Bar Pimentel

Bar Pimentel is a small bar on an El Born corner whose kitchen works through the familiar tapas list and gives it a sharper edge. Patatas bravas, croquetas and ensaladilla rusa appear next to coca bread topped with escalivada and tiny scallops paired with tomato confit, while vermut is poured from a tap. The same people went on to open Taberna Nardi close by. Tables change hands quickly and the noise climbs through the evening, with a crowd made up mostly of regulars from the area and the friends they have passed the word to.

Reserve if you want dinner here, as turning up without a booking won’t get you in, but if you happen to pass by at lunchtime a seat at the counter is the simpler route. Ask for the ensaladilla rusa and the coca with escalivada, and leave the rest to the tap vermut.