11 Best Restaurants in Gracia, Barcelona

Don't be distracted by the graffitied walls and highly Instagrammable dishes: the innovative tapas at La Pepita lives up to the hipster hype. The room is dominated by long marble-topped bar—there are only a handful of tables in the narrow space—so it’s best for couples or small groups. 

There's no need for complicated sauces here—the super-fresh grilled fish and seafood here speaks for itself, simply drizzled with olive oil or served with a lemon slice. The diminutive dining space is equally unadorned, with plain white walls and bright, somewhat industrial-style lighting; an illuminated panel above the bar lists what’s available that day, which might include razor clams, octopus, sardines, and the restaurant’s namesake fish.

Top-notch coffee, homemade pastries and cakes, and healthy fare like avocado toast make this organic café a particularly bustling spot at breakfast. For lunch or a casual dinner, there's a long list of panini sandwiches, as well as excellent quiches and Italian-inspired salads.

One of the first things you'll notice here is the scent of freshly baked bread, then you'll take in the open kitchen and cozy, ultra-contemporary interior, with oversized windows facing the street. The chef's modern spin on Catalan cuisine features Peruvian and Asian influences, and the dishes are made almost exclusively using locally sourced organic products.

On Gràcia's main thoroughfare, Barcelona's best-known Galician restaurant has maritime motifs, snowy white tablecloths, and fleets of waiters in spotless white outfits serving über-fresh seafood, from raw platters to whole grilled fish to lobster paella. 

Founded in 1931, this rustic corner restaurant is a local favorite for the array of classic tapas and mains, along with Catalan “pizza”—flatbread topped with traditional ingredients such as caramelized onion and butifara (garlicky pork sausage) or sobrasada (cured pork sausage) with brie and honey. There’s a small but decent wine list featuring several ecological wines.

The late Mey Hofmann, German-born and Catalonia-trained, was revered for decades for her creative Mediterranean and international cuisine based on carefully selected raw materials prepared with unrelenting quality. Her team carries on her legacy in this graceful designer space with a glassed-in kitchen as center stage. Sardine tart, beef cannelloni with foie, truffle, Mediterranean-style rice, or paella, with seafood, and pastries that are second to none are what keep people coming back to this carefully managed culinary tour de force. The adjoining Racó Hofmann is a relaxed, informal café featuring a short menu of classic tapas with a contemporary twist, such as the calamari with kimchi mayonnaise or steak tartare with mustard ice-cream. The Hofmann universe has further expanded in recent years to include a bakery at C/Flassaders 44 and a café nearby at C/Flassaders 40, both in the Born neighbourhood, as well as the Taverna Hofmann at C/Girona 145. The lunchtime set menu is a steal at €42. 

This rustic dining room in Gràcia, a spin-off from the original in Les Corts, is a great spot to savor some of Barcelona's finest paellas and rice dishes. What's more, they can be ordered as individual helpings (as opposed to that standard minimum-two-person serving)—meaning you don't have to eat the same dish as your companion. Fish, seafood, and grilled meats round out a complete menu prepared with loving care and using top ingredients. The midday set lunches offer outstanding value. The other branches at Carrer de Bordeus 35 in Les Corts and at Carrer de Muntaner 6 in Sant Antoni are just as good—the former makes a fine pre- or postmatch option if you're going to an FC Barcelona game at the Camp Nou.

Literally "The Bishop's Belly," this casual spot achieves a rare feat: putting modern international twists on Mediterranean cuisine without ruining it. La Panxa is a bit off the beaten path and thrives on a steady stream of repeat customers, who come for superb tapas and the restaurant's own craft beer on tap.

Along with traditional pistachio and chocolate gelato, this artisan gelateria creates some truly out-there flavors, like black licorice and better-than-it-sounds dark chocolate with anchovies, as well as seasonal specialties like Panettone. There's also a wide variety of vegan sorbets.

A polished dining spot with a garden terrace, Roig Robí ("ruby red" in Catalan, as in the color of certain wines) maintains a high level of culinary excellence, serving traditional Catalan market cuisine with original touches directed by chef Mercé Navarro. Top-value prix fixe menus of seasonal specialties are available at both lunch and dinner.