Le Cucine Mandarosso Restaurant

Among the wide array of Italian restaurants in Barcelona, La Cucine Mandarosso stands out for a reason that’s simple yet at the same time difficult to find: it’s unique!

Pietro, a young Italian who visited Barcelona for the first time as a student, had an idea of recreating the food that was made in his house, that of his grandmother, his nonna, and it has yielded a marvellous result — Italian food that avoids being cliche, prepared with products of the highest quality, the majority of which are imported from Italy.

It’s all distinct, from the simple yet warm atmosphere to the infinite variety of pastas from different regions of Italy, the drinks that are impossible to find in any other shop in the city or the homemade desserts that are the delight of sweet-lovers.

Their midday formula — main dish, drink and dessert for just the right price, without forgetting the quality that’s a trademark of the house — has turned it into one of the busiest places in Barcelona, where it’s difficult to find an open table. At night, its menu is expanded and we can taste all types of Italian dishes, typical and not-so-typical, that transport us directly to that nearby country.

This small Italian gem in the heart of the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, very close to the Palau de la Música, is an obligatory choice for all those that love Italian food. And don’t forget to take a look at the Emporio, their small shop next to the restaurant, where you can buy a wide variety of products brought from Italy, homemade bread, focaccias, and pizzas, along with their legendary homemade desserts.