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    El Nacional

    3.8 (461 reviews)
    PriceySeafood, Tapas Bars, Brasseries
    Closed 12:00 pm - 3:00 am (Next day)

    El Nacional Photos

    EL NACIONAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - El Nacional

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    Reviews With Photos

    Millie B.

    The vibe at El Nacional is different. I feel it's a little more than your Boqueria and Time out market. All restaurants had its own scene but yet it is molded into one bogie vibe. If you are a tourist in town, I say go.... Take in the scene and the food. We tried the tapas bar in the middle and waited about 45 mins to try the La LLotja which is the seafood restaurant. As always, dinner starts around 9:30pm and the place is still bustling with energy.

    Nick M.

    There are several restaurants here and I really really enjoyed the small plates on the front right when you walk in. My absolute favorite was the ravioli which was to die for. When I had the paella in the back right it was just OK but I absolutely loved the cheese and ham. Ambience is a 10 out of 10 and the gelato was a home run every time. My coworkers and I came back to the spot multiple times because there were so many great things to try and it was comfortable and beautiful!

    Gelato adequate when you have a need
    Christine L.

    Gorgeous indoor dining hall with many food options. I did the tapas place and the fried shrimp were great but the rest of the food was too salty the cup of sangria was watered down. I also bought gelato twice from the stand they have some interesting flavors like Ferraro Rocher. Service is good. They have a large indoor bar area. It exudes sexiness.

    Black Sea food rice
    Arthur F.

    Family came up from Tarragona to Barcelona to have a family dinner before we left to go back home. El National is an upgrade food hall located in the Passeo de Gracia in Barcelona. We ate in Llotja, which specializes in fresh sea food. It was amazing. The food in Spain is to die for! You must go there when in Barcelona,

    Pesto pasta (recommend)
    Wes M.

    The food was great. The service was great. It was decorated great. Nothing to complain, I would recommend the pesto pasta. The place also had gelato and it was good. I would recommend this place if you are wanting to go so were fancy!!!

    Toan D.

    An upscale food hall with multiple restaurants and bars. Super high ceiling, simple but elegant decor in soft golden lighting present the place with a subtle sophisticated ambiance. We arrived at the typical Spanish dinner time of 9:30pm on a Sunday and the place was packed. However even when crowded , it had a nice orderly feel to the whole place. We chose a restaurant with a seafood focus called La Llotja. They didn't take reservations and there was a line to get in so we went on the wait list. The hostess said it would be about 45 minutes. She took down my phone # to call me when our table was ready. We went to the bar next door and had a couple glasses of cava. About 25 minutes later she called to say our table was ready. We were allowed to bring our wine glasses from the bar to the restaurant which was brilliant and very accommodating. The entrance to La Llotja was lined with a display of fresh whole seafoods on ice. Occasionally I would see a cook pluck a whole fish to bring into the kitchen. We started our meal with raw oysters. There were 4 varieties on the menu and we tried one of each. These were definitely some of the tastiest raw oysters I've had. They were the perfect temperature, not too cold or warm, plump, moist, with a mild briny flavor and no milky residue. The grilled red shrimp from Huelva with seaweed salt were absolutely addicting. A deep water shrimp with an intense deep red color similar to lobster is plucked from the Mediterranean Spanish town of Huelva. The meat is firm, sweet, moist with a hint of charred smokiness. Oh and the rich tomalley from the shrimp head left us speechless. Figure out how to bottle that and you will be filthy rich. Twice-cooked Galician octopus with potatoes and aioli was not such a successful dish . We made it a point to eat a lot of octopus on our 12 days in Spain and this was the first disappointment. The skin was a bit brittle and dry. The interior were on the verge of tough. But we saved the dish with a generous cascade of Spanish olive oil which gave the dish a nice velvety texture. The potatoes on the other hand was magnificent. Super tender and with the skin still on. Good service and the staff spoke English but I always made it a point to say "thank you" and "please" in Spanish. Happy Eating!$

    I had an amazing experience at El Nacional in Barcelona! The space itself is stunning, with a beautiful historic interior that feels both elegant and lively. I love that there are multiple dining areas to choose from, each offering something a little different, so it's perfect whether you're in the mood for tapas, seafood, or steak. The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented, and everything we tried tasted authentic and high quality. The service was friendly and attentive without feeling rushed. I would absolutely recommend El Nacional to anyone visiting Barcelona who wants a memorable dining experience in a vibrant setting. - Christian Osuna

    Tapas
    Jina Y.

    Loved my visit to el nacional. The Christmas ambiance is gorgeous and the vibes were vibing. Food was fantastic , prices were a bit more than other spots but you are paying for the location and ambiance as well I guess. Service was not the most attentive since it was really busy and crowded around s the tapas bar but I was able to order and pay around the times I needed. Would recommend folks pop in during Christmas for a really beautifully decorated spot with good food

    Heather H.

    The tapas were great, even for my picky kids. They also said they liked the chicken tenders. The service was also amazing. 5 stars!

    Menu
    Harry B.

    Must stop for your gastronomical experience. Gelato. Tapas. Drinks. Yes please!! What's not to love here. Yes lots of people but so many restaurants and choices and wow, serious food and drink overload but so good. Enjoyed a drink and some tapas on our first trip but so many more to come. Lots of different tapas and meals here. Many places to grab a drink and enjoy the vibe. And of course did I say gelato? Service was great. Very friendly and attentive even though busy. Came back and the ox burger was great. Along with some red vermouth. So good

    Amy W.

    A good spot to meet up with friends. Vibes are bright and clean with plenty of photo opportunities. The bathroom is also stunning! I liked being able to grate the tomato for the bread ourselves!

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    8 months ago

    Terrific place for lunch or a nice meal with several dinning experiences to choose from.

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    El Nacional Reviews in Other Languages

    El Glop Braseria - El glop salad

    El Glop Braseria

    4.1(33 reviews)
    0.2 kmL'Eixample
    €€

    While I was in Barcelona, I knew that I wanted to try out good paella somewhere while I was in…read moreSpain. A friend recommended El Glop to me since they enjoyed it a lot, so I decided to check it out since it wasn't too far from where I was. I decided to come for lunch, and I arrived pretty soon after they opened so I was able to be seated right away. The interior is nice and homey, with quite a few tables inside. I decided to get the seafood paella since that's what my friend recommended. I have to say that this is probably one of the best paella I've had, the flavors were great and the texture was on-point. I finished one whole paella on my own, which I was surprised by since I thought that I would have leftovers at least. The seafood was also tasty, so overall I was very impressed. Would highly recommend checking this place out for paella, I greatly enjoyed mine!

    This place was listed as a good place to eat in Barcelona, but I wouldn't come back. We got some of…read moretheir meat dishes and things were dry. The one good dish we had was their black rice paella, which had a good amount of seafood and wasn't too salty like other paellas we have had. We got the sangria as well, it was good! We did find a piece of plastic wrapper in the jug and told the waiter who replaced it. A bit disappointed, but if you go get the black rice paella! They have indoor and outdoor seating.

    Photos
    El Glop Braseria
    El Glop Braseria - Seafood paella

    Seafood paella

    El Glop Braseria - Rabbit

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    Rabbit

    Cerveseria Catalana - fried artichoke

    Cerveseria Catalana

    4.4(1.8k reviews)
    0.6 kmL'Eixample
    €€€

    It's been a decade since I came here for my first Tapas in BCN. This is where I realized there was…read morea lot of my peeps that works there and it's nice to feel at home, lol. This was recommended by friends awhile back, I remembered the modern ambiance, amazing Tapas, friendly service and the place was as busy then until now. For this big restaurant caliber, it's pretty crowded yet they do a good job with a fast turnaround. We did the early Dinner and by the time we got out there was already a long line for late Diners. The fact that even after a decade, it's rare that I go back to the same spot let alone they're still around after all these years. You already know that tells a lot and I feel bad for those who didn't have the same great experience, hope they give it another shot. See y'all soon! Salut, Vermouth!

    First time in Barcelona and first time time here. It was a fun experience with some good service…read moreand delicious food. Sit inside if you do not like cigarette smoke, which does occur. For an early dinner by Spanish time, we started with the croquettes. Crip and wonderful. Then the tenderloin which was taste as well, though we should have a sales what is on the top. It seemed like mostly a flavored fat. The tomato with toast was lovely. Soaked with natural tomato juice. The skewered prawns were the best. Get them. And we ended with coconut pudding. It was like a flan with a coconut base. All together fun and delicious!

    Photos
    Cerveseria Catalana - Dining room

    Dining room

    Cerveseria Catalana - Lenguado con calamares

    Lenguado con calamares

    Cerveseria Catalana - Open till 1:30am?

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    Open till 1:30am?

    El Nacional - seafood - Updated June 2026

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