The best burgers in Barcelona

The mothership of this small gourmet hamburger chain, a pioneer in the field in Barcelona, opened its third space in Ronda Universitat in 2013, and the original, near Santa Caterina, is now called Little Bacoa. The original bears the name 'Little' because the new Bacoa, while still carrying on with its trademark excellence and informality, is enormous. So what's different? Owner Brad Ainsworth is betting that thinking locally will pay off: with the change of seasons, Bacoa offers burgers made with products grown nearby, such as artichokes from El Prat, for example. This is where they started ramping up the marketing with big ideas like the chair that holds your bags, and the piece of card that holds your burger so it stays together better and you don't get your hands dirty.

Brad Ainsworth, the chef who brought the gourmet burger to Barcelona with his tiny Bacoa, also opened El Kiosko, which is along the same lines but more spacious and comfortable and open onto the street. Try any of the delicious recipes with special chutney sauce, home-cooked fries and you’ll know what we mean. This is the second venue the gourmet hamburger group opened – before it was a group, of course – and it's a must-visit when you're hankering for a burger in the Born (and, by the way, it's in the same spot where the excellent Asian restaurant Wushu stood, which Ainsworth opened there in 2005).

Winner of Best Sandwich for 2010 awarded by Time Out Barcelona. Chef Brad Ainsworth won the prize thanks to his burgers made from the finest beef, his imaginative recipes, and his stone grill that gives the meat that inimitable smoky flavour. Little Bacoa was the first establishment opened by the Bacoa group in Barcelona. It's a small burger joint with a lot of charm located in the Born, right by the Santa Caterina market. There are just 15 seats and one grill, and in 2010 it was one of the pioneers of gourmet hamburger restaurants in the city. When you stop here for a meal, know that you're at ground zero for top burgers in Barcelona.

This gourmet burger spot could very well become a meeting place for the indie set: their playlist is exquisite, Barcelona-based rock band Mishima occasionally dine here, and they brought along Daniel Johnston when he was in town. You can create your own burger from the billions of possible combinations, or order a recipe from the menu. Either way, the result is steller, and there's also Nebraska Angus beef available, as well as a small but choice wine list that will suit your budget.

This burger joint, opened by an architect, a restaurateur and an engineer, is armed with 15 tantalising recipes: all made from Burgos beef (or you have the option of organic beef from Lleida) – all honed through trial, error and try, try trial again. The DF burger, with the spiciness of good Mexican food is a fine example, with its 200 g of beef, chipotle chili, coriander, cheddar, Jalapa chili, shredded lettuce and bits of tortilla chips.

One of the city’s venues that is committed to turning the humble hamburger into a quality dish that is healthy and, above all, delicious. They have a variety of burgers of their own creation, though whenever possible, these are tailored to the customer’s tastes. Don’t miss the Richard Burger, with onion confit, foie gras and egg. Xavier Pellicer, one of the owners, has helped to create the menu.

Pay attention because De Paula has become one of the biggies in the world of Barcelona burger bars. They've made a name for themselves in the neighbourhood of Poble-sec where they opened in early 2014. The man behind De Paula, Brazilian Eder Provezana, had a big idea to go without the use of volcanic stone and instead take advantage of something as basic as cooking over coals. They work only with a cut of beef called picanha – a very tender cut also known as 'rump cover', 'rump cap' or 'coulotte' – which they grind themselves.

With recipes created by the Michelin star–holder Paco Pérez, this gourmet burger bar serves meat from every continent: Japanese, Irish and Argentinean beef, and Chinese duck, just to name a few. And they have a list of highly unusual gin & tonics.

'The future of popular food is the fusion of street food from around the world,' says Carlos Gremone, a Venezuelan chef, who, along with publicist Debora Schneider, converted a bar with a lunch menu into a top sandwich and burger spot. Gremone has travelled half the world and has 20 years of experience in Italian Michelin-starred restaurants. Each one of his creations at Bar Centro (12 sandwiches and 11 hamburgers) are born out of hours of refining recipes. The place could have ended up without an arse in a seat if he hadn't got it as right as he did. They make everything from scratch and just right.

La Burg opened its doors in 2008 and has since become a classic for the pickiest of diners. Theirs is an extensive menu featuring 14 hamburgers, with top-quality ingredients and artisan bread. Their speciality is the organic beef burger, 100% pasture-bred, traceability guaranteed.

This Venezuelan hamburger joint is quite far from the influence of the Sagrada Família and caters to the locals in the neighbourhood more than it does for tourists. This is a good thing, especially if you happen to be a tourist. The powerful Venezuelan and Caribbean flavours come together with very, very good meat. They even have a challenge: if you can devour a 750-gram beast in half an hour, it's free. It's a test of bravery, as we're talking about half a metre of burger surrounded by a bed of chips.

If you want a good omelette, this is the place. It’s also advisable to come here at off-peak hours. You have got to try the house beefburger, made with a secret recipe. As many times as you ask, they'll never tell.

They're not the nicest bunch (they bad-mouthed Time Out for not including them in this list the first time around) nor are they the most diligent: the first time we went there the kitchen wasn't working due to a water leak, and the second time we went they weren't cooking because it was their first day back from their holidays. But we have to admit that when we finally did get to try them, we realised the burgers at B-Burger are phenomenal. The one we especially recommend has an impeccable balance between the sweetness of teriyaki sauce and the addition of shiitake mushrooms with a touch of Japanese radish. The bread and the meat fit together like hand in glove.

Is there still room for innovation in the overcrowded world of the hamburger? Maybe not, but we can only hope new ones that open up have as much of their own personality and know-how as Tío Joe. Two food companies came together to produce this burger joint done in the style of a Catalan farmhouse. The ground beef comes from intercostal cuts of mature cows – marinated for two days in broth – and the home-made bread is crusty on the outside, spongy on the inside. You won't forget soon forget their burgers (for example, La Suegra features mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, lettuce and habanero pepper sauce). And don't forget the chips.

Who can forget the film this diner takes its name from, with Dustin Hoffman in drag? We have Hollywood to thank for that, as well as for showing us their big-screen version of an authentic American diner, something this Barcelona-based Tootsie aspires to. Here the lengthy menu of burgers and sandwiches conjure big American appetites and all-American film, but with a taste of the local fare as well: order a Burt Lancaster burger with tartar sauce and a tapa of pig snout or 'lacón' on the side.

At Louise Se Va you can choose from sandwiches and salads with names of rock 'n' roll legends that are just as tasty as they are cheap. It’s a young atmosphere and the waiters give you a warm welcome. A delight in three-four time that also includes a good burger menu.