Bars

Packed to the rafters with dusty bottles of wine, this classic but minuscule bar makes up for in tapas what it lacks in space. The specialities are 'conservas' (shellfish preserved in tins), which aren't always to non-Spanish tastes, but the 'montaditos' (sculpted tapas served on bread) are spectacular. Try salmon sashimi with cream cheese, honey and soy, or cod, passata and black olive pâté. Get there early for any chance of a surface on which to put your drink.

Polleria Fontana isn't just a common chicken eatery. It's also not that close to the Fontana metro station. Instead it's a tapas bar/restaurant between the Fontana and Joanic metro stations. Owner/chef Nil Ros and his team are committed to traditional Catalan cuisine and home-made dishes using his granny's recipes. Everything is made fresh, and we found both the classic dishes and the tapas were well executed. They even do paellas.

At this restaurant, Jordi Cruz (from Àbac) gives his idea of what a tapas bar should be. This includes his own versions of classic tapas, such as squid with citronella alioli, as well as dishes from Àbac like foie gras with figs, migas, and Sichuan pepper ice cream.

Think of it not as a trek to the less-than-central neighbourhood of Nou Barris, but as a quest; queues outside are testament to the great value of the tapas. On especially busy nights you'll be asked to take a number, supermarket-style. Waiters will advise first-timers to start with 'chocos' (tender battered squid rings), patatas bravas with alioli, 'llonganissa' sausage and 'tigres' (stuffed mussels). After that, the world is your oyster, cockle or clam.