Badalona - The Greenpoint of Barcelona?
For every New Restaurants list I make, I keep adding cool places in Badalona to my personal Go To-list. The list grew so long that I realized it had to happen: I need to visit all these awesome spots and of course tell you all about it!
Badalona might seem far away, but it really is not: take the purple line in Sagrada Familia for example, and you’re 18 minutes away! A bike ride from Poblenou takes 20 minutes. That’s nothing, really.
Badalona is a lot cuter than I remembered. There are quaint little pedestrian streets, and adorable little houses. Then there’s the beach: I was surprised to see how calm it was when we were there.
We did a route of spots I highly recommend you visit, but there’s so much more to Badalona than this! I will leave some additional recommendations in the end of the post. Make sure to save these places in your Google Maps, and plan that visit now!
Amauta Coffee Roasters Badalona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Amauta Coffee Roasters
How charming is this coffee roaster? They roast their own beans on location, where you can enjoy it on the spot. My coffee-loving friend assured that it immediately became one of her favorites. There are tasty-looking pastries, beautiful hand-made ceramics for sale, and I tried the matcha which they get straight from Japan and I loved it.
IG: @amauta_coffee.
Carrer del Carme, 53, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
Fujitaka Teppan Okonomiyaki, Badalona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Fujitaka Teppan Okonomiyaki
I have been wanting to visit since they opened a few years ago, and I truly wish I would have gone there sooner. Just this place is worth the trip! This charming, homely, very authentic Japanese spot specializes in food from Hiroshima, and specifically okonomiyaki. Here you can choose between lots of different varieties, including mushrooms, soba noodles, cheese, pork….
But make sure you order side dishes too (although the okonomiyaki comes in rather large portions, but they can be shared!). We loved the oysters (they come adorned in Japanese flavors and textures) that can be paired with a special sake that’s perfect for the dish. We also had a prawn tempura that was lovely.
The restaurant gets very busy at night, so make sure to book in advance by calling them! They’re also very good at keeping up their IG account with opening hours.
IG: @fujitaka_teppan.
Carrer de Santa Teresa, 25, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona
Ao, Badalona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Ao
This lovely new cafe (Ao means blue in Japanese) is run by lovely Lisa, of Japanese heritage, and it’s all PERFECT. The space is cute. She bakes wonderful cakes: we had a Victoria sponge cake with rhubarb (!), basque cheesecake (including a version with matcha), juicy banana bread, and lots more.
She serves specialty coffee in mugs she has made by hand (the plates are also hand made), there is a perfect selection of natural wines (I very much enjoyed the one we tried), and there are also a couple of savory dishes for a light lunch. On Saturdays there is a vermouth thing going on. This is the kind of place you can easily turn into your favorite hangout!
IG: @ao_badalona
Carrer de Ribas i Perdigó, 48, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona
Møde, Badalona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Møde
Møde is a new cafe located close to the beach, sporting a terrace on a large, fairly quiet plaça. The cafe is spacious, and nice also if you have kids. The serve specialty coffee, breakfast and brunch, home-made cakes, and offer a meeting place for cyclists. The branding is really cool, with a cycling theme.
IG: @the.mode.coffee.
Mar d’Alboran 4 (Badalona).
Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Fábrica Anis del Mono
Right by the beachfront there’s a large building and a mural; this is the famous Anis del Mono factory. First established in 1868, this piece of modernist history is now a museum that you can visit, and get to know the process behind making this famous liquor. You need to book the visit in advance, and it takes approx. 1h 30min. On the beach walk you’ll also find a sculpture with the famous monkey.
IG: @anis_del_mono
C/ d'Eduard Maristany, 115, 08912 Badalona, Barcelona
Other places worth visiting:
Oaxaca Café y Brunch - A very pretty cafe that also offers brunch and home-made cakes on a nice calm street, Carrer d'Arnús, 31, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
L’Estupendu - If like La Xarxa, Bodega Varela, or Bodega La Puntual, you’ll love this restaurant, and what’s more, it’s right by the the beach. Reservation in advance is a must. C/ d'Eduard Maristany, 75, 08912 Badalona, Barcelona.
Almarge - A cozy place with wonderful dishes to share (and rice dishes), and a great selection of wines. Carrer de Lleó, 79, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
Ingrediente Secreto - A cute vegan restaurant that has a full 5-star recognition in Google (with more than 300 reviews) is located in a little alley. The lasagna is a showstopper. Carrer del Tei, 5, local, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
LaGaia Books - This charming second-hand book shop also has English books, and vintage clothes. They do live music events on occasion. Av. de Martí Pujol, 16, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
Tariq and Curcuma - Two Indian/Pakistani restaurants with great food and service. Tariq: Carrer de Baldomer Solà, 3, 08912 Badalona, Barcelona. Curcuma: Carrer de Sant Joaquim, 23, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
La Moca - An Asturian restaurant with a bit of fusion thrown into the mix, in the best of ways. Pg. de la Rambla, 14, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
Can Pizza - For those who love their pizzas will be happy to know that they can also be found in Badalona, right by the beach! Passeig Marítim, 17, 08912 Badalona, Barcelona.
Ca La Tina - Quite the traditional, place, charming, where you can enjoy the simple but tasty things. They have their own home-made wine to try. Carrer del Magatzem, 73, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
La Donzella - Many people love this more modern restaurant located by the sea. It’s a bit on the pricier side. Passeig Marítim, s/n, 08911 Badalona, Barcelona.
川悦 - The factory are in Badalona has many, many warehouses for bazaar wholesale, and you are guaranteed to get good Chinese food in that area. Carrer de Manuel Fernández Márquez, 39, 08918 Badalona, Barcelona. 胖子大排档 is another good option for authentic Chinese cuisine. C/ de Guifré, 635, 08918 Badalona, Barcelona.
Hippie Coffee - Good specialty coffee and healthy dishes are served in this cute cafe. Carrer de Sant Isidre, 9, 08912 Badalona, Barcelona.
Gramola Lab - What used to be an IVF lab is now a delicious spot for hand-made sweets, chocolates, turrones, bespoke cakes, pralines, and much more. Their creations are beautiful and elaborate, and this place is definitely worth a visit on your Badalona tour. Carrer de l'Acer, 45, 1r, 08915 Badalona.
