Maná 75
By Michael Mueller
Most restaurants in Barceloneta list a paella or two, alongside the tapas, the pasta and the usual greatest hits. Maná 75 lists over a dozen. The open kitchen – which the house calls the longest paella line in Europe – runs to 19 stations, all firing rice in full view of the dining room.
The specialist menu runs from the obvious to the seasonal: seafood paella in señoret style (shelled), lobster, squid-ink black rice with mussels, a meat paella stacked with botifarra negra and pork ribs, arroz de carabinero in a deep scarlet broth. Winter brings a calçots rice; late spring, a paella of foie gras and Iberian pork. Broths are simmered for eight hours on a family recipe.
The room is big, around 800 square meters, with round tables built for sharing (which is the point of paella), an open kitchen as theater and a leafy outdoor terrace of red umbrellas and wooden benches. The place was laid out to feng shui principles, for what that’s worth. From the sidewalk it’s a minute to the beach.
The arroz de carabinero, the black rice and the señoret draw the most praise. Portions are generous; expect slower service during busy seasons. Set menus from around €40; à la carte from around €50 a head. It’s a walk down Passeig de Joan de Borbó, the seaside strip of Barceloneta, past the fishing port and the boardwalk – the restaurant sits near the tip, where the pavement meets the marina.