Where to eat paella in the Gothic Quarter
We are at Carrer de Santa Anna 8, in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, thirty metres from La Rambla and six minutes from Plaça Catalunya, where the Catalunya metro, lines 1 and 3, comes out.
The dining room is open every day, and there is no wrong hour to order a paella.
- 30 metres from La Rambla
- 6 min to Plaça Catalunya
- Every day midday and evening
How we cook it
The one most people order is the seafood paella, so here’s how we make it. We cut the onion and the pepper here, add confit garlic, then paprika, squid and tomato. The rice goes into that sofrito until it turns pearly, and then the stock, which we make here with fresh fish. And we put the seafood in: langoustine, prawn, clams, mussels and cuttlefish.
You don’t need to order ahead. Give it fifteen to twenty minutes from the moment you ask, and if you’re in a hurry, order it as you sit down.
- 1 The sofrito Onion, pepper and confit garlic.
- 2 The rice Turned in the sofrito, before the stock.
- 3 The stock Fresh fish, made here.
- 4 To the table In the pan it cooked in.
15–20 min from the order to the table
A traditional Catalan kitchen, since 1929
Josep Vila opened the house in 1929, on this street, and three generations on it’s still his family that runs it.
It didn’t even start as a restaurant: it was a charcuterie with a bar, and the grill and the dining room came later. The years have passed and the neighbourhood has changed, but the restaurant is still here, and over time we’ve made paella one of its specialities.
It’s traditional Catalan cooking and it’s made here: we cut the sofrito ourselves, we make the stock with fresh fish, and no pan is started until somebody orders it. Good ingredients and the work that goes into them, which is what Josep Vila cared about in 1929. It isn’t something you can cook in the morning and keep.
Which one should you order?
One of the best paellas in Barcelona, and you decide which: here are three to help you choose. The rest are on the menu.
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Seafood paella · the one most people order
The one most people order. Langoustine, prawn, clams, mussels and cuttlefish.
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Black paella · squid ink, if you know it
Squid ink is what makes it black. If you already know what it is, we bet you’ll order it. If you don’t, you have to try it.
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Vegetarian paella · a real one, not the others minus the meat
Pepper, peas, green beans and green asparagus. So our vegetarian friends can enjoy a paella too.
How it is served
The rice comes to the table in the pan it was cooked in. We set it down in the middle of the table and you serve yourself. Just like at home.
And we can make it for one person. No minimum of two.
Prices
- Seafood paella 17,90 €
- Vegetarian paella 15,90 €
- Chicken paella 17,50 €
- Mixed paella 18,90 €
- Black rice 17,50 €
- Fideua catalana 17,30 €
- Octopus paella 21,50 €
Questions
Do I need to book to eat paella?
No, you order it when you arrive.
How long does it take?
Fifteen to twenty minutes from the moment you order.
Will you make it for one person?
Yes, any of them, and there’s no minimum of two.
Is there a gluten-free paella?
Our paellas and rice dishes contain no gluten. The fideuà does, because it is made with wheat noodles. If you’re coeliac, let us know when you book.
What is the difference between paella and fideuà?
A fideuà is made the same way, with short wheat noodles instead of rice. That is why it contains gluten and the paella does not.
Is there a paella menu for groups?
Yes. For 10 people or more there is the Paella Menu, €25 a head, with seafood, chicken or vegetable paella to choose from. It is booked by telephone.
You order the paella on the day. The table is worth booking.
And we’ll make it for one person, with no minimum of two.
Book a table Or call us 933 18 63 36