Restaurante Chino Gran Siglo

Nou Barris is not the Barcelona you see in the glossy brochures. There are no Gaudí chimneys here, no overpriced sangria pitchers, and mercifully, very few selfie sticks. This is the end of the yellow line, a place of steep hills, laundry hanging from balconies, and people who work for a living. And when those people want to eat—really eat—without emptying their wallets, they end up at places like Restaurante Chino Gran Siglo on Carrer dels Garrofers.

Let’s be honest: the 'Chino-Japonés' hybrid is a staple of the Spanish urban landscape. It’s a marriage of convenience born from the 90s and early 2000s, where Chinese families realized that adding a sushi section to the menu was the key to survival. At Gran Siglo, they don’t pretend to be a Michelin-starred omakase den. They aren't sourcing bluefin tuna from a secret auction at dawn. They are serving the neighborhood. It’s unvarnished, it’s loud, and it’s exactly what it needs to be.

Walk inside and you’re greeted by the familiar hum of a neighborhood joint. The lighting is bright enough to perform surgery under, the décor is a mix of traditional Chinese motifs and whatever was available at the local hardware store, and the service is efficient to the point of being abrupt. But that’s the charm. You aren't here for a hug; you’re here for a mountain of food. The menu is a sprawling document that covers everything from the classic 'rollitos de primavera'—those thick, crunchy spring rolls that are more about the texture than the filling—to 'arroz tres delicias' that could feed a small army.

If you’re looking for the best Chinese restaurant in Nou Barris for pure value, this is a heavy contender. The 'pollo con almendras' (chicken with almonds) arrives sizzling, the sauce thick and salty, hitting all those primal notes that make comfort food what it is. Then there’s the sushi. Is it Jiro-level? Of course not. But for a cheap sushi fix in Barcelona, it’s remarkably honest. The fish is fresh enough, the rice is seasoned, and the portions are generous. It’s the kind of sushi you eat with a cold beer while watching the local news on the wall-mounted TV.

One of the biggest draws here isn't even the dining room—it's the 'domicilio.' The delivery bikes from Gran Siglo are a constant fixture in the narrow streets of Nou Barris. When the rain starts hitting the pavement or the football match is on, the phones here start ringing off the hook. It’s the ultimate 'cheap eats Barcelona' move: a massive bag of containers, a few extra soy sauce packets, and enough calories to forget your problems for an hour.

Is it perfect? No. The décor is tired, the floors can be a bit tacky, and the 'Japanese' side of the menu is more of a polite suggestion than a deep dive into Nippon culture. But in a city that is increasingly becoming a theme park for tourists, there is something deeply respectable about a place that remains stubbornly itself. It’s a reminder that the real Barcelona eats here, far from the shadows of the Sagrada Familia. It’s a place for families, for students on a budget, and for anyone who values a full stomach over a curated Instagram feed. If you find yourself in the deep north of the city, skip the fancy stuff. Sit down, order a Tsingtao, and let the Gran Siglo feed you until you can't move. That’s the real deal.