If you’re looking for good traditional paella in Barcelona, then Xiringito Escriba is it.  Situated on the beach north of Port Olimpic, this was definitely a place to come for gazing and grazing. Nothing beats looking out at the sea while tucking into some fresh seafood.

We came here for lunch on a Saturday, which was all the more fun because this beach side eatery was filled with locals out to enjoy the weekend. The paella was definitely the most popular item here and you can order a bigger pan to share among more friends – alas, something that’s not made too clear in the english menu. The Catalan version of paella called fideua – one made with fidues pasta (like a short noodle) – is also well known here.

Between the two, I preferred the paella as I think the rice absorbs the juices and flavours from the seafood and meats better. Also we felt the Escriba Special (seafood only) was better than the Sea & Mountain (seafood and meat mixed).

While paella is the main highlight, there were also some decent starters and seafood. The Cantabrian anchovies and grilled sardines were great, as was the Russian salad and the Andalusian style baby squid. The patatas bravas is meant to be a house specialty but because we had an outstanding one in San Sebastian, it fell a bit short of our expectation. The Andalusian squid, very similar to calamari in style, was so-so (the baby squid was much better). I think we should have gone for something else in this case (grilled version may have been better).

For dessert, the restaurant rolls out the choices for the day on a tray.  I would say that these didn’t really stand out. Perhaps it’s more satisfying just to grab an ice cream on the beach.

Reservations are recommended especially during weekends. Open daily in the Spring and Summer for both lunch and dinner. Online reservations and more info available online at Xiringito’s website: http://xiringuitoescriba.com/en/index.html#