Typical Catalan Dishes

Barcelona sits between the sea and the mountains, and its cuisine reflects that: as much tradition in fish and seafood as in meat, garden vegetables and pulses. Here's the selection of dishes you'll come across most often on a Catalan menu.

To start

Pan con tomate (pa amb tomàquet): a slice of bread, usually rustic "payés" bread, rubbed with ripe tomato, olive oil and salt. It sounds simple, but a good pan con tomate stands out immediately; it goes with almost any meal, from breakfast to dinner.

Escalivada: vegetables (aubergine, red pepper, onion) roasted whole in the oven or over embers until caramelised, peeled and dressed with olive oil. Served cold or lukewarm, on its own or with anchovies.

Esqueixada: a cold salad of shredded salt cod with tomato, onion, pepper and olives. The quintessential summer dish.

Sauces that change everything

Alioli: an emulsion of garlic and olive oil (the traditional version has no egg, though today it's common to find it with one). Pairs with grilled meats, potatoes and rice dishes.

Romesco: a sauce made from tomato, garlic, fried bread, toasted almonds and hazelnuts, and dried peppers (ñora). It's the classic dip for calçots.

Main dishes

Calçots: a variety of tender spring onion, grilled whole over embers until the outer skin chars, then peeled by hand and dipped in romesco sauce. It's a seasonal dish (January to March) and a proper social tradition: eaten with your hands, bib included, usually followed by grilled meat.

Butifarra: a fresh, uncured pork sausage, cooked on the griddle or over embers. The most typical version is served "amb mongetes" (with white beans).

Fideuà: like a paella but made with noodles instead of rice, cooked in fish and seafood stock. It was born on the Catalan coast as an alternative to paella when rice was scarce.

Suquet de peix: a fish and seafood stew with potato in a sofrito-based broth, typical of fishing areas like La Barceloneta.

Escudella i carn d'olla: a traditional Catalan stew with meat, sausages and vegetables, typical of winter and Christmas meals.

To finish

Crema catalana: similar to French crème brûlée but with a milk-and-egg-yolk base flavoured with cinnamon and lemon peel, topped with a layer of burnt sugar. The quintessential Catalan dessert.

Panellets: small marzipan sweets, traditionally covered in pine nuts, eaten especially around All Saints' Day (1 November).

With this list you can now read a Catalan menu with no surprises — and know what to order when you don't know what to order.

Frequently asked questions

When can you eat calçots in Barcelona?

They're a seasonal dish, available mostly from January to March.

What is pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato)?

Bread rubbed with ripe tomato, olive oil and salt; it goes with almost any Catalan meal, from breakfast to dinner.