Casa Àngela

Most of us think about eating by the sea to get a really authentic paella in Barcelona. And it might surprise some of you paella veterans to know that when you're talking about Casa Àngela, you can get the real thing in the vicinity of the Sagrada Família. This place has got history too, as it first opened in1947 as La Palmera, a family restaurant that was rooted in the neighbourhood.

In 2017 Manuel Forés and Joaquin Viñas took over the space and rechristened it in the name of La Palmera's matriarch, Àngela. Now rice dishes reign: they've got eight on the menu and all are powerful and tasty, and even the bits of rice stuck to the pan (the best bits, many argue!) are perfectly done. Among the rice dishes and paellas are the seafood one (with squid, clams, prawns and artichokes), the octopus one and the very robust meaty one with Iberian pork rib, 'morcilla' (blood sausage) and seasonal wild mushrooms.

Also in their repertoire is a selection of classic tapas that will satisfy tourists looking for something near Gaudí's cathedral as well as locals looking for quality: garlic prawns, 'patatas bravas', croquettes and cod fritters. Forés and Viñas say they want to be in there among the top rice dishes and tapas to try in Barcelona, adding that they cook everything from scratch with quality products, and they don't overcharge customers. And a tapas bar and rice speciality restaurant in the Sagrada Família neighbourhood can also be a great place for a date: you'll find phenomenal views of the Sagrada Família itself in intimate and cosy surrounds.