Bar Cañete - a Classic Filled with Atmosphere
I have visited Bar Cañete a few times in the past, but due to poor lack of planning from my part I haven't revisited the place in a long time. When we go for lunch or dinner we usually decide on a place right at the last minute, and that is not the way to go if you want to score a table at Bar Cañete. The restaurant is wildly popular and you need to call at least a few days in advance (sometimes you can get lucky though!).
Bar Cañete, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Bar Cañete is adorable. The waiters are so friendly and very professional, and we overheard several times when the older waiters were correcting the younger ones (in a very friendly manner) for tiny errors that we didn't even notice. You can see that quality is infused in every detail.
Bar Cañete, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Right at the entrance you see a long bar lined with bar stools, and even though you can comfortably sit there and eat and watch all the action behind the bar, I consider the best seats the tables in the room behind the bar, just next to the kitchen. There is also a more private dining room available on request.
Bar Cañete, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
But let's talk business: the food! The items on the menu are traditional Spanish dishes. I like to focus on the seafood when I'm there, but the menu offers both seafood and meat options. It's difficult to go wrong with choosing, but make sure you try the Arroz del Día which is a rice that varies depending on the day, but is guaranteed to be a deeply flavourful, succulent dish you can't miss out on.
Dessert at Bar Cañete, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
We had anchovies with crispy pan con tomate, seafood croquettes, fried artichokes (a must when they are in season), the Arroz del Día, scallops with jamón, canelónes with chicken and foie gras, clams in a wonderfully flavourful sauce and of course dessert: bastón cubano de chocolate which was a truffle-like chocolate with a touch of sea salt and ice cream. It was a dream of a dessert.
Bar Cañete is a Barcelona classic and if you haven't been yet I suggest you put it on the top of your list. If you come to Barcelona to visit it's the perfect place to get to know local food first hand.
Bar Cañete, C/ de la Unió 17, Barcelona (Raval).
