No, this casual bar, located around the corner from the Mercat de Sants has nothing to do with famed restaurant Cal Pep, but it’s a destination in its own right. The space touts pastel yellow walls, marble tables with wood stools, barrels for resting glasses and for pouring wine, and shelves of liquor that run along the ceiling. They sell tins of seafood for 2,30€ to 7€, and it’s even possible to order a mix of all the canned items, Combinat, which includes razor clams, clams, mussels, squid, baby artichokes and pitted green olives, all doused with hot sauce and eaten with toothpicks. Scan the case of fresh seafood and produce for even better market finds, including Navajas a la Plancha, massive razor clams cooked a la plancha nad served with olive oil. Cochinillo features chunks of suckling pig cooked a la plancha with pimenton, padron peppers and Maldon sea salt. No matter what you’re eating, wine and/or vermouth are a must. I’d suggest a glass of Martinez Lacuesta from Rioja.

A customer who’s been eating at this sign-free tapas bar on a Barceloneta square for over 20 years said, “This is the last restaurant in Barcelona, the last typical restaurant.” The origin is serving the fishermens’ catch, and seven decades later, the restaurant remains. Josep Maria García now uns this front of house, his brother is the chef, and family works throughout. A brown front gives way to a dining room with worn yellow and brown walls, with a blackboard menu in Catalan. Bomba is the signature dish, a fried mashed potato and pork ball topped with homemade garlic mayo and homemade spicy sauce. Mash and mix to disperse pungency. Pan tostado is challah-like bread brushed with tomato and olive oil, or better yet, garlic mayo. Garbanzo beans comes tossed with morcilla and pine nuts. Artichokes are smashed a la plancha, and seafood like calamari and scampi receive gentler treatment.

This rotisserie chicken specialist has been thriving for three decades near near Mercat de Sants. The grab-and-go spot is so popular that you must reserve a bird in advance, and it’s worth the effort. A half-chicken is ladled with olive oil and served with roasted potatoes plucked from a cazuela. Order a meal and you’ll receive a choice of sides. One interesting option consists of cargots, which are snails stewed in burgundy broth with quarter-sized cuts of sausage and onions. When the couple who runs La Cuina de l’Anna calls your name, grab your spoils and retreat to a nearby park bench.

Richard Bies, an Atlanta-born pastry chef who previously worked for Escriba and Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, and for David Burke and Eleven Madison Park in New York City, got back to basics with La Donuteria. His open-air shop features brick walls, a tiny room to huddle in back, and a blackboard menu that rotates daily. His deep-fried dough centers on pleasantly chewy raised rings. During my visit, Glaseado de Fresa y Limon featured strawberry and lemon glaze with good tang. Platano, Café and Cocoa Nibs showcased textural contrast and the collective talents of banana, coffee and cocoa nibs.

This small café has lived across from Mercat de la Llibertat since 1912. The space features a tan and white awning, marble bar, wood banquettes, white walls, and exposed beams. A promising shelf demonstrates the philosophy of the chef, with cookbooks devoted to luminaries like Noma, The French Laundry, and Larousse Gastronomique. The dinner menu looked especially enticing, with dishes like arros caldos amb de rap I sepia, grandissima mitjana de vedella de Girona, and esqueixada amb romesco, escarola I fesolets. I visited La Pubilla for breakfast, when they specialize in eggs with a choice of proteins and accompaniments. Ous Ferrats amb Terrina de Peu y Morro consisted of collagen rich terrine of pig trotter and snout meat, griddled a la plancha, topped with fried eggs with puffy edges and vivid yolks, and served with crusty bread to sop it all up.

Petros Paschalidis’ Greek-style donut shop has been popular in Fontana since 1992. The original space features a glass front, white subway tiles, exhibition kitchen, plants, art lined walls, communal wood table and marble counters. They sell four types of creations, including Lukumaki (donut hole) and Ekler. With donuts this good, it should come as no surprise that Lukumas now has a second branch. A singular Lukuma featured raised dough and a blueberry glaze. Stogylo, their filled doughnut, sported a chocolate glaze, crushed Golden Grahams and contained rich crema caramel along the lines of local favorite Crema Catalana.