Cal Pep

Barcelona

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DESTINATIONS spain barcelona Dining Cal Pep

Cal Pep

Cal Pep is a very popular tapas bar and restaurant near the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. It is best to jostle your way to the counter seats and let Pep himself recommend the best hors d'oeuvres. Otherwise, there are also tables and a quieter dining room further in. On offer is a mixture of traditional and innovative cooking with a focus on seafood & fish.

Dining

The easiest thing is to divide Barcelona's overwhelming range of restaurants into two categories: the new and the old. Some of the world's most modern restaurants, managed by the world's most innovative chefs (the most famous is Ferrán Adrià) can be found here, but there is also traditional Catalonian cuisine, which, despite being heavy on occasion, includes very good vegetable dishes: samfaina, a kind of ratatouille; escalivada, grilled, peeled peppers, aubergines, and onions; espinacs a la Catalana, spinach fried with garlic, pine nuts, and raisins, among others. Best known is the simple rustic pa amb tomàquet: a slice of bread with olive oil, salt, and freshly crushed tomatoes. "The new ones" in particular may be expensive, but many of the best-known chefs' apprentices have now opened their own lower-priced restaurants. Generally speaking, "the old ones" provide better value for money, although even the traditional restaurants know how to charge. You should always reserve a table in Barcelona, and dinner here is not served until 9 pm.