Catalonian-style, slow cooked and with a touch of Alicante

Often we associate Spanish paella with the coast, because it is true that often the best rice dices are found in the traditional coastal towns, right by the beach. But here El Nacional is also breaking with tradition and offers one of the best fish and seafood paellas in the Passeig de Gràcia, in the heart of Barcelona, without having to go down to the sea.

A break to taste ‘cocas’ and other delicatessen

Located at the entrance to El Nacional, La Parada reflects in its name the intention of the designers of this gastronomic macro-space: a place to take a break, chat and relax whilst having a drink and some of the delicatessen dishes that are offered on its menu, on which the cocas and the mini pizzas stand out.

La Parada is the most versatile area in the complex, where you can stop and eat at any time, whether you are looking for a peaceful café, a place to eat quickly, a table to enjoy some mediterranean gastronomy, a corner to have a relaxed afternoon tea or a place for an after work drink.

The little hot dishes are sung out to customers

The idea of eating tapas involves the implicit idea of the search, in addition to good food, for an informal, relaxed and fun setting. Therefore, El Nacional’s La Taperia in Barcelona imported a formula that customers love, tapas that are sung out, Malaga-style: the waiting staff call out the recently-prepared hot dishes as they come out of the kitchens and they serve them to the customers who raise their hands and ask for them, like an auction in a market hall. Special care has been taken in this restaurant when choosing the waiting staff, who play a leading role when singing out the tapas and when recommending the dishes to diners and telling the kitchen what people are asking for to match the oer to the customers’ preferences at all times. Therefore, when you sit at a table, a waiter will take your order of drinks and cold tapas, and give you some clues as to what is being cooked in the kitchens. Once served, the party begins.

Charcoal grilled aged beef is the star of La Braseria

“Here we pamper our meat; with its quality, we couldn’t do anything else”, the assistant kitchen manager at El Nacional explains to define the mission of La Braseria, the rotisserie that specialises in aged, charcoal grilled meat.

Michel Gradeler’s eyes shine when he talks about the breeds they use, the aging system in cold rooms and the cooking process.

Diners select the piece and how they want it cooked

The ‘lonja’ or city fish market is the place, where the fishermen auction their day’s catch and this is quickly sent on to its destination. For example, to El Nacional, where the restaurant, La Llotja receives the best daily fish and it displays them so that customers can select the one they fancy and can ask for it to be cooked to their taste.

La Llotja, the Barcelona restaurant, is El Nacional’s restaurant that specialises in fish and that offers a wide selection for customers, since not only can the day’s fresh fish and shellfish be chosen from the display, but also customers can decide whether they prefer it grilled, baked, steamed, fried or stewed. Or raw, which as we will see, is also a possibility that this unique space offers.