La Paradeta – Straight from the Market
La Paradeta has a long-standing tradition among Barcelona’s restaurants as one of the best places to eat fresh fish and seafood -market stall-style. The fact that it’s been around for a few years now, makes it a well-featured spot in the many travel guides. But do not despair! It is still a great place to go and enjoy plenty of fresh fish and seafood at an unbelievable price.
Let’s start from the beginning. As its Catalan name makes perfectly clear, this is a small stall. Literally. The entrance door opens up to a fish and seafood counter, behind which the restaurant’s staff patiently await for you to make your choice, tell them the units/weight you want and how you want your dish cooked (normally, the choice will be either fried or grilled).
Simple. The raw fish is put aside, you pay and are given a number. You chose the table and wait for your number to be called from the Tannoi, which means that it’s time to walk up to the kitchen window and retrieve your dishes.
Waiters will help with your orders to an extent -bringing bread and special dishes to the table and generally overseeing a smooth running of operations, but it will be a minimal contribution. Even the ordering of the drinks is a DIY job; expect to be self-sufficient. The important thing is that from then on you can sit back and enjoy fantastically fresh fish in an informal and relaxed environment (it does get loud at times).
In terms of décor, a quick glance around the room will make you realise that it has the deliberate no-frills attitude of the whole set up: simple tables, simple chairs for a place that expects the customer to clear up the table after he’s finished.
Located in Barcelona’s central El Born quarter (right next to the great Big Fish restaurant, and the Incognito bar), La Paradeta is only worth it if you turn up early (for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights it’s a good idea to start queuing at 7.45 pm, right before they open the door). First because the waiting time is very reduced, and secondly, because you want to have a couple of hours to digest all the good seafood you’ve eaten.
In summary, fresh fish and seafood in one of the most central spots of the city at a very reasonable price. What more can you ask for?
Average price: 18€-22€
Opening hours, Monday-Friday: 20:00-00:00
Opening hours, Saturday: 13:00-16:00, 20:00-00:00
Opening hours, Sunday: 13:00-16:00
Tags: Catalan cuisine · Fish · Popular places · Seafood
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