Taverna de Can Roca (CLOSED)

Following the 2012 death of Josep María Solé, an unsuspecting and charismatic chef/restaurateur with the most twisted moustache in all of Sant Andreu, his widow, Laura Gallegos, transferred ownership of Solé's Taverna de Can Roca to Albert Oltra, whose family has been in the business for three generations. Oltra has taken on the task with little romanticism, a lot of professionalism and the same price range. 'We've cleaned the place, put in a new kitchen and applied three layers of paint.', says Oltra. 'But you are not going to find anything like a detox diet dish around here. If we did something like that, we'd be out of business in two days.'

Though they don't have a set lunch menu like the previous incarnation, you can still eat well and pay a similar sum when your bill comes. Starters and mains are served in abundant portions. Kidney and sherry stew, canneloni of pig's trotters and foie, 'capipota' (stew made from head and foot parts of beef and/or pork), lamb shoulder stuffed with 'botifarra' sausage, stewed sweetbreads... These are the type of dishes you'll find in a restaurant that opens early in the morning and doesn't close down in the afternoon hours. And it's still a great place for a hearty breakfast.