Megan Bar Restaurant

Eixample is a neighborhood that can easily break your heart. It’s a grid of architectural genius often clogged with overpriced tourist traps and 'concept' restaurants that spend more on their interior designer than their head chef. But then you find a place like Megan Bar Restaurant on Carrer de Londres, and suddenly, the world makes sense again. This isn't a place for the 'see and be seen' crowd; it’s a place for people who actually give a damn about what’s on the end of their fork.

Walking into Megan, you don’t get hit with a wall of pretension. It’s clean, modern, and focused. The buzz isn't the frantic energy of a place trying to turn tables; it’s the low, steady hum of locals who have found their new favorite secret and are desperately trying not to tell you about it. The service is what I like to call 'competently human'—they aren't your best friends, but they know the menu like a map of their own backyard, and they won't steer you wrong.

Let’s talk about the rice, because if you come here and don’t order the arroz, you’ve fundamentally failed the mission. This isn't that yellow, saffron-stained tourist sludge you find on the Rambla. This is the real deal. The Arroz de Gamba Roja (red prawn rice) is a dark, concentrated reduction of the sea. It’s got that deep, umami-rich crust—the socarrat—that you have to scrape off the bottom of the pan like you’re mining for gold. When you peel those prawns and the head juice hits the rice, it’s a protein rush to the cortex. It’s messy, it’s visceral, and it’s exactly how food should be.

But the menu doesn't stop at the rice. They are obsessive about 'product' here. Whether it’s a simple plate of jamón that’s been sliced with the precision of a diamond cutter or an ensaladilla rusa that actually tastes like the potatoes and tuna it’s made of, the quality is undeniable. The steak tartare is hand-cut, seasoned with a steady hand, and served without the unnecessary theatrics. It’s honest food. It’s the kind of cooking that relies on the chef’s ability to source the best ingredients and then have the courage to stay out of their way.

There’s a certain reliability—a safe bet—when you eat here. You know the fish was swimming yesterday. You know the beef has been aged until it’s reached its funky, flavorful peak. You know the wine list isn't just a collection of the biggest distributors' leftovers, but a curated selection that actually pairs with the salt and smoke of the kitchen. It’s a Mediterranean restaurant in the truest sense, honoring the land and the sea without trying to over-engineer the classics.

Is it perfect? No. It can get loud when the room is full, and if you’re looking for white tablecloths and a waiter to tuck your napkin in, you’re in the wrong zip code. But if you want to understand why Barcelona is still one of the greatest eating cities on the planet, you sit down at Megan. You order a bottle of something cold and crisp, you wait for that pan of rice to hit the table, and you realize that sometimes, the most profound meals are the ones done with absolute conviction. This is one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in Barcelona right now, and it doesn't need a neon sign to prove it.