La Columna | Restaurant

If you want the version of Barcelona sold in glossy brochures—the one with the singing mimes and the ten-euro frozen sangrias—stay on the Rambla. But if you want the city that actually breathes, sweats, and eats when the sun goes down, you need to get on the L5 metro and head north. Way north. Nou Barris isn't a 'neighborhood' in the way travel writers use the word; it’s a living, working-class reality. And tucked away on Carrer del Pintor Mir is La Columna, a restaurant that serves as a middle finger to every tourist trap in the city center.

Walking into La Columna feels like being let in on a neighborhood secret that’s too good to keep. It’s not fancy. It doesn’t need to be. The decor is functional, the lighting is honest, and the sound is a symphony of local chatter and the rhythmic clatter of plates. This is one of the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona precisely because it isn't trying to be 'authentic'—it just is. There are no menus translated into six languages with faded pictures of paella. Instead, you get a 'carta' that reflects a kitchen that actually respects its ingredients.

Let’s talk about the food, because that’s why you made the trek. They are famous for a beetroot hummus (hummus de remolacha) that is a vibrant, neon-purple slap in the face to every bland chickpea mash you’ve ever had. Topped with goat cheese and served with actual, honest-to-god bread, it’s the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you ever ate anywhere else. Then there are the tacos de cochinita pibil. In a city where 'Mexican food' is often a tragic misunderstanding, these are a revelation—tender, slow-cooked pork with just the right amount of acid and heat. It’s fusion, sure, but it’s fusion born of curiosity rather than a marketing meeting.

The reviews don't lie about the 'imported products' either. Whether it’s the quality of the preserves or the specific sourcing of their meats, there is a level of care here that you usually only find in places charging three times the price. The ceviche is bright and sharp, cutting through the heat of a Barcelona afternoon like a cold blade. Even the bravas—the litmus test for any self-respecting Barcelona joint—are handled with a level of respect that borders on the religious. They are crispy, salty, and draped in a sauce that actually has something to say.

The service? It’s professional, which in this part of town means they aren't going to laugh at your jokes or pretend to be your best friend. They are there to feed you, and they do it with a efficiency that commands respect. You might feel like an outsider for the first five minutes, but once that first plate of croquetas hits the table, you’re part of the furniture. It’s a place for people who love to eat, run by people who love to cook.

Is La Columna worth the journey to Nou Barris? If you’re the kind of person who thinks a meal is just fuel, probably not. But if you believe that a plate of food can tell you more about a city than a museum ever could, then yes. It’s one of those rare affordable restaurants in Barcelona where the value isn't just in the price, but in the soul of the kitchen. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s exactly what this city needs more of. Just don't tell too many people; the locals would like to keep their tables.