07/09/2016
It is not always easy to find a restaurant that offers quality rice at a reasonable price near the Rambla in Barcelona. But somtimes, you find some places to take into account: this is the case of Cullera de Boix restaurant, one of the best place to eat a paella in Barcelona.
More than one local may have looked at tourists with compassion as they eat the typical pre-cooked paellas in downtown Barcelona in the evening. In fact, when you see them, the first thing many of us are thinking is that we should try to remember the name of the restaurant so as to not make the mistake of ending up eating at this place ever.
It may actually be easy for these places to attract tourists, but certainly more than one local resident may have had a bad experience after ordering a rice dish in one of these restaurants in Barcelona.
The classic reference says that the best rice dishes in Barcelona are those you will find in the Barceloneta district, but, as you would expect in a global world, these have been scattered throughout the city.
First, we must look at the customers. If they consist exclusively of tourists, it does not look good. It is important that there are also local customers, and even more so when considering our culture of bars and restaurants. Locals have to eat and dine somewhere, and who better than them to choose or exclude places, depending on their experience as well as on a trial and error basis.
One of the best paella restaurants’ in Barcelona is Cullera de Boix, located in the city center and with over 15 years of experience.
Second, you need to pay attention to the menu. It is preferable to have one that is rather short than another with a thousand dishes, which only indicates that there is no fresh local produce whatsoever.
The third aspect is also of major importance: What paella does it offer? If we were in Valencia, the signature dish would be the one with meat and vegetables. In Barcelona,the most recommended one is that with seafood.
We have chosen a restaurant of our liking, and now the key moment has come. When we are served paella (it will take at least 20 minutes, which is the cooking time for rice), you have to smell and taste the product quality. As it happens with good pizzas, the secret lies in the dough: in the case of rice, the secret lies in the broth, rice and fresh produce. You will undoubtedly notice it.
Contrary to what we usually do on the Iberian Peninsula, in most European countries people tend to have a hearty breakfast, eat something light at noon, and the main meal is reserved for the evening. We should therefore not be shocked if we see a tourist enjoying a paella on the Rambla in Barcelona at six or seven o’clock in the evening. This will indicate, though, that the restaurant is a place for tourists.
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