Citrus Restaurant & Sushi bar

Passeig de Gràcia is Barcelona’s version of the velvet rope. It’s all high-end boutiques, gleaming pavement, and the kind of architectural flex that only Antoni Gaudí could pull off. Right in the thick of it, tucked away on the first floor like a well-dressed secret, is Citrus. It’s not a hole-in-the-wall where a grandmother stirs a pot for forty-eight hours, and it’s not trying to be. It’s a polished, professional operation by the AN Grup that manages to pull off a culinary identity crisis with surprising grace.

When you walk in, you’re immediately hit by the 'vision'—those massive floor-to-ceiling windows. If you’re lucky enough to snag a table by the glass, you’re staring directly at the skeletal balconies of Casa Batlló. It’s one of the best Mediterranean restaurant Barcelona views you can get without paying a 'tourist tax' of terrible food and frozen paella. The room is modern, airy, and carries that specific Eixample energy: a mix of business lunches, locals who know the shortcut to a good view, and travelers who stumbled upon something better than the street-level traps.

The menu is a schizophrenic delight. On one hand, you’ve got the heavy hitters of the Catalan kitchen. The cannelloni—a local obsession—is served here with a rich, velvety truffle cream that demands respect. It’s comfort food for the soul, the kind of thing that makes you forget you’re sitting in the middle of the most expensive real estate in the city. Then, without skipping a beat, the menu pivots to a full-blown sushi bar. It sounds like a disaster on paper, but the sushi in Eixample is a competitive sport, and Citrus holds its own. The fish is fresh, the cuts are clean, and the spicy tuna rolls provide a sharp, acidic contrast to the heavier Mediterranean mains.

Let’s talk about the 'cold' factor mentioned in the reviews. This isn’t a place where the waiter is going to pull up a chair and tell you his life story. The service is efficient, brisk, and occasionally a bit detached. It’s a high-volume machine in a high-traffic neighborhood. If you’re looking for a warm, fuzzy embrace, go elsewhere. If you want your grilled octopus served exactly when it’s supposed to be, while you watch the sun set over the modernist rooftops, you’re in the right place.

Is it the most 'authentic' experience in Barcelona? That depends on what you’re looking for. If authenticity means eating what the modern city actually eats—a mix of global flavors and local tradition in a space that values design—then yes. It’s a reliable, mid-range sanctuary in a neighborhood that usually forces you to choose between a sandwich from a chain or a three-hundred-euro tasting menu. The wine list is decent, the gin and tonics are poured with the appropriate level of Spanish generosity, and the atmosphere is buzzy enough to drown out the sound of your own credit card screaming. It’s a solid choice for a date night Barcelona or a long lunch after you’ve spent three hours staring at Gaudí’s chimneys. Just remember to book ahead; those window seats are the hottest currency on the block.