El Nacional occupies a building on Passeig de Gràcia that dates to 1889, built on the site of the Teatro Español, a theatre from 1870 that burned down that same year. Over the following decades the space served as a café-theatre, a dye factory, and a car showroom before its latest transformation.
In 2014, restaurateurs reopened it as a 2,600-square-meter food hall bringing together four distinct restaurants and four specialty bars under one modernist roof, with interior design by Lázaro Rosa Violán evoking Barcelona’s 1930s and 1940s.
The concept lets visitors sample seafood, meats, tapas, and drinks across multiple kitchens in a single stop, making it a popular choice for groups with different tastes.