The best bars and restaurants in Sant Antoni to rediscover traditional Catalan cuisine

Sometimes it seems that to taste the authentic essence of traditional Catalan cuisine you would have to move away from Barcelona, where many criticize that the recipe book of the Catalan Countries has lost ground against brunch, poke bowls, street food and many other proposals from everywhere and nowhere aimed at tourists. But, as often happens with all generalizations, where reproaches are made loudly and virtues are spoken of timidly, this image is biased and ignores all those oases in the Catalan capital that still fight and defend Catalan gastronomy. 

That is why, from ARA, we present 6 proposals from the Sant Antoni neighborhood that will allow you to rediscover traditional Catalan cuisine as you had never done before.

Bodega Sepúlveda (c/ Sepúlveda, 173)

The Solà family business is one of the great classics of Sant Antoni. With more than 70 years of history, Bodega Sepúlveda is run by sisters Sònia and Núria Solà, who took over from their father during the pandemic after he retired. Since then, the Solàs have continued to cook and serve traditional Catalan cuisine dishes that, curiously, appeal to both young people and older generations. Although you can find stewed proposals such as tripe and trotters, veal cheek or chickpeas with basil and sausages, the most characteristic feature of the Solàs is that they have been able to adapt to new times. Faced with the constant threat of supermarkets stealing their customers by offering ready-made meals, the Solàs also joined the trend of eating home-cooked food, but with quality products, local recipes, and unparalleled love for the neighborhood.  

Regarding prices, the average ticket can range between 30 and 80 euros, depending on the dishes. Of course, anyone who frequents this place in the heart of the neighborhood is guaranteed service and a menu in Catalan.

Maleducat (c/ Manso, 54)

Building a good restaurant is quite a challenge. And maintaining its quality over time, another entirely different one. Well, Maleducat has achieved both and has always done so under the same concept: the menu is divided between small individual bites to snack on and then a set of hot dishes that are meant to be shared. This, combined with excellent product and unbeatable offers – such as the famous brioche with steak tartare, bacon, and egg yolk or the crispy roll of Catalan roast with prunes and pine nuts – has become a business where three friends defend traditional cuisine with impetus. The price per person ranges between 50 and 70 euros.

Buenavista (ronda Sant Antoni, 84)

La Casa de Comidas Buenavista opened in 1918. It was one of the great reference restaurants like 7 Portes, and not only in the Sant Antoni neighborhood, but also throughout Barcelona. Years later, however, the business closed, and it wasn't until July 2022 that the descendants of the first owner, Mateu Molleví, decided to resurrect the restaurant within the Hotel Buenavista. This project, initiated by Marc Amado and Mario García, is a dining house that honors the Catalan culinary history of our country and that, at the same time, tries to cook and recover great Catalan dishes. Approximately, the price per person can range between 20 and 60 euros and, in the best sense, entering through the door of Buenavista can be considered a true leap into the past.

Bodega Gol (c/ Parlament, 10)

A barber and an engineer are reformulating a historic cellar in Barcelona to make author's cuisine. What at first seems like a bad joke is, in reality, Bodega Gol, the business of Roger Solé and Rodrigo Castillo, who, due to life's circumstances, now exploit their talent at the bar Bodega Gol. As for the food, you can find all sorts of homemade regional dishes: mushroom and sausage scramble, pig's trotters, lamb stew, salt cod salad, or chickpeas with pork ear and trotters. Their essence is Catalan cuisine with local produce that Roger selects daily at the market. Regarding the price per person, it can be between 20 and 30 euros.

Can Vilaró (c/ Comte Borrell, 61)

If anyone advocates for Catalan cuisine and at a good price, the best option is Can Vilaró. This restaurant is a classic in the Sant Antoni neighborhood and offers something easy to say and difficult to do: a place for Catalan, homemade, and familiar cuisine. Far from having a fixed menu, Can Vilaró is known for a blackboard that changes daily with the day's specials. On a Monday they might serve mixed stew, head-and-foot salad and tuna crests, and on a Thursday they might opt for cabbage hash, stewed lentils, baked cod, or kidneys in sherry. One will not always be lucky enough to come across the dishes they have in mind when thinking of Catalan cuisine, but, honestly, it's not that important: everything they make is good. This classic restaurant has a regular and loyal following, but the friendly service also extends to newcomers.

Bar Canyí (c/ Sepúlveda, 107)

Bar Canyí is a space for eating traditional cuisine and dishes of always, but it is also an ode to the memory and fun of its two owners, Frank and Nico. The atmosphere of the place is a true tribute to the 80s and 90s, and you can find everything from copies of Tebeo and newspaper front pages from 1918 to toy cars with their plastic boxes and Frank's grandmother's radio. As for the food, they serve proposals such as capipota, Russian salad, ham croquettes, anchovy gildas or mushroom escabeche. All made from fresh, seasonal products. The price can vary, but it can go up to 55 euros.

From the world to Catalonia

We conclude this selection of bars and restaurants in Sant Antoni with three gastronomic proposals from the neighborhood that have also won the hearts of the locals.

Jiribilla (c/ Comte Borrell, 85)

Now that large groups instead of restaurants are creating concepts, spaces where everything fits, even too much, and where the story weighs more than authenticity, it's a relief to discover Jiribilla, a restaurant that is the mirror of the vital journey by his cook, Gerard Bellver. The establishment serves Mexican food cooked by a Catalan and, without being pretentious, with a lot of technique behind it. The architect is a young man from Barcelona who has spent more time there than here, and who returned with a mixed gastronomic backpack. Jiribilla is a pleasant and spacious restaurant on Comte Borrell street in Barcelona, ​​near the Sant Antoni Market. The price per person can range from 50 to 80 euros, but for offers such as tasting menus it can reach up to 140.

Come (av. Mistral, 54)

The restaurant Come, in addition to a strong and direct name, is run by the best Mexican chef outside of Mexico. And what's more, he is considered one of the best-prepared interpreters for transferring the foundations of Mexican cuisine to Catalonia. Paco Méndez started the business over 4 years ago, serving dishes with a substrate of Mexican tradition and a background that he has made in Catalonia. At Come, you can find haute cuisine with delicious and balanced dishes, with dishes like the finest totopo in the world, the Els trenta verds salad, or Iberian pork al pastor for you to make your own tacos and get your hands dirty as tradition dictates. If you want to discover exactly what these dishes are, the easiest way is to go and try some of their two menus, one for 120 euros and one for 175.

La Piccolina (c/ Sepúlveda, 60)

Few pizzerias have won the hearts of the neighbors of Sant Antoni like La Piccolina. Run by the Neapolitan Antonio Verdicchio, the establishment is characterized by a constant stream of customers ordering 24 cm pizzas which, for a few hours each day, are sold at a price between 3.50 and 8 euros, half the price of the larger ones (33 cm). The format, designed for a quick bite, is inspired by a portafoglio pizzas, which in Naples would be eaten folded over themselves.

Beyond the affordable prices, La Piccolina has undoubtedly won over customers with its good products, family atmosphere, and word-of-mouth, which have quickly gained pizza lovers, first among the locals and then, in an increasingly gentrified neighborhood, among tourists.