El Sabor de Picornell

Montjuïc is a mountain that demands something from you. If you've been trekking up from Poble Sec or wandering the ghost-filled plazas of the Olympic Ring, the humidity and the incline are eventually going to start clawing at your stomach. Most people make the mistake of drifting toward the overpriced kiosks near the MNAC, where they pay ten euros for a limp sandwich wrapped in plastic. Don't be that person. Instead, head toward the scent of chlorine and frying oil at El Sabor de Picornell.\n\nThis isn't a 'gastronomic destination.' It’s a cafeteria, a sports bar, and a neighborhood canteen all rolled into one, bolted onto the side of the Bernat Picornell Swimming Pools. It’s a place where the air is thick with the humidity of the competition basins and the sound of splashing water. You aren't here for white tablecloths or a sommelier who can explain the soil pH of your Priorat. You’re here because you’re hungry, you’re on a budget, and you want something that hasn't been engineered by a marketing firm.\n\nThe vibe is strictly utilitarian. High ceilings, plenty of glass, and a view that overlooks the very pools where Olympic dreams were chased in '92. You’ll see local swimmers in tracksuits, athletes from the nearby CAR (High Performance Center), and the occasional savvy traveler who realized that the best cheap eats in Barcelona are often staring you in the face. It’s loud, it’s functional, and the service is exactly what you’d expect from a place that feeds hundreds of people a day: efficient, slightly indifferent, and entirely honest.\n\nLet’s talk about the food. The menu is a greatest hits collection of the Spanish working-class diet. The bocadillos—those long, crusty sandwiches that are the backbone of Iberian life—are the move here. Whether it’s lomo con queso (pork loin with cheese) or a classic tortilla, they don't skimp on the filling. Then there’s the menú del día. For a fixed price that feels like a relic from a decade ago, you get a first course, a second, a drink, and dessert. It might be a hearty lentil stew followed by a grilled chicken breast or a plate of macaroni, but it’s real food, cooked by people who know that their customers have a long afternoon ahead of them.\n\nIs it the best meal you’ll have in Barcelona? Of course not. The patatas bravas are standard-issue, and the coffee will give you the kind of jolt that could restart a heart. But there is a profound dignity in a place like this. It serves a purpose. It doesn't pretend to be a 'hidden gem' or an 'authentic experience'—it just is. It’s a reminder that even in a city as polished and touristed as Barcelona, there are still corners where life happens at its own unvarnished pace. If you’re looking for a romantic date night in Barcelona, keep walking. But if you’ve just spent three hours staring at Miro’s tapestries and your blood sugar is bottoming out, this is your sanctuary. Sit down, order a cold beer and a sandwich, and watch the swimmers lap their way through the afternoon. It’s the kind of honest, unpretentious refueling that makes the rest of the climb worth it.