Eight great restaurants near Montjuïc

El Cañota is a Galicia-inspired seafood tapas bar, and it comes with a pedigree. It serves traditional dishes: fried fish and seafood, 'patatas bravas', Galician octopus, 'ensaladilla rusa', wine and draught beer. All of it is top-quality, and served in a laid-back venue that's perfect for dinner after taking in a show at the Teatre Lliure, Mercat de les Flors or BTM musical theatre, which are all nearby.

Awarded a Michelin star in 2014, Pakta combines Peruvian and Japanese cuisine into an experience you're sure to never forget. With a focus on Nikkei cuisine (Japanese food made outside of Japan) and a touch of Catalan flavours, Patka offers seasonal à la carte options that are a mix of cultures you'll savour no matter the season.

This Venetian restaurant brings the classics of the Italian city on the water to Barcelona. Xemei serves fish dishes prepared just like in restaurants in Venice as well as 'sarde', the Venetian version of pickled sardines. Be sure to try the tasty assortment of fish that includes cod, baked mackerel and marinated anchovies that will have you singing its praises. 

Tacos shouldn't be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Spanish cuisine, but the aptly named Tacos Tacos has it figured out. With a variety of Mexican, Spanish and Catalan flavours for around €2, you can't go wrong! Choose your choice of slow-cooked meat and add your favourite toppings for a memorable taco treat. And if for some reason you're not in the mood for tacos, they've also got burritos, nachos and other Mexican fare.

Located in a building that was originally constructed for the International Exposition of 1929 and makes for an incomparable setting, this restaurant is an oasis of tranquility and natural surroundings. They have set lunch menus, and they'll also do set dinner menus for groups. Be sure to try some of their popular dishes like the mushroom ravioli with truffle sauce or the sirloin with fois gras.

La Foixarda is the brasserie restaurant of the Municipal Riding School. Mediterranean cuisine, Argentinian barbecue for meat lovers, and lunches featuring Catalan 'calçots' (similar to leeks, served grilled with meats and other side dishes) are served indoors or outdoors on the terrace overlooking the equestrian centre court where you can dine on natural products with the whole family.

Martínez serves a stratospheric take on paella, classic tapas and deep-fried seafood. The à la carte menu is as complete and as panoramic as the view of the seaside below – an indulgence, with prices to match. However, the set menu (vermouth with tapas, salad, wines, one of the rice dishes on the menu, plus dessert) allows you to keep a cap on spending, but not your appetite. 

Located in the heights of Montjuïc, this restaurant takes the best of Mediterranean cuisine and passes its essence through a filter of moderate avant-garde cooking. The result is a refined menu with top-quality ingredients. Tuna steak with hummus, seaweed bread with sardines, salmon tartare... It's a parade of flavours to savour as you float in the blue Barcelona sky.