Davita Market

Davita Market has two fundamental pillars. First, the concept isn't widely incorporated into Barcelona, but it is in New York and London, for example – that of a big space that's a market with various stalls with a do-it-yourself attitude when it comes to ordering and bringing your food to your table. Head into the magnificent space that is Davita, with its contemporary retro feel, they give you a card, and you walk around the stalls choosing tapas, salads, drinks, pastas, pizza and drinks. They mark your items on your card and you take everything to the table.

Not everyone feels like going out only to walk around a big dining area like Davita with a tray in their hands. But when you find out that the second pillar is the high-quality imported Italian produce, you might change your mind. According to chef and owner Sergi Farrés, who also plays a big role in supplying Italian products, 'What we want is to offer quality Italian produce at very, very affordable prices.'

You'll see just that in dishes like the authentic carbonara, which is worlds apart from the milky liquid you might get at lesser establishments. They use 'guanciale' here, not bacon, and 'pecorino romano' with egg yolk, not some tired runny cream; the pizza is made with farro (spelt) dough, which is lighter than wheat – try the gorgeous pizza with truffle cream and mushrooms, quail eggs and smoked 'speck' ham; and you can't go wrong with the sampler board of six imported cheeses.

The portions are potent: Farrés is obsessed with making big portions that you can share without paying more. If you want to try good Italian cuisine without paying the €40 per person you might fork out at a fancier place, don't wait any longer to get to Davita.