Eat Like a Local in Sant Antoni, Barcelona I - Culkin
Culkin’s warm lighting helps you instantly feel at home (Photo: Freya John)
It’s easy to feel like a Brit abroad in Barcelona, a city known for its tourist attractions. But Freya John has found a way to shake this feeling by exploring one of the city’s lesser-known areas. This column documents her culinary exploration of the vibrant and bustling neighbourhood, guiding readers on how to live, eat and feel more like a local in Sant Antoni, Barcelona.
“Tourists Go Home”: this message, graffitied all over Barcelona, is a not-so-subtle hint to visitors that speaking English, littering on beaches and habitual drunkenness are no longer welcome. Yet, rather than merely “going home”, travellers should try harder to integrate into Barcelona’s rich culture, avoiding the tourist traps of La Rambla and Plaça de Catalunya and making an effort to speak a little Spanish (or even Catalan) – a simple gracias would suffice!
Since moving to Barcelona just over a month ago, I’ve learned that the best way to disconnect from these tourist stereotypes is to visit neighbourhoods popular among residents. So far, my favourite is Sant Antoni. Located in Eixample, the area is home to the spectacular Mercat de Sant Antoni – a gastronomic hub for locals, filled with fresh produce, and a cleaner, less touristy version of the well-known Mercat de la Boqueria. Sant Antoni is populated by both young and old and is representative of an authentic and culturally rich Barcelona.
The bar pays homage to the mischievous dreams we all once had to embark on Home Alone-like adventures (Photo: Freya John)
Culkin on Carrer de Viladomat, right next to Sant Antoni’s most popular street, Carrer del Parlament, encapsulates, in just a small space, the unique beauties of this neighbourhood. Named after Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin, the gastro wine and cocktail bar pays homage to adolescence and the mischievous dreams we all once had to embark on Kevin McCallister-style adventures.
Just as McCallister manages to find a home in New York in the franchise’s sequel, Culkin’s calming red lights, nostalgic movie posters and tables adorned with wax-covered wine bottles help guests instantly feel at home. The combination of adolescent themes with mature wines, cocktails and food provides a simultaneously wistful yet up-to-date experience. In this way, the bar mirrors the streets of Sant Antoni, which present an authentic but modern and vibrant Barcelona.
When a home friend came to visit me, I suggested we try Culkin. So, at 10.30pm, a dinner time that would horrify most Brits, we headed over. For drinks, we ordered a rosé and a cava; it is a natural wine bar, after all. However, we were also intrigued by the idea of orange wines, which neither of us had seen on a menu before, and the cocktails, particularly “the Lemon Tree” (a mixture of vodka, citrus and vanilla). The bar stays open until 1am most days. So, at 11pm, it was buzzing. Nevertheless, it wasn’t long until our drinks had arrived in beautifully polished glasses and we were ready to order food.
The menu consists of classic tapas dishes, each with a modern twist (Photo: Freya John)
The menu consists of classic tapas dishes, each with a modern twist. Everything is made to share, giving Culkin an intimate and homely feel. After much deliberation, we picked four dishes: rustic olives; thick chips with aioli and bloody sauce; roasted miso aubergine with sour cream; stracciatella with seasoned vegetables and Culkin pesto.
While you can’t go wrong with a bowl of olives, those served to us at Culkin were especially memorable due to the oil they were soaked in, which brought out the saltiness of the olives as well as the differences in texture and flavour between green and brown.
The thick chips resembled the traditional Spanish potato dish patatas bravas, also served with aioli and tomato sauce. However, whenever I have chosen this option previously, the potatoes have been texturally comparable to the British roastie, whereas these were crunchier and more thinly sliced, almost like a thick crisp. The aioli was drizzled on thickly, while the smoky tomato dressing had hints of chilli and BBQ sauce.
For drinks, we ordered a rosé and a cava; it is a natural wine bar, after all (Photo: Freya John)
My favourite dish was undoubtedly the roasted aubergine: an entire vegetable cooked to perfection until it melts in your mouth, engulfed in the salty, Asian flavour of miso – a deliciously trendy twist. The sour cream wasn’t too excessive, preventing the delicate taste of miso from being overpowered by its sharpness. Rather, it added a softness to the melting vegetable.
Our final dish comprised a bed of stracciatella (a form of mozzarella) adorned with a myriad of thinly sliced vegetables and whole pine nuts. The pesto was fresh, light and delicate – a salty yet herby addition to the dish and a far cry from the cold and slightly claggy version found in supermarkets. Pairing this dish with a slice of bread takes it to unbelievable heights.
The food at Culkin is, quite frankly, delicious. The menu is the kind to keep you coming back for more, while never breaking the bank. Its produce feels novel and fresh, combining the thrill of teenage adventure with the classy maturity of signature cocktails and natural wines – the perfect blend of old and new.