El Nacional – A Garage Turned Food Temple — Barcelona Food Experience
Eixample Dreta
Written By Maria
We have teamed up with Sant Aniol in a series discovering fun and unique gastronomic offers in Barcelona and surroundings. I find Sant Aniol the perfect partner for this journey, I am so fascinated by their unique water! It comes from the volcanic zone in beautiful La Garrotxa, a region in Girona, from a depth of 115 meters. A slope located in an area of sedimented lava and volcanic rock makes Sant Aniol a water of great purity and excellent qualities, and it is the only water on the peninsula that has been filtered through volcanic rock! I find it really cool.
El Nacional, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
We begin our journey together in El Nacional, located right by the emblematic heart of the city Passeig de Gràcia. I always recommend guests and visitors to stop by here, even if it’s just for a drink and a snack. It is the first restaurant in the city that offers different areas where you can try food from around the peninsula, all made with the best ingredients.
El Nacional, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
The ingredients and the products used are very well thought of. On their website you can see some of the products and in which areas you can find them. They have picked out the best ingredients from Spain, Portugal and the south of France, such as red prawns from Palamós, cheeses from the Basque country, Navarra, and Catalonia, truffle; and even the water from Sant Aniol is very unique.
El Nacional, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
The restaurant itself is a sight for sore eyes. It is a true modernistic masterpiece, where the interior design has been wonderfully executed by famed Lázaro Rosa-Violán. The building has a lot of history: before it turned into a food temple it used to be a garage! All the different spaces have their own special touch and look. A visit to the bathroom is a must: they are absolutely gorgeous and are the perfect spot for photos..!
El Nacional, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
The space is divided into four larger areas: La Braseria where the charcoal grill is the star, La Llotja that specializes in fish in all its forms, La Taperia with its tapas and rice dishes, and La Parada that serves as a quick stop and a little bite.
There is also an exclusive space called El Magatzem, for groups up to 42 people.
El Nacional, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
El Nacional, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
On our last visit we made a stop in La Taperia, where you can choose between numerous different tapas, and where the staff also does rounds between the tables auctioning out tapas off the menu. If you are visiting it is a perfect way to try lots of different things, get to know local flavors and find out what you like best. Pair it all with a drink, a glass of wine, or Sant Aniol, like we did.
In addition to the areas mentioned above, there are also four different bars: one for beer and preserves, one for cocktails, one dedicated to oysters, and one for the local star pairing: wine and ham.
El Nacional is a wonderful place to get a feeling for all the tasty local food, and perfect when you can’t decide on exactly what you want to eat… Because here you can get it all!
El Nacional, Passeig de Gràcia, 24 Bis, 08007 Barcelona (Eixample).
AuthenticFirst-Time VisitorTapasDishes To ShareSpanishDrink And A SnackNo Reservations
Maria
El Nacional – Barcelona’s Gastronomic Graceland
Doll up an American food court, ship in the freshest ingredients around, add alcohol.
Barcelona’s first multi-zone culinary space counts four restaurants, four bars, and a thousand ways to feed the soul.
The Concept
Bring together all the culinary classics of the Iberian Peninsula under one roof – check.
Prepare them only with high quality produce from Spain, Portugal, and the South of France – check.
Serve them in a grandiose, 1940’s modernist multi-space hall for superior ambiance – check.
Where is El Nacional?
On the famous Paseo de Gracia, 24 (metro purple line L2, green line L3, yellow line L4)
El Nacional Bars
Beer and Preserves Bar
A wide range of local draught and bottled beers to be enjoyed.
The vegetable or seafood preserve platters are a highlight though you can also get the standard meat and cheese plates that make Spain famous.
The mini-feast in the photo above came to a ‘bourgeoisily’ respectable €30.25.
Wine and Cured Meats Bar
The name of the game here is high quality reserve wines.
They’ll pair them for you with classic cheese and ham tapas. A glass of Tina de Toro red and some secallona (a typical Catalan dish that is cured sausage) will only run you about €10.00.
Cocktail Bar
The classic margarita here is one of the best in the city though I urge you to try the signature cocktails.
They’re €10 each but you didn’t come here on a budget, did you?
Most of their cocktails (including my favourite the negroni sbagliato) would convert even a devout Mormon to the Church of Bubbly Spirits.
Oyster Bar
We got the Galician oysters with a twist of lemon and the irresistible shallot vinegar (ask for it, trust me!) – chase it with a glass of cava and you’ll forget you were asked to wait 45 minutes for your restaurant table 😉
4 oysters and a bottle of fantastic cava sparkling white came to €50.00.
El Nacional Restaurants
La Braseria (The Grill)
The first thing you see is the massive glass cabinet for meat aging. Their extra-aged mature beef (“El Capricho”) is heaven and their ox meat was voted best in the world by Time magazine.
Pick a cut: t-bone, sirloin, or entrecôte (rib-eye).
Pick an accompaniment: lettuce heart salad, baked aubergine, smashed potatoes, or just made French fries.
OPT FOR THE CHARCOAL GRILL.
A selection of starters, stews, other meats (chicken and suckling lamb), fish, and desserts round out the menu.
Try: anything with El Capricho ox meat, hand-minced steak tartare.
La Llotja (The Box)
The unique feature here is choosing fish by weight from a market display counter. Then you have it prepared in one of five ways: in the oven, charcoal-grilled, steamed, fried or on the griddle.
The freshness here is undeniable: no discernible seafood smells, clear eyes, and red gills.
There’s also a full menu of fried foods, salads, fish soups, shellfish, stews… and even a few meat dishes for those crazy folk who don’t like eating from the sea.
Try: the L’Escala anchovies, tuna tartare
La Taperia (The Tapas Bar)
What separates El Nacional’s take on tapas is the swiftness of service. Cold tapas are served instantaneously from waiters while hot ones leak out of the kitchen.
With nearly 40 choices of tapas ranging from €6.00–€11.00 why not get ten?
Try: a classic vegetable dish from Mallorca called tombet, the classic black rice.
La Parada (The Stall)
If you’re looking for a quick snack this fast deli restaurant is a good way to get a piece of the legend! Sandwiches, sweet and savory pastries, cured meat, salads, fruit, artisanal ice cream etc.
Try: the traditional xato mushroom and onion confit pasty
El Nacional Tips
- Get there early (2030-2100) if you hate queuing. It will be rammed at 10.
- It’s Spain. Leave a few euro if you liked the service, but none of this 10-20% nonsense.
- Pick your restaurant in advance, put your name in, and go sit at one of the bars.
- Keep your eyes peeled! It’s hidden down a small alley right after Mango
- The bathroom is a photo exhibition of the building’s transformation from a garage.
There you have it.
Don’t be shy asking any questions in the comment box below and don’t forget to like us on Facebook for more Barcelona tips!
Restaurants in Barcelona: El Nacional Gastrospace
Restaurants in Barcelona are for every taste. Some time ago, the list of restaurants in the city was replenished with a new name – a new gastronomic center El Nacional appeared in the city center for lovers of good cuisine. A huge room of 3.500 sq.m, divided into several gastronomic spaces: meat and fish restaurants; cocktail, wine and beer bars; tapas and rice dishes area; “Oyster bar, caviar and cava bar, quick bite zone”. An unusual gastronomic space appeared on Paseo de Gracia, in a cozy courtyard there is a real paradise for those who want to taste good cuisine.
The gastronomic center is comfortably located in a building built in the 19th century, once it was a theater. Then it got its name – El Nacional. The history of the building keeps many interesting changes – from a textile factory to a car dealership.
During the civil war, it was a food distribution point, and later it was completely an ordinary parking lot. By the end of the twentieth century, the building began to deteriorate, it was abandoned and practically not taken care of, a similar fate befell most of the many architectural monuments of industrial Catalonia. However, the building aroused the interest of a dynasty of Catalan entrepreneurs who decided to turn the dilapidated, useless premises into a center of gastronomic masterpieces. Even for Barcelona, the project is truly unique!
The City Hall, knowing about the historical and cultural value of the building, supervised the restoration work, and, I must say, the result exceeded all expectations. The former textile factory has become the royal palace of Catalan culinary masterpieces.
El Nacional now
Impressions from what you see will certainly be very vivid and unforgettable. A magnificent hall of incredible size is divided into food courts under a common roof in the form of umbrellas.
The design is luxurious and stylish – everything is reminiscent of bourgeois Barcelona, and the atmosphere of the institution is filled with modernism. Excellent service, the art of cuisine, respectable visitors, an atmosphere of pleasure. Incredible dimensions do not create an atmosphere of mass character, individuality is felt in everything, attention to everyone. Pleasant impressions are first of all, of course, connected with the skill of the kitchen. Traditional dishes of Catalonia can be tasted here, so the interior is traditional in everything.
Restaurants in Barcelona in El Nacional Finishing of the premises at the highest level. The same high bar is set in everything related to food.
A freely distributed newspaper explains to everyone that the products used in restaurants are of the best quality. Small restaurants in Barcelona cannot afford such products at low prices, and the gastronomic center has the ability to make them much cheaper, because tangible quantities are purchased.
The average capacity of this institution is 770 people, therefore the volumes are appropriate, and the quality of products and workmanship is felt by everyone.
Average prices in El Nacional
You can have an inexpensive lunch in this center with the whole family – a meat or fish dish – 15-20 euros, snacks – 5-6, and this is in one of the prestigious districts of the city. Not every institution can afford such prices for real masterpieces of culinary art.
The range of prices makes this place suitable for visitors of all levels, and the atmosphere will allow you to be transported to a real bourgeois Barcelona. Naturally, fans of a quick bite will not like this place.
Opening hours El Nacional
El Nacional is open 365 days a year, the kitchen is open non-stop from 12:00 to 2:00 am, Thursday to Saturday until 3:00 am.
Where is El Nacional
Passeig de Gràcia, 24
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Expo Hotel Barcelona
Expo Hotel Barcelona is located a 5-minute drive from Plaça Catalunya and offers facilities such as an outdoor pool, sun terrace . The hotel is 2.9 km from Camp Nou.
It is located in the shopping area of Barcelona, 3 km from the city centre. It is also next door to the Placa d’Espagna Fountain and the railway.
Expo Hotel Barcelona provides rooms with a mini-bar, a dressing area and a personal safe. Guests can enjoy wonderful views of the city. Extras include bath sheets, a hairdryer and bathrobes.
Breakfast buffet is served from 07:00 to 10:30 every day. The hotel has a Mediterranean restaurant.
At the Poolside Bar, guests can relax and enjoy refreshing drinks. You can have a bite to eat in the restaurant “Zarautz Taberna Vasca”, which is 200 meters from the hotel. The hotel offers free spa therapy and a solarium. The hotel features a seasonal outdoor pool.
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- Paid parking
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Expo Hotel Barcelona guests can have lunch/dinner at the Stop n Bite restaurant.
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Expo Hotel Barcelona is located 3 km from the city center, near the Tourist Information Center at Sants Station.
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Yes, at the Expo Hotel Barcelona the breakfast buffet is included in the room rate. Please contact the hotel for the most accurate information.
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Room rates at Expo Hotel Barcelona start from 134€.
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You can stay at Expo Hotel Barcelona by choosing one of the following rooms:
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Residence rules Check-in: 15:00 to 23:59
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8 /10
A very convenient base for traveling to Barcelona and exploring the area.
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a decent 4-star hotel. there is also public parking. it is excellently located, almost next to the tarragona metro station.
