Can Sole Barcelona – 100 year old seafood restaurant

We were in search of a good paella restaurant in Barcelona before we leaving the city on our last trip. Paella is a common dish in many parts of Spain. Looking for the best paella  could as easy or as complicated as finding the best chicken rice in Singapore.  Can Sole Barcelona was a name that came up in several of the “best paella restaurant” lists including Timeout and has a high rating in TripAdvisor.  We decided to try it as it was a place which seems to have character and a long history.

Can Sole Barcelona was founded in 1903 and is located at Barceloneta, the seaside end of Barcelona city. It occupies two levels of a small house which looks like the kind of house we draw as kids – squarish, with a door in the middle and a small window on each side.

The inside of Can Sole restaurant has an old traditional feel about it. The tablecloths added a touch of elegance. We were attended by the middle-aged manager who was friendly and guessed that we had paella on our minds. He passed us the menu, opened with the rice and noodle page.   I think the rice dishes are what many diners go there for.

Can Sole Barcelona Menu

Here are pictures of some pages from the Can Sole Barcelona menu.  It is obvious that seafood is the main draw here.  There are all kinds of seafood, prepared in as many ways.  Once we had zoomed in on the rice dishes,  that narrowed down the options. We decided to forego the traditional paella and try the “arroz caldoso” – soupy rice. The signature rice soup with fish and seafood “Can Sole” costs 20 euro per person.  We had wanted to order another item, but heeded the advice not to as the rice broth might be sufficient.

Some olives and bread were served once the order had been take.  They charge 2 euro per person for the bread. The white wine by the glass cost 4.5 euro each.

We could tell that paella was a staple on many of the tables. The larger groups were served with large pans, carried in dramatic fashion.

Our soupy rice soon arrived in a medium-sized pot.  It looked like a pot of home-cooked porridge. The seafood content was high – fish, squid, clams and some langoustines. The broth as you can imagine was rich and flavourful. Quantity wise it was just about sufficient for two as we are not big eaters. Those with bigger appetites may do well to order something in addition.

In the end we did not have the traditional paella even though we started off looking for the best paella restaurant in Barcelona.  If the paella at Can Sole is similar in standard to the soupy rice, it is probably of a high standard. What was memorable about dinner at Can Sole Barcelona was not just the food but the whole restaurant experience. The ambience, the waiters and the atmospheric location of the restaurant. It is certainly worth a visit.

Ratings:

Food: 4

Service: 4

Value: 3

Atmosphere: 4

Overall Rating: 4 TOPs 

Can Sole

c/San Carles, 4 – Barcelona
Tel: 93 221 50 12

Monday
Closed
Tuesday to Thursday
13.00 – 16.00 / 20.00 – 23.00
Friday and Saturday
13.00 – 16.00 / 20.30 – 23.00
Sunday
13.00 – 16.00

Can Sole Website