9 restaurants near Barcelona's Fira de Montjuïc

In Mumbai, the word 'bembì' is used to talk about the navel, the nexus of union between mother and child. The restaurant Bembì is a nexus of union between Indian cooking and Barcelona, and they've managed to bring a slice of their country to the pavement in Consell de Cent. Relaxed and cosy, this restaurant is perfect for surprising your date with a tasting menu – a senses-stimulating parade of 100 percent Indian recipes with touches of creativity and maximum-quality products. Every bite is like a ride on a flying carpet: magic.

Their sushi selection is great, but check out the menu, too. It features delicacies such as tataki uramaki. It’s very good, but it’s not cheap.

This superlative Galician seafood restaurant has a legendary place in the collective unconscious: crayfish, lobster, prawns - always the freshest products.

Ikibana Paral·lel is located in Barcelona a few meters from the metro station: Poble Sec. The cuisine is based on classic Japanese cuisine fused with a Brazilian style that manages to give the dishes an unique personality.

Fusion of Indian and Mediterranean cuisine, against a backdrop of natural decor items from India. Cocktail bar opens at 10.30pm.

As well as its magnificent view of Passeig de Gràcia (it’s located on the first floor, with panoramic windows), Citrus offers delicious fresh Mediterranean cuisine. The wine list features more than 100 bottles.

Lasarte’s little brother allows you to enter Berasategui’s world without making yourself dizzy, thanks to a wonderful sampling menu that will suit many different pockets. At Barcelona’s Hotel Condes.  

Nakashita is a small and cozy restaurant specialized in preparing dishes from the best Japanese cuisine and with the freshest fish. This property is located in the neighborhood of Borne in Barcelona, a few meters from the Arc de Triomphe. This restaurant emulates a Japanese tavern with an intimate atmosphere, being an ideal place to go with your loved ones to enjoy authentic Japanese food. Nakashita gastronomic offer is vast and varied, offering its guests all kinds of dishes to match the most demanding palates.

This cosy restaurant is located in Casa Rovirata, one of the city’s modernist gems. It’s the quality of the meat that stands out here, especially the lamb and the suckling pig.

A cross between Basque and Mediterranean cuisine, with top-quality meat and fish. This emblematic restaurant opened in the late 1970s, but it is still renowned for its quality food, good service and for being one of the most elegant eating establishments in the city. A FAD award-winner, this lovely restaurant was built atop an old dry stone irrigation wall. In winter one of their two outdoor terraces is open, with seating for 50 people.

Portly, jovial waiters have been charming moneyed regulars for more than a hundred years at Can Solé. Over the course of time, many of these diners have added to the framed  photos, sketches and paintings that line the sky-blue walls. What continues to lure them is the freshest shellfish (share a plate of chipirones in onion and garlic, Cantabrian anchoviesor red shrimp to start) and fillets of wild turbot, lobster stews and sticky paellas. Beware the steeply priced extras (coffee, cover).

Il Giardinetto is frequented not only by those with great palates who know quality when they taste it, but also by romantics as well as those nostalgic for a Barcelona of days gone by. Recently the place has been slapped with a makeover to modern it up a bit to accompany the excellent work the kitchen staff has always done and continues to do. Chef Jesus leads the team with his Italian cuisine, and notable fresh pastas that are made by hand daily. There is also, of course, a range of pleasing dishes created by young chef Sergio “Chiqui” Millet. One offering that’s not always on the menu (so do ask) is the paglia e fieno tagliolini al pomodoro, which many an Italian restaurant would love to be able to prepare and present with fanfare.

Under the cover of a modest tapas bar, Suculent is an eatery where you can order a superlative oxtail, tenderized and cooked slowly, that will make you fall to your knees and raise your arms to the heavens. It's a difficult dish to find, even in places that advertise traditional cuisine, so if you want to give it a try, this is the place to get stuck in. And just to be sure, we're not talking about meat from a bull or ox: it’s from our friend the cow, and so it's always on the menu. If that doesn't strike your fancy, try the Maldonado Iberian pork rib, the mother of all pigs' trotters, or black pudding meatballs with cuttlefish – the star of the show and the restaurant’s proudest offering, aside from the tapas. On Sundays they serve up rice with seafood or meat and live flamenco.

It's definitely worth spending some time in this place which is a breed somewhere between a vegetarian restaurant and a jazz club, if there is such a thing. On the restaurant side, there's a brief and inviting menu featuring wild mushroom fideuás (fine noodles), and croquettes stuffed with mushrooms or broad beans with mint; while the jazz part comes in the form of frequent live shows from top acts, with the occasional classical concert taking the stage. They also host book readings, poetry recitals and other cultural happenings; there's something going on every week. Have a look at their wine list while you're there as well – it boasts more than 70 bottles.

The eponymous seven doors open on to as many dining salons, all kitted out in elegant 19th-century décor. Long-aproned waiters bring regional dishes, served in vast portions, including a stewy fish zarzuela with half a lobster, a different paella daily (shellfish, for example, or rabbit and snails), a wide array of fresh seafood, and heavier dishes such as herbed black-bean stew with pork sausage, and orujo sorbet to finish. Reservations are available only for certain tables; otherwise, get there early.  

A spectacular modernist restaurant that is home to a traditional style of cooking adapted by the creative genius of Martín Berasategui. In summer, it has a wonderful terrace with a great view of the Raval.

The atmosphere and the taste of an authentic Catalan country house. That's what you will find at the renovated Casa Jordi. While keeping the spirit and cuisine that made the place so visited by good palates, the restaurant has made a delicious and interesting twist thanks to its new owner, Lluís Cortines. Taking advantage of his valuable experiences at Reno and Botafumeiro, he managed to combine traditional cuisine, for which Casa Jordi is well known, with an adaptation to modern times. Better presented dishes tempting your eyes and, most of all, measured doses and a reduction of its most heavy aspects, with less fats and carbohydrates.

The young chef Jordi Esteve’s style is based on quality and creativity, and underpinned with tradition. How about some scallops with truffle and fish foam? And save room for dessert, as Esteve's coconut-infused creations, which he came up with when looking for a dish that 'gives the feeling of sitting near a wood fire to stave off a winter's chill'. In more good news for everyone, there's also a menu for coeliacs.

This is a fresh fish shop and restaurant – don’t miss the rice with lobster.  

The name doesn't lie. This restaurant has a fresh interior, a bit on the trendy side, defined by its pleasing colour combo of white, silver, black, and fuchsia. They've modernized and moved towards a fresh market Mediterranean menu with creative touches – daring, without being strident. Newcomers first sample the quality meats, pasta, rice, salad, and fish. If you're not sure what to try, make it easy on yourself and sink your teeth into the house burger, the very best of Sant Gervasi. 

There are Thai restaurants and then there's Thai Gardens, an Eden of sensations defined by the décor featuring wood, golden figures and plant life. In this exotic corner of the city they make true Thai cuisine, uncorrupted by the Mediterranean imagination: you can have chicken marinated in every imaginable way, authentic Thai rolls, prawns with incredible sauces, spicy calamari, veal... The specialities with rice and noodles, and the pork options, will have you crossing out Chinese restaurants from your list of favourites.

When you eat here, your feet are practically in the sand, just like in the old days... Their specialities include grilled sardines, tuna carpaccio and the mouth-watering fideuà with clams.

Let's review: A coveted location in Av. Diagonal at C/Casanova. A luxury terrace that's open all year. A relaxed atmosphere. Zero fanfare. Décor with a New York air. Smooth and clean lines. Music all day set at a volume that doesn't interrupt conversations. San Telmo – not to be confused with the gorgeous restaurant in C/Vilà i Vila – is one of those places that are neither too outdated to chase away the posher clientele, nor too well-heeled to turn away your average hungry passer-by. This is a place to stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner – the best-sellers are salads and hamburgers – and for having the first drinks of the night before making your way to Bikini, Luz de Gas, Universal, Sutton or any of the nightclubs in the area.

Refined, elegant and exclusive, the Windsor combines an air of modernity and noble traditions with an impeccable seasonal menu that includes delicacies such as deer cannelloni with cream of wild mushrooms and truffles. They are also the kings of game cuisine.