Senyor Parellada is an excellent restaurant housed in a beautifully renovated 19th century building in the heart of El Born neighbourhood of Barcelona, near Picasso Museum and Santa Maria del Mar. As opposed to the hustle and bustle of Barcelona's tapas bars, the atmosphere at Senyor Parellada is very peaceful. Cosy seating, large mirrors, hardwood furniture, discreet lightning and impeccable service all contribute to high class dining feel. You will not find any youngsters in jeans at Senyor Parellada, their dress code is business casual and most of the customers at lunch time seemed to be local business people. Nevertheless, the prices at Senyor Parellada are very reasonable.
The long menu at Senyor Parellada contains many Catalan favourites according to the season. We started our meal with fried salted cod (bunyols de bacalla) accompanied by two generous pieces of home-made bread and black olives. For mains, we had grilled calamari (calamares planxa) and veal stew with figs (galtes amb figues). The calamari were very fresh and tasty, the veal tender and richly flavoured by accompanying figs.
The bill for the above dishes plus a small bottle of water and a glass of house red wine came to € 33.70 only. Considering the quality of the food, the atmosphere and the professional service, this was a real bargain.
We highly recommend Senyor Parellada to anyone searching for an excellent Catalan meal in a classy refuge in the heart of Barcelona. Reservations are recommended, although we did not have any problems getting a table at lunchtime on a weekday.
Location: C/Argenteria 37. Metro: Jaume I. Open: daily 1-3:45pm & 8:30-11:30pm. Web: www.senyorparellada.com