Benzina
Italian Pasta · Sant Antoni, Barcelona · €€
Industrial-chic Italian in a converted car-mechanic shop, with vinyl records, great music, and what locals consistently call Barcelona's best fresh pasta. British owner, Italian chef; sister spot Doppietta does hot brunches.
The Delekta Review
The owner is British, the chef is Italian, the soundtrack is seventies and eighties vinyl, and the space is a converted car mechanic's shop in Sant Antoni. Benzina shouldn't work — but it's been one of Barcelona's most beloved Italian restaurants since 2018, and the pasta in particular gets named among the best in the city. Fresh pasta made in-house, menu rotating every two months with the season, and a creative streak that produces dishes like parmigiana d'alberginia with parmesan ice cream and the signature sferamisu. Industrial-chic interior, vinyl records on the wall, a soundtrack that earns the space rather than decorating it. The sister project, Doppietta, does hot brunches. The recurring critique is portion size — excellent food, but some diners want more of it per plate — which is a familiar complaint at restaurants where the per-bite quality is this high. Prices are fair for what lands. One of those rare rooms that feels simultaneously casual and special, which is harder to engineer than it looks.
What the critics say
- Benzina - Review - Sant Antoni - The Infatuation
- Benzina Review - Fodor's Travel
- Benzina - Great Food and Fun Vibes - Barcelona Food Experience
- Foodie in Barcelona - Italian Restaurants
- Benzina – Macarfi
- Benzina – TimeOut Barcelona (ES)
Visit
- Address
- Passatge de Pere Calders, 6, Eixample, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
- Phone
- +34 936 59 55 83
- Website
- benzinabcn.com
- Reservations
- Book a table
Nearby restaurants in Sant Antoni
- Fismuler — Market-fresh Mediterranean, €€€
- Bacaro — Venetian Italian, €€
- La Tartareria — Raw Food & Tartare Bar, €€€
- Bar Canyí — Catalan Traditions, €€
- Ultramarinos Marín — Seafood & Charcuterie Grill, €€€