If you’re travelling to Barcelona then you may have tapas in mind and who could blame you? There are some stunning restaurants where you can enjoy the local flavours.

That said, the craving for Asian food can come on strong and you might fancy a change anyway. Luckily then, Barcelona has some great Asian restaurants in town – this city has something for everyone when it comes to food. Here are a few of the best places within easy reach from the town centre:

Asian Ways

  • Neighborhood: Gótico
  • Style: focus on SE Asian & Korean
  • Budget: €
  • Instagram: N/A

1. Best Asian Restaurants in central Barcelona - Asian Ways-min

Asian Ways is a fantastic budget option for Asian food in central Barcelona. There’s an array of classic Asian dishes on offer: Pad Thai, steamed gyozas, crispy duck, fresh Vietnamese rolls, moreish ramen. And all of them are cooked authentically – and deliciously.

One of the best things about this spot is the prices, which reflect exceptional value for money when you consider the quality and flavours on offer. Don’t expect to be paying a lot more than 50 Eur for a meal for two people.

Our personal recommendation is the Pad Thai, which must be one of the best available in Barcelona.

Machiroku

  • Neighborhood: Gótico
  • Style: Japanese (sushi)
  • Budget: € €
  • Instagram: N/A

There’s no shortage of sushi restaurants in Barcelona, but some of them are overpriced and a touch overelaborate. If you want some good quality straightforward sushi that won’t cost an excessive price then this is your place.

The ambience in Machiroku used to be somewhat plain (not far from an authentic Japanese tavern) but they have just moved to a slightly more atmospheric venue in Gótic that gives you even more reason to go and has a nice open entrance that looks out onto the pedestrian walkway.

Select the sashimi, which is always made from the freshest fish. The salmon is a standout: it melts in the mouth.

Mosquito

The combination of Asian food and local craft beer is hardly a bad one. And that’s what you’ll find at Mosquito. It’s a hip little den where you will find delicious Asian morsels on offer.

The specialism here is dumplings but the menu is quite diverse – including small plates like kimchi and crispy duck. The idea here is to order quite a few dishes, tapas style.

Like the last two restaurants in the list, this is another place where you will find very good value for money. Despite enjoying a delicious meal, you won’t have to drain your pockets too much after the bill arrives.

Tip: sister restaurant, Red Ant Noodle Bar, just around the corner is also worth a look. Here, the focus here is more on ramen but the menu is also quite varied.

Hawker 45

Upping-the-ante a bit, Hawker 45 is a slightly more sophisticated restaurant that, at the same time, takes inspiration from the everyday delights of street-food. The food is even cooked from a hectic open kitchen to simulate the atmosphere you get from ordering from a stall.

While that might sound down to earth, the execution is high-end. There’s some skillful cooking on the go that involves a delicate fusion of South American and Asian flavours.

Some of the plates do go that little bit beyond in terms of flavour, then, but expect to pay a bit more. Our personal recommendation is the grilled Octopus with quinoa and a chimicurri of Peruvian pepper. The Bangkok-style chicken wings are good too. 

KoKu Kitchen Ramen

And lastly to our recommended Ramen spot. Koku Kitchen is a touch difficult to find, tucked away in an obscure alley in Gótic, but it’s worth getting there for the top-quality Ramen.

You’ll find quite a few different varieties on offer, all good. And the laid-back atmosphere, just on the right side of hipster and quite local in flavour, adds to the experience.

Tip: KoKu kitchen have another restaurant in Born, which is also good. Here, you’ll find two floors with Bun Bao and gyozas available alongside Ramen.

Enjoy! And if you fancy something a little more traditional, but with a distinctive slant, then you can always try our gastronomic tapas Segway tour. It features 3 restaurants, across 3 districts, in a little under 2 hours.