Seriously every single restaurant around plaça reial is overpriced garbage designed for people who dont know any better. Les quinze nits looks popular but thats just tourists following lonely planet. Paella is frozen reheated trash costs €25 per person.

But the broader Gothic Quarter has excellent local spots if you know where to look. Walk literally two blocks to carrer escudellers or carrer davallada for actual neighborhood restaurants with real food. Or hit mercat sant josep early morning before tourist invasion begins.

If you see laminated English menus and food photographs outside just keep walking. The good Gothic Quarter spots blend in with the neighborhood - locals never eat where obvious tourist menus are displayed.