Sant Gervasi, Les Corts, Pedralbes and Horta are the Barcelona where people live rather than sightsee: fewer tourists and no fewer good restaurants than in the centre. One place each in Sant Andreu and Poble-sec made it in too. These are places from my list of saved spots; the descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews, and I'll add my own notes as I visit.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 30 September 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.13.
In short
- One street, two places: Carrer de Santaló in Sant Gervasi has BASTARDOS and The Lot, with Parking Sótano and Oysters Menorca a couple of blocks away.
- Near-Michelin without Michelin prices: Records Restaurant in Les Corts (4.9 from 250).
- The countryside without leaving town: Can Travi Nou, an old masia with a garden on the hillside in Horta.
- Book ahead: Bar Lorenzo and Oysters Menorca have small dining rooms.
- World food: chef-driven Mexican at Jaiba MX and Peruvian-Japanese at Puka Pukara.
Sant Gervasi and La Bonanova
BASTARDOS
Galvany · Catalan classics · 30–40 € (≈$34–45) · Tue–Wed 12:00–0:00, Thu–Sat 12:00–1:00, closed Sun–Mon
Google Maps · website · Carrer de Santaló, 36
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 210+): a minimalist, elegant spot in the middle of Galvany's food scene with a short menu of Catalan and Spanish comfort food. Reviewers praise the canelón, eggs with sobrasada, jamón croquettes, tuna tartare, bravas and Ibérico pork loin. The staff are very attentive. Downside: it can be uneven; one steak arrived almost cold.
Parking Sótano
Galvany · grill, steak & pizza · 30–70 € (≈$34–79) · daily 13:00–16:00 and 20:00–23:00, Fri–Sat until 23:30
Google Maps · website · Passatge de Marimon, 5
According to Google Maps reviews (4.1 from 200+): a trendy place with a simple menu of different cuts of meat, grilled vegetables, sauces and a pizza that regulars call the best in town. The butter and the sticky toffee pudding get special mentions. Everything is cooked in front of you, at shared tables. The rating is lower than its neighbours' because of arguments about fatty steaks; the wine list is called boring.
Oysters Menorca Barcelona
Sant Gervasi · oysters & seafood · 40–90 € (≈$45–102) · Tue–Sat 13:00–23:00, closed Sun–Mon
Google Maps · website · Carrer dels Madrazo, 54
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 170): a bright, stylish restaurant with oysters, raw prawns, crudo, turbot and caviar "nuggets", good cava and a solid wine list. Works for a date or a dinner with friends; book ahead. Downsides: it's expensive, and one group complained that half the menu wasn't available.
The Lot Barcelona
Sant Gervasi · creative cooking & cocktails · 20–50 € (≈$23–57) · Tue–Wed 12:00–0:00, Thu until 1:00, Fri–Sat until 2:00, closed Sun–Mon
Google Maps · website · Carrer de Santaló, 103
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 280): a stylish but relaxed restaurant-bar for a special occasion: creative, beautifully plated food, brunch, and cocktails the bartender builds around your taste. The service gets praise. Not everyone agrees with the high rating: one couple found the food weaker than the setting, and their order got mixed up.
Bar Lorenzo
La Bonanova · Spanish bistro · 30–40 € (≈$34–45) · Mon–Sat 13:15–17:00 and 20:00–23:45 (Fri–Sat until 0:30), closed Sun
Google Maps · website · Pg. de la Bonanova, 105
According to Google Maps reviews (4.1 from 450+): a neighbourhood bistro doing traditional Spanish dishes in a modern way; the advice is to order lots and share. Reviewers praise the tuna tartare and the lemon pie for dessert; there's a terrace with heaters. The room is small, so book. Downsides: it's draughty by the door, and the staff speak little English.
Les Corts and Pedralbes
Records Restaurant
Les Corts · Catalan · 40–50 € (≈$45–57) · Wed–Sat 13:00–17:00 and 20:00–0:00, Sun 13:00–17:00, closed Mon–Tue
Google Maps · website · Carrer del Marquès de Sentmenat, 75
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 250): a small, elegant restaurant serving traditional Catalan food that reviewers compare to a Michelin-starred place, minus the Michelin prices. The owner, Gerard, explains the menu and ingredients himself, and the chef comes out to the tables. Prices are called very reasonable for the level. Not many reviews yet, but nearly all of them excellent.
Jaiba MX
Les Corts · creative Mexican · 30–80 € (≈$34–90) · daily 13:00–16:00 and 20:00–23:00
Google Maps · website · Carrer de Déu i Mata, 69
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 370): high-end Mexican cooking from chef Roberto Ruiz, closer to Mexico City than to Europe's watered-down tacos. Reviewers praise the tortillas, salsas, ceviche and crab guacamole; the interior, music and lighting are a plus. Downside: portions are small, and one guest says you'll spend over 60 € a head to leave full.
Chandigarh Café
Pedralbes · restaurant with a garden · 30–40 € (≈$34–45) · Mon 18:00–0:00, Tue–Sat 13:00–0:00, Sun 12:30–17:00
Google Maps · website · Av. d'Esplugues, 105
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 610+): a restaurant with a leafy garden; reviewers say it feels like sitting in a jungle. The menu is different from the usual, with praise for the fish, chicken and aubergine, the colourful interior and the friendly owner. Good for a slow lunch or dinner. Not everyone was won over by the food: some found it just fine.
Horta, Sant Andreu and Poble-sec
Can Travi Nou
Horta · Catalan food in a masia · 40–60 € (≈$45–68) · Mon–Sat 13:00–15:30 and 19:30–22:15, Sun 13:00–15:30
Google Maps · website · Carrer de Jorge Manrique, s/n
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 5,300+): Catalan cooking (salt cod, fideuà, black rice) in a 17th-century farmhouse with a shady terrace. Reviewers say it feels like being out of town while still in Barcelona, and every floor has its own character. People come for calçotadas and celebrate with big groups. It's expensive but worth it for a date or an occasion; it gets busy, yet service stays quick.
Puka Pukara
Sant Andreu · Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) · 20–50 € (≈$23–57) · Tue–Thu 13:00–17:00 and 19:00–0:00, Fri–Sat until 2:00, Sun 13:00–17:00, closed Mon
Google Maps · website · Pg. de Fabra i Puig, 98
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 240+): a bright Peruvian-Japanese restaurant that reviewers stumble on by chance and are surprised to find in this area. They praise the octopus anticucho, ceviche, causa Nikkei, crab bao, pisco sour and cocktails. Fair prices, a weekday lunch menu and a small terrace.
Tiberi Bar
Poble-sec · natural wine & small plates · 30–40 € (≈$34–45) · Wed 19:00–0:00, Thu–Fri 19:00–1:00, Sat 13:00–1:00, Sun 13:00–0:00, closed Mon–Tue
Google Maps · website · Carrer de Vila i Vilà, 67
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 400): a trendy bar with stone walls and bottle-green details, a short walk from Paral·lel metro. Natural wines (the orange gets praise), cocktails and small plates with a twist: Roman-style olives, artichokes, Ibérico pork, crema catalana. Order lots and share. The atmosphere can feel a bit cool at first, but the food wins people over.
One last thing
Uptown, many restaurants are closed on Sunday evening or Monday: BASTARDOS, The Lot, Oysters Menorca, Bar Lorenzo, Puka Pukara and Can Travi Nou, while Records and Tiberi Bar are also shut on Tuesday. If your dinner falls on a Sunday, try Parking Sótano, Jaiba MX or Tiberi Bar.
More on Barcelona: where to eat in Gràcia