Trying to decide on a restaurant in a culinary capital city like Barcelona is probably the only stressful thing you’ll do in the Catalan capital. But the city is home to one establishment that makes it easy to try the best of the Spanish city’s cuisine all under one roof.
El Nacional is located just off the busy Passeig de Gracia, a central street lined with high-end shops and tapas chain restaurants. Walk down a small alley and you’ll find the black iron doors into a boisterous interior that welcomes up to 700 diners, each corner dedicated to an aspect of Catalan cuisine and featuring a different menu.
La Bareseria specializes in meats cooked over a charcoal grill or inside a wood-fire oven. At La Llotja, diners can dive into delectable fish-centered meals by choosing their own fish and paying the weighed price of the day. La Taperia serves a new spin on traditional hot and cold tapas, as well as rice and noodle dishes such as paella. Lastly at La Paradeta, visitors can enjoy a more fast-casual style of dining by choosing from sandwiches, salads, fruit, desserts and coffee.
At the center of the Art Deco-inspired space are two oblong bars and one perfectly round bar, each serves something different. The first two bars serve wine and beer, while the third table offers fresh oysters in various preparations.
The next time you’re wandering around Passeig de Gracia and can’t decide on a place to eat, let your nose be your guide inside El Nacional.
El Nacional
Passeig de Gràcia, 24 bis 08007
93 518 50 53
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