🏆 The 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards have become the highest recognition of gastronomic excellence in the city of Barcelona.
In their sixth edition, held in 2026, these awards have once again highlighted the talent, dedication and innovation capacity of Barcelona's hospitality professionals, from small neighbourhood bars to the most emblematic establishments.
This year, the ceremony had particularly emotional moments: the posthumous tribute to Moncho Neira and the well-deserved recognition of Xavier Pellicer for his commitment to sustainability. At The Sun Places we tell you everything you need to know about these awards and how to enjoy the award-winning restaurants.
📍Where and when were the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards held?
Yesterday, the awards ceremony of the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards took place at the Moritz Factory in Barcelona, an emblematic space linked to the city's brewing and gastronomic tradition. The ceremony aims to recognise establishments that stood out during 2025 in the areas of quality, sustainability, neighbourhood integration, dining room service and market catering.
The event was chaired by the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, and the deputy mayor for Economic Promotion, Raquel Gil.
History of the Barcelona Restoration Awards
The history of the Barcelona Restoration Awards dates back to 2017, when Barcelona City Council launched this initiative with a clear objective: to promote and recognise the quality gastronomic offering of the city, with special attention to neighbourhood and local restaurants.
Since their creation, these awards have sought to highlight the role of the hospitality industry as an economic, cultural and social engine of Barcelona, highlighting those establishments that contribute to urban identity and neighbourhood cohesion.
In the words of Mayor Jaume Collboni, Barcelona is one of the best gastronomic capitals in the world thanks to its haute cuisine restaurants, but above all, thanks to its neighbourhood restaurants with excellent customer service.
🏅Categories of the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards
The 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards give distinctions in five main categories, covering the most relevant aspects of the gastronomic experience:
- Gastronomic Quality Award: Recognises the extensive gastronomic career of an establishment, valuing the use of local and seasonal products, as well as the uniqueness of its culinary proposal.
- Sustainability Award: Rewards good practices related to sustainability and the circular economy, with special attention to commitment to organic and local products, responsible waste management and environmental awareness.
- Neighbourhood Integration Award: Values the restaurant's identification with the particularities of its environment, promoting coexistence, local wealth and recognition of the neighbourhood as a social nucleus of reference.
- Dining Room Service Award: Recognises the organisation, coordination and excellence in customer service, guaranteeing a unique and satisfactory experience that unites professionalism, friendliness and closeness.
- Market Catering Award: Distinguishes the quality of the gastronomic offering that fuses tradition and innovation in the bars and restaurants of municipal markets, valuing the use of fresh and seasonal products.
🏆Winners of the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards 2026
The jury of the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards, made up of gastronomy experts, representatives of the sector and members of Barcelona City Council, selected the following winners:
- Gastronomic Quality Award: Bellafila (Ciutat Vella). This restaurant in the Gothic Quarter, opened in 2024, has quickly positioned itself among the most interesting tables in the city thanks to the cuisine of chef Jordi Parramon, who reinterprets traditional Catalan cuisine with seasonal and local products.
- Neighbourhood Integration Award: La Esquinica (Nou Barris). With more than 50 years of history, this tapas bar with a marked Aragonese accent has become a meeting and coexistence space that has grown with the neighbourhood and its people, offering more than 50 different tapas.
- Sustainability Award: Restaurant Xavier Pellicer (Eixample). This restaurant is a benchmark for healthy and sustainable cuisine in Barcelona, with a proposal that combines Mediterranean tradition and biodynamic agriculture, betting on local and organic ingredients.
- Dining Room Service Award: Flash Flash (Sarrià–Sant Gervasi). This emblematic omelette restaurant, open since 1970, has been recognised for offering exceptional dining room service for more than 55 years, where every customer feels at home.
- Market Catering Award: El Racó del Mercat (Mercat dels Provençals – Sant Martí). With more than 20 years of history, it is known for its fork breakfasts and for using fresh, seasonal products.
🎖️Honourable mentions at the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards
The jury of the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards awarded two special honourable mentions in this edition:
- Los Caracoles (Ciutat Vella). This historic restaurant, founded by the Bofarull family in the 19th century, is the second oldest restaurant in Barcelona (190 years of history) and an indisputable benchmark for traditional Catalan cuisine.
- Moncho Neira (Gràcia). Recognition of his iconic career and the indelible legacy he has left on Barcelona's gastronomy.
🕯️The legacy of Moncho Neira and the Moncho's Restaurant: a posthumous honourable mention at the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards
One of the most emotional moments of the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards was the presentation of a special posthumous honourable mention to Moncho Neira, who died on 5 October 2025 at the age of 84. Born in Pol (Lugo), Moncho Neira arrived in Barcelona at the age of 18 with an empty suitcase and big dreams.
In 1975 he founded the Restaurant Botafumeiro on Gran de Gràcia street, which quickly became a benchmark for haute seafood and Galician cuisine in Barcelona. His philosophy was clear: "When the raw material is indisputably the best on the market, the only thing a cook should do is respect the product, give it the right cooking point and seasoning to awaken all its flavour and aroma on the plate".
In 1990, Moncho Neira expanded his business to California with the birth of the Moncho's brand and the Moncho's Barcelona restaurant in Malibu, later creating a chain of 15 restaurants under the umbrella of the Moncho's Group.
The jury highlighted his "iconic career and the indelible legacy he has left on Barcelona's gastronomy", as well as his personal charisma, his infectious smile and his Galician sense of humour that captivated friends and diners alike.
Mayor Jaume Collboni, present at the gala, wanted to remember his contribution to the city and its international projection. Restaurant Botafumeiro, now managed by his family, continues to be a flagship of the Gràcia neighbourhood and a true institution in Barcelona.
🌿Xavier Pellicer: the sustainability award and its importance for The Sun Places
The Restaurant Xavier Pellicer, located in the Eixample of Barcelona, was the deserved winner of the Sustainability Award at the 6th Barcelona Restoration Awards.
This award recognises good practices related to the circular economy, commitment to organic and local products, responsible waste management and environmental awareness.
Xavier Pellicer, a chef with an impeccable career that includes experience at the legendary Celler de Can Roca, opened his own restaurant in 2017 with a clear philosophy: healthy, conscious and planet-friendly cuisine. His proposal is based on biodynamic agriculture, the use of 100% organic and seasonal ingredients, and the recovery of native varieties. The restaurant offers three tasting menus (vegan, vegetarian and omnivore with local fish and meat), all made without refined sugars, without white flour and with extra virgin olive oil as the main fat.
For The Sun Places, this award is vitally important because it reflects a growing trend among our guests: the search for gastronomic experiences that are not only delicious, but also healthy, ethical and sustainable. Staying in our Luxury Apartments in Barcelona and dining at Xavier Pellicer is a way to enjoy the most conscious luxury: one that cares for your body, respects the environment and supports local producers.
Furthermore, we share his philosophy that excellence and sustainability are not mutually exclusive, but are two sides of the same coin. Therefore, we strongly recommend that our guests include this restaurant on their gastronomic tour of Barcelona's awards.
⚖️How are the awards granted and who makes up the jury?
The selection process for the Barcelona Restoration Awards is based on the evaluation of a specialised jury made up of gastronomy experts, representatives of the hospitality sector and members of Barcelona City Council.
The jury evaluates the applications submitted by the establishments themselves or by citizen entities, and selects the winners and finalists in each category. The evaluation criteria include the quality of the gastronomic proposal, the use of local products, the connection with the neighbourhood, sustainable practices and excellence in dining room service.
The mayor of Barcelona and the deputy mayor for Economic Promotion chair the award ceremony and personally present the awards.
🏅What the Barcelona Restoration Awards represent for Barcelona, the hospitality industry and The Sun Places
For Barcelona, these awards are a recognition of urban identity and a boost to the local economy, highlighting the fundamental role of restaurateurs in building a diverse, dynamic city that is internationally recognised for its gastronomy.
For the hospitality industry, the Barcelona Restoration Awards represent an incentive to continue improving, a visibility platform for small and medium-sized neighbourhood establishments, and recognition of the daily efforts of thousands of professionals.
For The Sun Places, these awards are an essential guide to recommend the best of Barcelona's gastronomy to our guests, including the possibility of visiting the historic Restaurant Botafumeiro, the establishments of the Moncho's Group and the innovative Restaurant Xavier Pellicer, a benchmark for sustainable cuisine. Staying in our Luxury Apartments in Barcelona will allow you to enjoy a unique culinary experience, visiting the bars and restaurants awarded by the City Council, combining tradition, innovation and the greatest respect for the planet.
🏠The perfect plan with The Sun Places to discover the winners of the Barcelona Restoration Awards
Friday:
- Dinner at Bellafila (Ciutat Vella), winner of the Gastronomic Quality Award, to try Jordi Parramon's cuisine
- Night-time stroll through the Gothic Quarter and a visit to the terraces of Port Olímpic
Saturday:
- Lunch at El Racó del Mercat (Mercat dels Provençals), winner of the Market Catering Award, to try their tripe and Thursday paella
- Dinner at Restaurant Xavier Pellicer (Eixample) to enjoy their healthy and sustainable tasting menu
- Drinks in the Gràcia neighbourhood, near the historic Botafumeiro of Moncho Neira
Sunday:
- Lunch at Flash Flash (Sarrià–Sant Gervasi) to try their more than 50 varieties of omelette in a venue designed by Correa Milá and Leopoldo Pomés
- Tapas at La Esquinica (Nou Barris) to taste their bravas potatoes and Aragonese tapas
- Visit to Los Caracoles (Ciutat Vella) for a last traditional Catalan dinner before returning
📞 Contact The Sun Places and let us organise your gastronomic tour of the best award-winning restaurants in Barcelona. Flavour, sustainability, history and luxury await you! ✨
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