Federal Café

In spite of its international vocation, Barcelona sticks proudly to its Catalan roots, and this translates into a mixed restaurant scene. Even in the trendiest areas of the city you will find a bar de toda la vida, meaning the traditional (sometimes shabby) tapas bar where people from the neighbourhood go regularly to have a beer and some patatas bravas or to watch the Barça football match. On the other hand, you sometimes find cool and trendy places even in the most godforsaken locations, which is why every area of Barcelona deserves a visit.

In Sant Antoni, a quiet residential area next to the old town centre, a few Australian guys spotted an outstandingly nice low rise corner building and turned it into one of the coolest restaurants in town. You can't miss Federal café if you walk by: there's always a crowd waiting for a table and two huge windows at the ground floor are constantly open, inviting you to take a look inside. This looks pretty much like your typical anglosaxon polyalent place, that integrates a small delicatessen shop, an open kitchen, and a versatile restaurant that offers a menu that goes for a brunch, for dinner, or for an afternoon snack.

Although Federal is open all week and serves lunch and dinner, for some reason it became my favourite destination for the Saturday and Sunday lunch. I figure that a healthy, light and tasty meal is the best choice when you are hungover from a weekend of intense clubbing... This restaurant is very ecofriendly, and they prepare simple dishes using local organic ingredients. The menu is rather anglosaxon, so you will find eggs with toasted bread for breakfast, veal and veggie burgers or cesar salads for lunch. However, they always give it a fusion twist, so the menu also features Italian style bruschettas (toasted bread with cheese, tomato and olive oil), South American yucca chicken or Middle Eastern hummuses. There is a good selection of natural juices and smoothies, and their pastry is exceptional. Except for the cupcakes, all the desserts are home made.

The space, developed on three levels,  is very versatile. If you arrive early, you can choose to stay at the ground level and share the large communitary wooden table with other customers, or you can have an individual table at the upper floor or on the rooftop terrace. The latter is my favouite option in the summer: they have a few tables on a wooden deck and cool music in the background. It feels great to chill out on a glass of white wine, and bring back some nice saturday night mood with a few friends.

The crowd is pretty mixed, but in general the vibe is very young and creative. Last but not least, the staff is extremely nice. You will never have to wait to leave your name if there is no table available, as the manager or a waiter will rapidly come to welcome you at the door.

Federal Café

Carrer Parlament, 39 – Barcelona

Phone: +34 931 87 36 07
Price range: around 25€