to eat paella in Barcelona and enjoy this dish like a local.
While paella originally comes from Valencia, the region just south of Barcelona, the Catalans have cooked up many delicious versions of the dish. Unfortunately, many tourist traps try to lure you in with the promise of a taste of the good stuff. To be sure you sample the best of the best, check out our guide on where to eat paella in Barcelona.
Top Tip: Join us for an authentic seafood paella on our delicious food tour in Barcelona’s historic center!
El Xiringuito Escriba
One of the most special things about Barcelona is that it allows you to enjoy paella right by the sea. This beautiful restaurant located on the beachfront in Poble Nou claims to serve the best paella in the city. Their menu is crammed full of delicious varieties, all based on seasonal and local produce. Pair any of the tasty paellas on offer with their homemade cava sangria and you’re in for a treat.
If you’re looking for where to eat paella in Barcelona, look no further than this great spot. Paella typically takes about 30-40 minutes to arrive after ordering. To keep the hunger at bay, they have a terrific selection of tasty starters to choose from. Not to mention their house special patatas bravas, which are served with a unique hazelnut sauce and are definitely one not to miss.
Barraca
With beautiful wooden furniture, amazing Mediterranean tapas and delicious paellas, the beautiful beach views at Barraca are just an added plus here! This restaurant is run by the group Tribu Woki, which is managed by Chef Pellicer. You won’t want to miss out on their delicious beach-side paellas.
Restaurante Salamanca
Salamanca is located in La Barceloneta, the famous beachy neighborhood, and serves up some of the best paella and rice in the city. Here you can choose from a few different kinds of paella, as well as the Catalan version called fideuá. Fideuá differs from paella in that the base is made of tiny, thin noodles instead of the traditional bomba rice. For a taste of Catalan culture, venture out and try this special version of paella!
Insider’s Tip: Looking to go all out? Try Salamanca’s house special paella served with lobster!
Can Majó
Another gem in the Barceloneta neighborhood, Can Majó opens up their beautiful terrace for guests to enjoy their fantastic paella in the sunshine or warm evening breeze. Here you can sample all sorts of different seafood mixes as well as the fideuà. If you are a vegetarian, this family-run spot will whip you up some vegetarian paella without a problem. When looking for where to eat paella in Barcelona, if beach, sun and great service are important to you, you can’t go wrong here.
Elche
If you’re looking to try some traditional Valencian paella, Barcelona’s got something for you too! Head to the less-touristy neighborhood of Poble Sec where you’ll get to see how the locals really live and ask for a table at Elche. This place has been around for over 50 years and offers the most authentic paella Valenciana you’ll find north of Valencia itself.
Paella in Barcelona tends to favor seafood as its featured ingredient, at Elche, they’re traditionalists and include all sorts of regional versions on their menu.
Marina Bay
Marina Bay is one of the Moncho’s restaurant group’s many Barcelona gems. Located right on the beach with sweeping views of Barceloneta and the Olympic Park, it’s the perfect place to go with a group of friends for a relaxing seaside meal. The rice here is made extra-special thanks to the exquisitely fresh seafood, and everything tastes even better when washed down with a wine from their excellent selection. Ask your server for a great Catalan bottle to go with your perfect Barcelona paella.
7 Portes
The people behind 7 Portes are passionate about food and bring you 6 different types of paella to choose from. Another Barceloneta spot, you can head over after a luxurious day at the beach for even more indulgence. They also offer a traditional but lesser-known black rice dish, similar to paella but cooked with squid ink.
Be sure to make a reservation and dress the part, this place is all about fine-dining. If you’re wondering where to eat paella in Barcelona, wonder no more, this place is definitely one not to miss!
Casa Maians
Looking for one of the best places to eat paella in Barcelona, and a good bang for your buck? Then Casa Maians is an excellent choice. This salty dog spot serves up a great many locals in the old fishermen’s district of Barceloneta. Their paellas, fideuas, and other hearty dishes are some of the most affordable on this list.
Want to learn how to make authentic local dishes during your trip? If you’re also traveling to Madrid, join us for our Paella Cooking Class & Market Visit!
I loooove the paella at 7 Portes.
On my next visit, I’ll try out some of your other suggestions 🙂
Btw, your “Food Tours” link doesn’t seem to be working.
Hi, interesting list, but missing El Vell Sarrià and a few other places. And, BTW, Elche is in Poble Sec NOT Poble Nou.
Thanks for the recommendation Bill! And we’ve fixed the typo. Thank you!
O’Toxo makes an amazing paella
I liked 7 Portos but LOVED Las carracoles
Las Caracoles is amazing! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Salamanca’s seafood paella is horrible. Tastes like they didn’t even take the time to wash the seafood, the flavor is of sea water and dirt. No exaggeration. Fyi, I live here in BCN.
Can Majó! I was in December 2018. We’re +19…. amazing weather, amazing paella, amazing terrace! 10 from 10!
Yay Anna! So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Super helpful post. I’ve been living in Barcelona for 3 years and I have to say this is very well written and informed. Have you ever eaten a paella at Arume? to me it is by far the BEST. Both duck and seafood paella are to die for, honestly. I totally recommend it, especially considering how hard it is to find good paella in Barcelona.
We’ll have to add that one to our list of places to check out! It’s true that a decent paella is hard to find here, but well worth it once you come across one. Thanks for reading, Ana!
Hi Guys,
Nice job on the blog, there is, unfortunately, a lot of bad paellas in the city and for visitors might be a little hard to pick the right place.
cheers,
-A
Thanks for reading, Adrian! While it can definitely be hard to find a decent paella here in Barcelona, there are some authentic gems if you look hard enough—and we can personally vouch for all places mentioned here!
I Agree, the more touristy is a district the harder to find a well-done paella. Especially pity when it happens in La Barceloneta when you wanna have it all, and beach and fun and good food. Can Majo was the place, but it is a bit outdated today and doesn’t bring as much pleasure as other places newly opened in the neighborhood. In my opinion, today other places like Pez Vela and Mana 75 create new standards of paella experience in Barcelona and definitely deserve a place in this article.
Here is a nice article from one of them:
https://mana75.es/best-paella-barceloneta/
I am a big fan of Paella and was pleasantly surprised to find such authentic tastes and quality for a reasonable price and with great comfort.
Thanks for your suggestions, Zhanna! We’ll definitely check them out when we update this article.