Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Escalivada is Catalonia's smoke-grilled vegetable salad: aubergine, peppers and onions cooked over flame until charred, peeled, sliced, dressed only with olive oil and salt.
Escalivada (Catalan for 'cooked in the embers') goes back to medieval Catalan farm cooking, when vegetables were cooked in the dying embers of the fire overnight. The dish appears in 18th-century Catalan cookbooks: aubergines, red peppers and onions roasted whole until the skin chars, then peeled and sliced. The dressing is austere: only olive oil, salt and (optionally) an anchovy or sliced garlic on top. Barcelona's bistros run it as a summer starter from May to October, the vegetables straight from the Boqueria. Casa Amalia, Mont Bar and Bar del Pla all run textbook versions; modern rooms like Disfrutar deconstruct it into a tasting course.
3 editor picks for Escalivada in Barcelona, ranked by editorial score. All Barcelona signature dishes · Escalivada across every city.
Mont Bar in Barcelona's Eixample is Iván Castro's tapas-counter-with-a-Michelin-star: tasting plates over a wooden bar with an obsessive natural-wine list.
OrderWhichever tasting menu they call; the wine pairing is the move.
TipCounter seats book 4 weeks ahead. Tue-Sat dinner only. Closed Sun-Mon.
Bar del Pla in Barcelona's Born is the locals' counter on Montcada that draws the chef trade for the modernised tapas and natural-wine. Priced at €€.
OrderThe beef carpaccio with truffle and the slow-cooked Iberico cheeks.
TipOpen daily lunch and dinner; book the bar over the back room. Walk-up after 22:30 is the easier slot.
Casa Amalia in Barcelona's Eixample is a 1950s neighbourhood dining room where bacallà a la llauna and esqueixada sit on the carte every weekday lunch.
OrderThe esqueixada starter and the bacallà a la llauna oven dish.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. The 19 euro menu del dia at lunch is the value pick.
Escalivada makes more sense with someone from Barcelona explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Food Lover Tour Explores Barcelona the local way, after dark, one bar at a time. This evening tapas crawl is all about great food and the stories behind the bars where...
Private tour · 4 hours
Escape to the Catalan countryside in the famous wine region Penédes for a private wine tasting experience featuring local wines, pool view, and convenient hotel pick-u...
Day trip · 7 hours
Enjoy the stunning wine landscape of the Penedes region on a day trip from Barcelona. Guided by a local you can savor local wine and cava, and enjoy a traditional Span...
