A visit to Casa Batlló ends on one of Passeig de Gràcia's most recognisable façades. The meal afterwards can extend the architectural theme or replace it with the rhythm of a tapas bar. South along the avenue, El Nacional gathers four restaurants and four bars in an 1889 hall. A few steps away at 18 Rambla de Catalunya, Ciutat Comtal has served tapas since 1997. Both are easy to reach on foot, but they offer different experiences and ways of ordering.
Check the visit time before choosing a table
Casa Batlló is at 43 Passeig de Gràcia. Check your ticket and the experience length on its official site before booking a table while you are still inside. From the exit, walk towards Plaça de Catalunya for either venue; El Nacional remains on the same avenue at number 24 bis, while Ciutat Comtal lies on the parallel rambla. Both publish late hours, although each dining space at El Nacional has its own booking rules and schedule.
El Nacional: choose a room, not one universal menu
El Nacional Barcelona has La Taperia for tapas, La Llotja for fish and rice, La Braseria for grilled meat and La Parada for informal Mediterranean food. Four bars serve drinks and smaller bites. The building impresses and helps groups with different tastes, but it does not mean every dish is served at every table. Many visitors admire the design; some find the bill higher or describe waits. Read the chosen room's menu before sitting down.
Ciutat Comtal: conversation in a busy tapas bar
Ciutat Comtal Barcelona mixes classic and creative recipes, daily tapas and hours running from morning into the early night. Almost three decades of trade give it another character: the movement of the bar, rambla tables and several plates shared across the table matter here. Diners enjoy the choice, but noise and peak-time queues also recur in their accounts. Arriving outside the rush and ordering in stages can help keep both meal and bill under control.
After Gaudí, El Nacional can feel like a second visit to an unusual interior; Ciutat Comtal offers a steady-paced Barcelona table. Neither should be chosen on an aggregate rating alone: timing, an available seat and the food you actually want matter more to the afternoon.
Choose El Nacional for its building and range of dining rooms; choose Ciutat Comtal for lively tapas and long hours.
Options to compare
These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.
El Nacional Barcelona
Passeig de Gràcia 24 bis, 08007 Barcelona, España
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 Bar
Tapas and other dining rooms in an 1889 Modernisme building
Ciutat Comtal has occupied 18 Rambla de Catalunya since 1997. The business presents itself as a beer house serving traditional and creative tapas, with its own long history on one of the Eixample's busiest pedestrian-friendly avenues. From Casa Batlló, walk south without leaving central Barcelona. T
Classic and creative tapas on Rambla de Catalunya
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of El Nacional Barcelona ↗
Primary source
El Nacional Barcelona · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Ciutat Comtal Barcelona ↗
Primary source
Grupo La Flauta · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Casa Batlló · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
El Nacional · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Grupo La Flauta · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Valoración de Passeig de Gràcia 24 bis ↗
Secondary source
Restaurant Guru · Accessed October 11, 2026
Google 4.4/5, 41324 reseñas, 11/10/2026.
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Valoración de Rambla de Catalunya 18 ↗
Secondary source
Restaurant Guru · Accessed October 11, 2026
Google 4.4/5, 23533 reseñas, 11/10/2026.