RESTAURANT CAFETERIA CASA GALLEGO

Walk into Restaurant Cafeteria Casa Gallego on a Tuesday at 1:30 PM and you’ll hear the sound of a neighborhood actually functioning. It’s the clatter of heavy ceramic plates, the rhythmic hiss of the espresso machine, and the low-frequency hum of people who aren’t here to take photos of their food, but to actually eat it. Located on Via Augusta, in the heart of the otherwise polished Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, this place is a stubborn, beautiful holdout of Galician tradition in a city increasingly obsessed with 'concepts' and 'branding.'

This is a Galician house, and in the world of Spanish gastronomy, that name carries weight. It means the portions will be generous enough to satisfy a long-haul trucker and the ingredients will be treated with the kind of blunt respect they deserve. You aren’t coming here for a 'gastronomic adventure.' You’re coming here because you want a plate of pulpo a feira—octopus sliced into coins, drizzled with olive oil, dusted with pimentón, and served on a wooden board that has seen a thousand lunches before yours. It’s tender, it’s salty, and it’s exactly what you need.

The heart of the operation is the menú del día. In Barcelona, the midday menu is a sacred right, and Casa Gallego treats it like a religious text. For a fixed price that won't offend your wallet, you get a first course, a second course, wine, and dessert. We’re talking about caldo gallego that tastes like a grandmother’s hug, or a plate of lacón (ham shoulder) that hasn't been messed with by a chef trying to prove how clever they are. The reviews don't lie: 'quantity' is a recurring theme here. If you leave Casa Gallego hungry, that’s on you.

The space itself is split between the cafeteria—where the morning crowd stands at the bar for a café amb llet and a bikini (ham and cheese toastie)—and the dining room, which feels like a time capsule of 1980s Barcelona. It’s all stainless steel, bright lights, and waiters who have the kind of professional efficiency that only comes from decades of navigating crowded aisles. There is no pretension here. The decor doesn't care about your Instagram feed, and the service is brisk, honest, and entirely devoid of the fake 'hospitality' found in the tourist traps down by the water.

Is it perfect? No. The lighting is a bit too bright, the acoustics can be a chaotic mess when the room is full, and if you’re looking for a quiet, romantic corner to whisper sweet nothings, you’ve come to the wrong place. This is a place for conversation, for arguing about football, and for the serious business of consuming protein. It’s one of the best Galician restaurants in Barcelona for anyone who values substance over style. It’s a reminder that at the end of the day, a good meal is about a hot plate of food, a cold glass of Ribeiro, and a room full of people who know exactly why they’re there. If you find yourself in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and you’re tired of the overpriced 'bistros' and the minimalist cafes, head to Via Augusta 269. Sit down. Order the pulpo. Drink the wine. This is the real Barcelona, hidden in plain sight.