An epicure’s equivalent of heaven? It’s called Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain — In Barcelona, the body forgets what full feels like.

Physically your stomach can’t take anymore, but your taste buds can’t get enough.

The thing is, when you’re eating food that you love, the mouth always wins. In this bustling cultural city of everything imaginable, it’s easy to find delicious food on every street corner. The hard part is deciding which Spanish culinary treat to try.

In the interest of making that decision a more informed one (should you ever find yourself in Barcelona or any other wonderful Spanish city), here’s a two-minute guide to the best Spanish food:

Tapas

Nothing is more authentically Spanish than tapas-style dining. The beauty of tapas is being able to sample small portions of anything and everything. For traditional Spanish dishes with a little twist, grab a table at one of the various Lonja de Tapas locations. They serve everything from sesame chicken skewers to battered mushrooms with garlic dipping sauce. Peppers padrón is a local favorite, a bitter green pepper deep-fried and sprinkled with kosher salt.

For seafood lovers, Orio on Carrer de Ferran serves pinxos (pronounced peen-chos), which are slices of baguette topped with spreads, fish, and meat. Pinxos are presented buffet-style; load up as many as desired, and they’ll count up how many toothpicks are left on the plate.

Orio also serves mouth-watering Spanish tortilla filled with crab, fishcakes wrapped in cucumber with salmon eggs, and the best cod you’ll ever get your hands on.

For the patient foodies, get in line at Cerveceria Catalana off of Passeig de Gracia. It’s well worth the hour or so wait. Or try your luck at an early dinner before 8 p.m. to beat the local crowd. Their extensive menu serves the classics done right. Don’t miss out on the dates wrapped in bacon or their seasoned mushrooms.

Break Time

Eating well is easy even for those on the run. Café del Born on Passeig del Born is a little spot with a lot of charm. Regulars order their café con leche (which is espresso with steamed milk), and read for hours at the bar. Others stop in to say hello and grab a bocadillo, a sandwich on French bread, or a basil and mozzarella empanada hot from the oven.

Just a few doors down find La Pizza del Born, the best pizza in all of Barcelona. Thick crust with 20 different toppings, only two bucks a slice. If the cooks really like you, don’t be surprised to find a piece of candy with your order. One bite of chorizo pizza has everyone ordering more slices than anticipated.

In Plaça San Juame, don’t walk too quickly or you’ll miss Conesa, a hole-in-the-wall hot spot serving panini sandwiches made to order. Around 2 p.m. there’s a 25-person line out the door, but don’t let that deter you. They’re quick at work inside and before you know it, you’ve got a grilled sandwich with sausage, cheese, onions, and peppers ready to be devoured.

Dinner

Tapas are fun, but the stomach often craves a full meal on a regular-sized plate. Make a reservation at Biblioteca located in the Raval area. The menu is limited, but that’s convenient when you want to try every dish that the restaurant offers. Highly recommended is the filet in an herb pastry crust with sweet balsamic reduction on a bed of spinach. For a perfect ending, order the Gordon Ramsay chocolate pudding, a dessert that is just as pleasing as the main course. More like an inside-out soufflé, this dessert causes people to laugh, breathe heavily, or simply close their eyes for an extended period of time due to intense delectability.

Tucked behind a maze of side streets is La Fianna whose food boasts a slight Asian influence and a whole lot of flavor. Its mushroom risotto is enough to give Italy a run for its money, and the beef dishes play with flavor combinations in order to satisfy every sense. For a romantic night, request a couch where couples can kick off their shoes and lounge while enjoying La Fianna’s succulent dishes.

Bestiari is a chic and sleek locale whose atmosphere perfectly accompanies its simple and tasty food. For carnivores and fish-eaters, it’s hard to decide on a dish. Beef capriccio with arugala, baked cod with garlic sauce, tuna tataki, or filet with oven-roasted potatoes. The good news is that no one can go wrong; each plate is far from disappointing.

Get ready to loosen that belt; these are the must-go-to restaurants just waiting to be discovered in the city of Barcelona.