Review: Bastaix Restaurant, Barcelona

The cobblestone streets of Barcelona’s Ciutat Vella (Old City) can be a delightful journey through time or an irritating game of “Dodge the Selfie Stick.” Choose the former when you descend into the basement of Bastaix, a quintessential Spanish eatery tucked away in a plaza just outside the towering Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar.

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The restaurant is named for the Catalan laborers who carried bricks across the city to build the sky-kissing basilica in the heart of the El Born district.

The otherwise dim space is well lit by singular glowing candlesticks on each wood plank table. A small window on the wall meets the ceiling, allowing the rings from the church bells to float into the romantic subterranean space.

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Menus are in Catalan, Spanish and English, and showcase varied versions of Spanish classics (like Iberian ham, patatas bravas and Galician octopus), plus an array of other menu staples like three styles of small hamburgers, delicate chicken wings and toasts topped with marinated salmon, tuna belly or smoked sardines. The shareable tapas plates pair nicely with a Spanish rioja wine or other staff-recommended picks.

Conclude the light meal with an indulgent sweet treat like Crema Catalana foam, served in a martini glass.

Bastaix Restaurant

Plaça del Fossar de les Moreres

Barcelona, Spain 08003

34 931 15 99 08