Pizzabar had been on my list since it opened in Barcelona, but when we finally went for lunch, one thing surprised me straight away: the tapas here are every bit as important as the pizza.

Pizzabar Barcelona — *Pizzabar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.*

The Barcelona location is on Carrer de París, in the Eixample, and comes from the same team behind the original, popular Pizzabar in the Empordà. The concept is simple on paper: thin, crisp pizzas, tapas and a strong wine selection. In practice, it feels much more like a lively bar-restaurant than a straightforward pizzeria.

I love the space. The decoration is cool but approachable (it sits on a corner right by Enric Granados, with large windows to the street), the space radiates a good atmosphere, and even though it was absolutely pouring with rain outside, it was packed at lunchtime on a Friday. That’s usually a very good sign.

Pizzabar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.

The menu makes it tempting to order more than you planned, which is exactly what happened to us. We started with oysters, one natural and one with leche de tigre. Both were excellent, but the leche de tigre version had that extra little kick of spice that made it especially memorable. Then came the XL gilda with smoked sardine, which is exactly the kind of thing I want with a nice glass of wine.

The cap i pota wonton was very surprising. It’s such a fun way of taking something very traditional and putting it into a completely different format without losing the original idea. The corn strips with chili powder were another hit: crunchy, spicy and extremely addictive.

At that point we realized we were much more interested in trying the tapas than ordering several pizzas, so we shared one. We went for the carbonara, with mozzarella, egg, guanciale, parmesan and black pepper, and it was so good. The pizzas here are thin and crisp rather than Neapolitan-style, which gives them a very different personality. Pizzabar itself describes the Barcelona location as keeping the same thin, crunchy pizzas from the Empordà, alongside tapas and natural wines.

And yes, we absolutely saved room for dessert.

We opted for the grilled ensaimada that arrived warm, and then the molten chocolate is poured over it at the table. Very simple, very excessive, very worth it (and perfect for sharing!).

The wine list is also worth mentioning. The selection goes well beyond the obvious choices, with Catalan and Spanish wines alongside some French bottles.

What I liked most about Pizzabar is that it doesn’t make you choose between “pizza place” and “proper restaurant.” You can come for a pizza and a glass of wine, but I’d really recommend treating it as a place for sharing. Order the oysters, get a gilda, try the cap i pota wonton, definitely get the corn strips, and then add a pizza in the middle. That’s what I’d do again (and I’d order the chocolate mousse with olive oil and salt for dessert too!)

Pizzabar, Carrer de París, 205, Barcelona (Eixample Esquerra).

Pizzabar Barcelona: Come for the Pizza, Stay for the Tapas

Five Barcelona Restaurants Are Up for TheFork’s Best New Opening of the Year