El Cafè de l'Acadèmia

An assured approach to the classics of Catalan cui- sine, combined with sunny tables on the pretty Plaça Sant Just, make this one of the best-value restaurants around. The brick-walled dining room gets full and the tables are close together, so it doesn’t really work for a date, but it’s an animated spot for a power lunch among the suits from nearby City Hall. Eat à la carte for the likes of quail stuffed with duck’s liver and 'botifarra' with wild mushroom sauce.