Pintxos in Barcelona!

Some years ago Barcelona was a wasteland when it came to traditional Spanish tapas, and especially Basque pintxos. No one could imagine a place like Els Pinxus, where they've got an endless variety of top-class selections of both, as well as beer on tap pulled like the bar staff came straight from some of Madrid's best bars. In the kitchen is Toni Santanach, who was part of the team of chefs at Mey Hofmann's school and wanted to show that it's possible to make Catalan-style tapas and pintxos in Barcelona. High-quality bread is fundamental here, and the meat they use is of the best quality (the veal burger pintxo is highly recommended). You'll find something for everyone's taste: tripe that's like the best of a Spanish granny's home-made repertoire, scrambled eggs with salted cod, and crunchy strips of aubergine drizzled with aromatic honey – a total vice for anyone with a sweet tooth. And since Santanach studied at Hofmann's school, you know you won't want to skip dessert.

When people talk about where the best pintxos are, the phrase 'haute cuisine in miniature' often comes up. And after 15 years in the business, Irati most definitely tops the rankings in this field. Restaurant manager Alex Monjas says that each of their pintxos has at least four ingredients, and that they have carefully studied the best ways to combine all of them. The elongated bar, free of stools, is topped by some 50 varieties of tapas, both hot and cold. On a good night they can dish up 600.

It’s not the city’s best-known Basque restaurant, but nearly two decades years of hard work have certainly paid off here. The bar at Lagunak has a range of almost 30 tapas, as well as good mini-casseroles, all made under the watchful eye of owner Peter Bellver, a native of San Sebastián, the Mecca of tapas. 'This is a traditional bar, deeply rooted in the culture of pintxos,' he says. Though not innovative, the pintxos are very well made. The croquettes filled with stewed crab are a perfect example; you can catch them freshly made at 1.30pm and 8.30pm.