Spain has a national argument that never ends, and it is about onion. Half the country says a real tortilla de patatas needs it, the other half says it is an insult to the potato. Barcelona has bars on both sides, plus a few that let you pick.
The second argument is how runny the middle should be. I have eaten at all five of these places and they are all excellent. Between them they cover every answer, so I have sorted them by style rather than ranking.
Tortilla basics in Barcelona
Price around 5 € a slice, 10 to 20 € a whole one · Area the Raval and Sant Gervasi hold three of the five
Tip arrive before 1:30 pm, the day’s batch runs out · Booking essential at El Pollo and Flash Flash at weekends
A good tortilla
- Soft potato pieces, not mashed
- The egg looks glossy when cut
- Made that day, in small batches
- The bar tells you straight how they make it
One to skip
- Dry, dark edges from hours in the display
- Potato turned to purée
- Reheated in the microwave
- Same thick slab in every bar on the street
Mantequerías Pirenaicas, gone before lunch ends
Mantequerías Pirenaicas, at Muntaner, 460, in Sant Gervasi-Galvany, has been on the street since 1957. A 2015 refurbishment gave it the look of an 80s Barcelona bar, and its tortillas have been famous across the city ever since.
Each day they make four or five tortillas, classic, truffle, chistorra or chorizo, and serve them until they are gone. That is why there is a queue at lunchtime. A generous slice costs around 5 euros, and the classic comes with or without onion, so you can settle the argument yourself. My advice: order the classic first and save the truffle one for your second visit.
Flash Flash, the tortilla house from 1970
Flash Flash, at La Granada del Penedès, 25, just off Diagonal, opened on 3 July 1970. Photographer Leopoldo Pomés and architect Alfonso Milà created it, and according to Pomés it was the first tortilla restaurant in the world.
The white room, long benches and life-size silhouettes of model Karin Leiz holding a camera with the flash firing have barely changed in more than 50 years. The Docomomo Ibérico foundation lists it as a landmark of modern design. The menu has over 50 tortillas, including sweet dessert ones.
The Flash Flash menu, still in black and white.
Los Tortillez, where you choose how it is cooked
Los Tortillez has two locations, the original at Consell de Cent, 299, in the Eixample, and one at Manso, 50, in Sant Antoni. It has nearly 20 recipes and makes every tortilla to order. You choose how set you want it and even the filling, which makes it my pick when the table cannot agree.
The Consell de Cent, 299 location.
The Manso one is very close to the Sant Antoni market, one of the markets I shop at, so it fits a neighbourhood morning.
Arume and El Pollo, the 2 Raval bars
Arume, at carrer d’en Botella, 11, is a modern Galician restaurant in the building where the writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán lived. Its Betanzos tortilla is the runniest on this list, set outside and almost liquid inside, with smoked bacon. According to its menu it costs 10 euros, in a restaurant where the average bill is around 35.
El Pollo, at carrer del Tigre, 31, a few streets away, is a long Basque-inspired bar with vintage furniture, oysters and natural wines. My favourite is the classic potato and onion: soft, barely set, with properly caramelised onion, served with bread and olive oil. The one people talk about is the crab version, but I always end up ordering the classic. It is small and fills up fast, so book, especially if you want a table rather than a stool.
| If you like it | Go to | What I order |
|---|---|---|
| Almost runny, Galician style | Arume | Betanzos with smoked bacon |
| Soft, at a bar counter | El Pollo | The classic potato and onion |
| Your way | Los Tortillez | The classic, cooked how you like |
| Creamy and traditional | Mantequerías Pirenaicas | The day’s batch, or truffle |
| With history | Flash Flash | Any of the 50+ |
If someone in your group does not like runny egg, start with Flash Flash or Los Tortillez and save Arume for another day.
Got a favourite tortilla that is not here? I am sure I have missed a neighbourhood bar. Message me on Instagram @barcelonainspira and I will go and try it.
Keep exploring Barcelona with me
More places to eat well: how to eat cheap in Barcelona, the best ramen, where to eat calçots, the best artisan ice cream and neighbourhood bodegas.
Where to eat the best tortilla de patatas in Barcelona
My five essentials are Mantequerías Pirenaicas in Sant Gervasi, Flash Flash near Diagonal, Los Tortillez in Sant Antoni, and Arume and El Pollo in the Raval. If you can only go to one, make it Mantequerías Pirenaicas, because they make four or five tortillas a day and serve them until they run out.
How much does a tortilla cost in a Barcelona bar
A generous slice costs around 5 euros in neighbourhood bars, and a whole tortilla to share between two runs from 10 to 20 euros depending on the place and the filling. Versions with truffle or seafood cost a little more.
What is a Betanzos tortilla
It is the Galician style of Spanish omelette, from the town of Betanzos. It is set on the outside and almost liquid inside, with thinly sliced potato. In Barcelona you can try it at Arume, on carrer d’en Botella, 11, where it comes with smoked bacon for 10 euros.
Does Spanish tortilla have onion
It depends who you ask, and Spaniards argue about it endlessly. Most places on this list add onion, but at Mantequerías Pirenaicas you can order it with or without, and Los Tortillez makes each one to order, so you choose.
