Often cities have a benchmark restaurant for authentic local cooking and for Barcelona, this is it. Since 1967, Via Veneto has been serving superior Catalan cuisine to well off locals, politicians and celebrities. Salvador dali had his own table conducting antics like requesting chains of raw sausages to hang as necklaces around his dates necks. The food, however is serious with locally sourced ingredients like lamb, red coastal shrimp and asparagus prepared in classic Spanish style.