El Japonés Escondido

Despite being known for great seafood, Barcelona’s sushi scene wasn’t too thrilling until a few years ago, and El Japonés Escondido on the Borne-Barceloneta border stands out in particular as the trendiest and most fun of them all. Start with a steaming bowl of mussels served with a deliciously spicy, sticky sweet-chili sauce before getting into the blue-fin tuna moriawase selection that’s so silky smooth, you barely need to chew. Beyond incredibly fresh fish, what sets this place apart is the excellent service and a dining room that feels more like a late-night drinking joint than a restaurant.