We are still in time to enjoy calçotadas as the season runs from November to April. If you are looking for where to go for a calçotada, below are three suggestions I have tested.

Whichever option you choose, you will have a great time enjoying this delicious Catalan tradition. A calçotada is a true celebration of life and friendship.

Home barbecue

A home barbecue is probably the cheapest of the options I have tested. It is ideal when you have friends on varying budgets.

I had many calçotadas at home or a friend’s place. We buy the calçots and the meat and grill them ourselves. Someone brings the romesco sauce, someone else the butifarras, and another some other types of meat. We share the shopping tasks and the costs. Then we have a great time eating until our bellies pop.

The first time we did this, we youtubed “how to prepare calçots.” It is true that by choosing to have a barbecue at home, you have to work for your food, but the event is relaxed. You bond with your friends over preparing the fire and drinking “vermut” (vermouth) and wine while cooking.

Another great advantage of having a home barbecue is that you are not limited in what or how much you can eat.

Go to a Masia

Another fantastic option to experience a calçotada is in a Masia, a traditional Catalan farmhouse that has been converted into a restaurant. These Masias are often located in the countryside, surrounded by fields and vineyards, and offer a rustic and authentic atmosphere that is perfect for this type of feast.

One of the highlights of a calçotada in a Masia is the sense of community and conviviality that is created. Everyone sits together at long tables, sharing food and stories, and enjoying each other’s company.

There are several options in Barcelona and close to Barcelona. The masia I have been to several times is Can Cortes, less than one hour train from Barcelona. It is nested in Collserola Natural Park so you get the rural charm, the natural surrounding, and fantastic views. The food is nice although the numbers of calçots are limited. There is a playground for kids which is great if you come as a family.

The menu is 39.9 euros and comes with 15 calçots, a main dish, dessert (crema catalana), bread, wine, water, and coffee.

Can Cortes, Av. de Can Cortés, 36, 08196 Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona

In the future, I would like to have a calçotada in Can Cortada, in Barcelona. It looks fabulous and I am very curious about it.

Go to a Catalan restaurant

This year, we went to a Catalan restaurant inside Barcelona city for our calçotada.

Can Vador is located in Les Corts. I had no real expectations about the place. I was not keen on going to a restaurant, but we were short on time and it was organised at the last minute. We did not have enough time to go to a Masia.

Afterwards, I am glad we went. The food was delicious, more precisely, the calçots were delicious, young and tender. I like calçotadas but I can only eat a small number of calçots (5 or 6). They served us 18 calcots, and I ate them all. That is how nice they were. A first for me.

The food was nice, we had a main of grilled meat served with potatoes and some pimientos del Padron and ali oli on the side. Dessert was a mandatory crema catalana but as this is the traditional dessert for calçotada and it was so tasty, we did not mind.

The calçotada menu costed 35 euros with a drink of our choice (we chose wine and water) and pan con tomate as an appetizer.

The atmosphere was nice. It was completely different from a Masia’s. The place was smaller and packed with locals which for me is a good sign about the quality of the ingredients and the food. The service on the other hand was quite slow. But this was the only downside. An overall good experience!

Can Vador, L’Illa Diagonal, Carrer de Déu i Mata, 69, 08029 Barcelona