Updated Jul 02 2023
Along with paella and jamón serrano, patatas bravas, also called bravas or papas bravas (in some regions of Spain), is one of the most popular dishes in Spain and definitely the most popular in bars and restaurant in Barcelona.
So much so, that their reputation has crossed borders, making it difficult for a tourist not to come to Spain without planning on trying them. Unfortunately, and as is what usually happens with traditional dishes, not all bars and restaurants make their patatas bravas with fresh, quality products or even make their own sauce.
Which is why in this article we hope that you’ll find out more about our “patata brava culture”, as well as a list and map of the best bars and restaurants in Barcelona where you can try some delicious Spanish patatas bravas.
Where to eat the best patatas bravas in Barcelona?
Luckily, there are a lot of bars and restaurants in Barcelona where they serve some great patatas bravas. As well as historical spots where (almost) every local from Barcelona has been to “tapear” (eat tapas) and to eat bravas, new bars and restaurants have opened up to try and reinvent this traditional recipe and have been successful in doing so to offer a truly delicious dish.
This new bravas boom has also encouraged other bars to improve their own recipe, with the aim of attracting more and more customers. So here is a list and map with the bars and restaurants where each one has their own recipe and make some excellent patatas bravas.
The best bars and restaurants where to eat patatas bravas in Barcelona
€ Up to €4.50 || €€ between €4.50 and €6.95 || €€€ more than €6.95.
Map of bars and restaurants for where to eat bravas
Photographs of various types of Spanish Patatas Bravas
At some bars it is possible that, either on the blackboard outside or on the menu you get given when seated, you will find two prices for patatas bravas and other tapas. A price is shown for the “tapa” and another price which is slightly higher for the “ración”.
Tapa is a smaller dish, ideal if you are two or three persons or if you are in a larger group wanting to try many different tapas.
Whereas, you get a larger quantity of patatas bravas in a “ración”, ideal for larger groups or for those of you in a small group but are big fans of Spanish patatas bravas, as I often do!
Suggestions and relevant information on Patatas Bravas
You usually eat patatas bravas at different times of the day. So it is possible, together with other tapas or a main dish, to eat them for lunch or dinner.
They are also eaten at two other times of the day: mid-morning (at about 12pm, or one or two hours before lunch) or mid-afternoon (between 6pm and 8pm). At these times you can have it with a drink, making it an ideal aperitif to satisfy your appetite before lunch or dinner.
The price varies and depends on different factors including the type of bar, where it is, the quantity, etc. However, you can generally expect the price to be from €3.50 to €6.50.
Obviously, there are some bars where the price is more expensive. Mainly the terraces of some luxury hotels (open to the general public) or luxury restaurants.
Patatas bravas, the same as any tapas, is a dish to be shared. That is why when you ask for bravas, the waiter will leave the dish in the middle of the table. If you only order patatas bravas you won’t have your own plate.
If you order other tapas with it (as happens with any food with a shell or a large dish) then the waiter will give you your own plate.
In any case, you shouldn’t put some of the patatas bravas onto your plate, but eat them directly from the dish that they are served on.
Bars and restaurants with a large sign in their entrance or terrace, almost always in English, with the offer “3, 5 or 10 Spanish tapas at a certain price”, “tourist menu” or “3 tapas + paella + sangria for a specific price”.
You should avoid these at all costs, at least 99% of the time. Usually, these type of places are in very busy parts of Barcelona in the centre, such as the famous Rambla de Barcelona.
If you look hard enough, you’ll realise that there are no locals from Barcelona sitting there, which should give you a clue. That is why we recommend you to find another place to eat patatas bravas and other tapas (for example, take a look at our suggestions on the list and map above).
How do you make good patatas bravas?
Making Spanish patatas bravas seems simple enough but maybe it is their simplicity that actually makes them quite complex. So there is the base and, obviously, the potatoes.
The potatoes should be of good quality and preferably local. They should be fried (most common), or boiled (not as common), and served with one or two sauces where each bar or restaurant has their own recipe, although always following the basic principles so that it is at least a little bit spicy.
There are as many recipes for this traditional Spanish tapa as there are expert bars and restaurants making them. However, below we show you the steps, tips and some little secrets that many bars and restaurants use which you may find useful if you fancy cooking some delicious patatas bravas at home.
Cut the potatoes (depending on the bar and restaurant the size changes, the most common way is in medium-sized cubes and not necessarily all the same size, although they may also cut them into smaller pieces, wedges, strips, etc.).
Once the potatoes are cut and washed, dry them before frying (although a few bars boil them) in oil (this can be olive oil or extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil) on a low heat so that the potatoes slowly turn golden on the outside and cook inside.
When you see that the potatoes are done inside (you can keep checking them by using a fork to see if you can pierce them easily, in other words, they aren’t hard inside), you should turn up the heat almost to maximum to get that typical golden colour, toasting it slightly on the outside (although try not to burn them).
Some bars make one sauce with a pinkish colour which is usually made from mixing two sauces together that were prepared beforehand. For this sauce, first you need to prepare a thick, white sauce like mayonnaise. Sometimes another ingredient may be added to give it an extra flavour.
Then you mix it with another red, spicy sauce that can be made by frying a little oil with tomato and adding another spicy ingredient (chilli, onion, garlic, pepper…).
Another trend, especially in Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia, is to serve the patatas bravas with two separate sauces. For this, the mayonnaise becomes a delicious All i Oli (a garlic mayonnaise, in english Aioli) more or less spicy depending on how much garlic you add to it.
Then, to make the second red sauce which can vary in thickness (sometimes it can be more liquid and made by frying a bit of oil with some chilli and a bit of pepper, preferably sweet, or the sauce can be quite thick and made with a base of tomatoes to which you can add onion, zorza – minced chorizo, chives, etc.).
Finally, serve the potatoes onto a dish and add the two sauces.
As you can see, the base and, therefore, the true secret to making great patatas bravas is to pick the best ingredients (potatoes, oil and the rest of the ingredients needed to make the sauces), frying the potatoes well and making the sauces completely from scratch. Oh! And of course, a bit of practice.
I do have to admit that the very first patatas bravas that I made did not go accordingly to plan, but after a few attempts I managed to cook some delicious patatas bravas :).