OK, OK…NOW IT’S BARCELONA’S TURN.

Madrid and Barcelona have a rivalry as intense as its NY/LA counterpart; only worse. At least NY and LA speak the same damn language. This rivalry certainly extends to matters of the tummy, and I anticipate a rash of complaints that my Madrid restaurant recommendations below should be followed by a listing of prime Barcelona eats.

Because the “country” of Catalunya is rightly proud of its culinary heritage, because Catalunya is home to 50% of Spain’s Michelin three-star restaurants, and because my own lovely daughter Inés is Catalan, I am compelled by a sense of fairness and diplomacy to list below my favorite restaurants in Barcelona (and one in Sitges).

AGUA

Pg. Maritim de la Barceloneta 30 (in Port Olimpic)

93-225-1272

Specializes in paella. Right on the sea. Reservation required.

BILBAO

Perill 33 (in Gracia neighborhood)

93-458-96-24

My favorite restaurant in Barcelona. “Market cuisine.” Cash only.

Reservation highly recommended.

CAL PEP

Plaza de les Olles 8

93-310-7961

Specializes in fried fish. Best seats are at the bar. If you go for

lunch, get there BEFORE they open and wait. Otherwise, you will never get a seat.

FOLQUER

Torrent de l’Olla 3

93-217-43-95

Great restaurant with refined cooking.

FRIENDS

Deu i Mata 125

93-439-3556

Great Catalan “home cooking.” Restaurant looks like your aunt’s living room. Note that all the waitresses look exactly the same.

QU-QU

Passeig de Gracia (near Casa Batllo, but on other side of road)

Great tapas. Large selection.

XAPELA

Passeig de Gracia (near Casa Batllo, but on other side of road)

Great Basque pintxos.

ELS POLLOS DE LLULL

Ramon Turro 13 (Tel: 93-221-3206)

Napols 272 (Tel: 93-162-2250)

Second best chicken in Europe. The best is a place in Lisbon called “Bon Jardim,” but that’s a subject for another post.

CAN CARGOL

Valencia 324

93-458-9631

Grilled meats. Cheap prices.

LA BELLA NAPOLI

Villarroel 101

93-454-7056

Barcelona’s best pizza. True Naples-style pizza. Run by Italians.

Pizzas cooked in wood-burning oven.

LARRUSKAIN

Mallorca 442

93-232-2367

Basque “asador.” House specialty is roast monkfish. Close to Sagrada

Familia.

TXOKOA

Marimon 20

93-414-1991

Awesome Basque restaurant. They have a great multicourse set menu

(dessert and wine included) for 25 Euros per person; at least, that was the price in 2002.

LA TORRETA

Platja Sant Sebastia

Port Alegre 17, SITGES (note: This is in Sitges, not Barcelona).

Very good paellas.