One of the largest neighbourhoods in Barcelona, L’Eixample is home to some of the city’s best restaurants, bars and nightlife. When it comes to finding options for a good meat-fix, there are a number of excellent steakhouses and meat specialists in the area. Here are some of our favourite places to indulge in a nice, juicy steak in the Eixample.
Buenos Aires
Restaurant, Argentina, Steakhouse, $$$
A traditional Argentine restaurant named after the country’s capital city, Buenos Aires is famous for its thick cut steaks cooked over flames. There are different meats to choose from including Argentine Black Angus, Uruguayan grain fed steak and Nebraskan Black Angus. One of the house specialities is the Entrecot Completo – a sirloin steak served with grilled peppers, a fried egg and chips – while the menu includes other meat and fish dishes as well such New-Zealand lamb and tuna tataki.
Describing itself as a ‘little piece of Argentina in Barcelona’, 9 Reinas is serious about its meat. The restaurant serves some of the best pieces of steak from around the world, including Aberdeen Angus, Black Angus, Wagyu and Spanish La Finca beef. The menu includes an entire section dedicated to potatoes alone as the perfect accompaniment and steaks can be served with a Roquefort or pepper sauce upon request.
Named after one of the most emblematic Argentine regions, Patagonia Beef & Wine serves a selection of imported Argentine cuts of meat such as bife de chorizo, ojo de bife and lomo. Wine is the other speciality of this traditional white-tablecloth restaurant and the cellar includes some good wines from Spain and Argentina, including a large variety of Malbecs.
The central bar at El Nacional | Courtesy of El Nacional
One of the most original restaurant concepts in Barcelona, El Nacional is five separate restaurants in one, housed in a refurbished garage given an art-déco twist, off the Passeig de Gràcia. As soon as they walk through the door guests are greeted by the sight of huge cuts of beef ageing in a glass-faced cabinet. The kitchen includes a charcoal grill, wood-fired oven and griddle which lend their own distinct flavours to the cuts. Meat-lovers won’t want to miss the chance to try the aged mature beef chuletón, aged for a minimum of 60 days for full flavour.
La Pampa is the Argentine word for both a central region in the country and the vast grasslands which are home to much of the country’s beef farming. A casual restaurant run by passionate Argentine owners, La Pampa offers a choice of Argentine cuts of meat served in a low-key, cozy setting. The menu also includes a selection of traditional empanadas, provolone cheese and home-made pastas. There’s also an Argentine butchery located just next door so you can pick up some cuts to take home.
If Argentina is famous world-wide for its superior quality of meat, the French are famous for the iconic ‘steak frites’. While not technically a steakhouse, Au Port de la Lune is a French brasserie located in the Eixample district offering one of the best steak-frites in Barcelona. Topped with a mouth-watering échalotte or pepper sauce, and served with crispy French fries. Best enjoyed with a glass of French red!
A relatively new addition to the Barcelona dining scene, Lomo Alto is a restaurant whose concept is centred around beef. The meat is aged on site and the kitchen employs four different cooking techniques to deliver the best flavour on the plate, with meats hailing from Spain, Portugal and The Netherlands. Unique to the restaurant, guests can opt for a ‘Beef Tasting Menu’ which showcases matured Galician beef.
