Restaurante Merry

Nou Barris is not the Barcelona they show you on the postcards. There are no soaring Sagrada Familia spires here, no overpriced tapas bars where the sangria comes out of a plastic jug, and no influencers posing in front of trencadís mosaics. This is the real city—the working-class, concrete-and-brick heart of the north where people live, work, and eat because they have to, not because they’re looking for a 'gastronomic experience.' And in the middle of it all sits Restaurante Merry.

Let’s be honest: Restaurante Merry is a hybrid beast. It’s an Indian joint, a kebab shop, and a pizza delivery hub all rolled into one fluorescent-lit package on Carrer d'En Tissó. To the culinary purist, this is a nightmare. To the hungry local at 10:00 PM on a Tuesday, it’s a godsend. It’s the kind of place Bourdain would have respected not for its refinement, but for its utility. It’s a fuel station for the human spirit.

When you walk in, you aren't greeted by a host with a tablet. You’re greeted by the vertical rotisserie of a kebab spit, the hiss of a deep fryer, and the heavy, comforting scent of cumin and turmeric battling it out with roasting lamb. The decor is functional at best—tile floors, sturdy tables, and the constant hum of delivery drivers coming and going. This is one of the best spots for cheap eats in Nou Barris, and the locals know it. You aren't paying for the ambiance; you’re paying for the protein.

The menu is a sprawling map of global comfort food. You’ve got your Indian staples—chicken tikka masala, lamb curries, and naan that’s been slapped against the side of a tandoor. Then you’ve got the kebabs. The reviews don’t lie: the durum and pita here are the heavy hitters. We’re talking about meat shaved thin, doused in that white garlic sauce that defies logic, and wrapped tight enough to be used as a blunt instrument. It’s messy, it’s salty, and it’s exactly what you want when the world has been grinding you down all day.

Is it perfect? Hell no. The rating sits at a 3.8 for a reason. The service can be indifferent, the delivery might take an extra ten minutes when the neighborhood is buzzing, and the pizza is... well, it’s neighborhood pizza. It’s thick, cheesy, and unpretentious. But there is a certain honesty in a place that doesn't try to be anything other than what it is. It’s a neighborhood anchor. It’s where the guy who just finished a twelve-hour shift goes to get a meal that won't break his bank account.

If you’re staying in the Eixample and thinking about trekking up here for a 'hidden gem,' don't. You’ll be disappointed by the lack of tablecloths. But if you find yourself in Nou Barris, tired of the tourist traps and looking for a meal that feels like the city’s actual pulse, sit down at Merry. Order the lamb curry or a chicken durum, grab a cold beer, and watch the neighborhood go by. It’s raw, it’s loud, and it’s real. In a city that’s increasingly being turned into a theme park, places like Restaurante Merry are the holdouts of the actual Barcelona.