El Nacional Barcelona

El Nacional turns an 1889 Modernisme hall at 24 bis Passeig de Gràcia into four restaurants and four bars. After Casa Batlló, the architectural thread along the avenue is part of its appeal: you move from Gaudí's façade to a tall, light-filled iron interior that tells another story of commercial Barcelona. This is not one restaurant with an endless menu. La Taperia, La Llotja, La Braseria and La Parada each have their own offer, while the bars serve different purposes.

For tapas, La Taperia is the direct choice; the website distinguishes it from La Llotja, focused on fish and rice, and La Braseria, devoted to the grill. There are also bars for oysters with cava, wine with cheese and Iberian cured meats, beer with small bites, and cocktails. General hours run from noon to midnight Sunday to Thursday and to 01:00 on Friday and Saturday; check the individual space. The website identifies which rooms take bookings and which accept walk-ins. You can arrive without a reservation, but that does not guarantee an immediate table.

Many visitors remember the building first and appreciate the range of food styles at one address. Others feel the spectacle raises the bill or describe waits and uneven service when it fills. That balance makes it a choice for setting and flexibility, not an automatic promise of cheap tapas. For a more continuous tapas bar, with the bustle of Rambla de Catalunya and a recognisable menu shaped over decades, Ciutat Comtal offers another post-visit meal.