Patatas bravas: the best in Barcelona

Their bravas are deservedly among the best if not the best, in the city. They're served with a smooth and creamy 'alioli' that grabs you by the taste buds and has you wondering why they're so phenomenally different until Ramón, owner and chef, tells you it's that the garlic is roasted. They also come with just the right amount of bravas sauce and a touch of black pepper. The ambience is sophisticated and trendy, in a place where its classic tapas (don't pass over the mushroom croquettes) live happily alongside sandwiches and more creative tapas. 

A word of advice from chef Jordi Vilà: when it comes to patatas bravas, half the texture battle is won when potato and fridge are never introduced, otherwise the starch will change the texture. In the Fàbrica Moritz they've developed two kinds of bravas: 'ours' and 'theirs'. Ours, Catalan-style, are topped with alioli and spicy oil; theirs, Madrid-style, come with the classic combo of mayonnaise and spicy tomato sauce. Not to play favourites, but going by taste alone, we have to say we prefer the texture and the smooth contrast of ours.

The Pujado Massana family opened this bar in 1966, with credentials that still attract their loyal customers, such as old-school bravas that plenty of gourmets will defend to the end as being better than those at Bar Tomás (above), and a singular recipe for fried chicken. The battered and fried artichokes are also a star dish on the menu, but the bravas get the standing ovation. Oily, chunky, well-cooked and topped with a majestic alioli, these bravas are made exclusively in the Mandri, and once you try them, you'll know why so many punters make the pilgrimage just to gobble them up.

Paradise is in Horta and it's called Guns N' Roses (a sandwich with onion and cheese), patatas bravas and a beer. Always busy, Louise Se Va has a menu of items named after rock bands, a nice neighbourhood feel, sandwiches, salads, good vibes, and bravas that, like all good things in life, are adorably imperfect.

This burger joint, big sister to the popular El Filete Ruso, opened with the aim of offering quality 100% beef burgers in New York–style environs and out-of-this-world sides. Enter the punch-packing bravas, which are subjected to three different cooking stages (sear-boil-sear) and are accompanied by a spicy tomato sauce with a thousand nuances, from Tabasco to cayenne, and a very reliable alioli. For those who aren't afraid to show their feelings in public.

This Sant Andreu classic has been in business for more than 70 years, and has been owned and operated by the same family for over three decades. Since their patatas bravas are so popular in the neighbourhood, we head in hoping (in vain, it turns out) to leave with the recipe in our pocket. The potato is sweet, not oily at all, and it's fried and served with a secret bravas sauce that's quite mild, and a lovely creamy alioli. They also have an endless menu of meat, fish, 'tostadas' (open-faced toasted sandwiches), and salads.

Diced potatoes that are a bit smaller and more roasted than the norm – they use Monalisa potatoes, which result in a sweeter flavour – fill your plate with a very generous serving. On the side are two bowls with different sauces in each one – a mild alioli and a spicy tomato sauce, with a hint of green pepper – that invite you to dip your potatoes at will. Owner Albert Santos is so generous that he has no problem revealing the secrets of his home-made salsa, which also includes perfect amounts of almond and chilli.

Together with sister bar Obon, La Gamba is the paradigm of a tapas bar anchored in time, and all the good and the bad that goes along with that: a long bar-fridge shows off their arsenal of tempting tapas, and a general grunginess and dilapidated air hangs about the place. The bravas are very good: tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, the mixture of mayonnaise and spicy tomato sauce very well balanced. Your best bet is dining on the terrace: in the heart of the Congrés neighbourhood, far from the city centre, you're guaranteed an entertaining show of the local customs.

Think of it not as a trek to the less-than-central neighbourhood of Nou Barris, but as a quest; queues outside are testament to the great value of the tapas. On especially busy nights you'll be asked to take a number, supermarket-style. If you're confused, the pleasant wait staff will advise first-timers to start with 'chocos' (tender battered squid rings), 'llonganissa' sausage, 'tigres' (stuffed mussels), and their patatas bravas with alioli – which are some of the best in town.

The best thing that can happen to a potato is that it gets turned into an Olot potato: cut fine and covered with minced beef, this is an over-the-top and gorgeous tapa that you can easily become addicted to. The Olot potatoes kitchen wizard Juanjo Martínez makes are sublime, served with a metal mesh that he says evokes the mountains of the Garrotxa, and with a tomato confit made with oil over charcoal to evoke the volcanic region of Olot.

A direct relative of the patata brava is this Canarian speciality: boiled potatoes cooked and served with the skin on, and smothered in 'mojo' sauce, a reduction of green or red pepper, cilantro and parsley that also has a red version made with paprika. In Bar Ramon, a popular gastrobar in Poble-sec (owned by Canarians), you can try them with both sauces.

La Cova Fumada is said to be the birthplace of the spicy potato and mince meat 'bomba', and as Josep Maria tells us, it was here where, over 60 years ago, his grandmother Maria Pla invented this local delight. It was later popularized by Magí, Josep Maria's father, who added a touch of charisma, a dash of fun, and a powerful spicy sauce to the secret recipe to create a legend.

Forget that boring summer salad with tomato and cold potatoes: a real potato salad is what they make at Alt Heidelberg: prepared with a whole boiled and chopped potato, and mixed with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, onion and spices. And if possible, the dish should be served lukewarm or at room temperature. It seems easy enough, but it can be tricky to get it right.

In its most basic form, we're talking about a potato casserole made with onions, sauteed in plenty of oil, and sprinkled with parsley. Other versions are bulked up with a fried egg and bacon. That's just how Restaurant-Bar Transatlàntic does these 'poor-man's potatoes'. They often show up on the set lunch menu at Transatlàntic, which is a great spot for local workers and retirees to get an affordable meal in their neighbourhood that can otherwise fill up with tourists in high season.