The port is seeing how an area that has gone quite unnoticed for years is being revitalized. Everyone has in mind the image of the Barcelona coastline presided over by the W hotel, but few venture to walk around there and think that it is reserved for those staying in it. After the success of the new breakwater, which allowed the promenade to be extended to the old pier, the city has just gained a viewpoint at the foot of this emblematic hotel, showing for the first time one of the faces that Ricardo Bofill conceived in his design. Coinciding with the recent inauguration, the Isabella's restaurant group has opened its latest establishment, Anita's, right next door, "the most casual of all," explains its CEO, Marco Garí.
Located at the beginning of the Nova Bocana, in Plaza Rosa dels Vents, Anita's emerges as a place "halfway between a beach hut and a mountain refuge", mixing the maritime with the rural, both in its design and in its gastronomic proposal. Wood is the main protagonist, especially indoors, accompanied by furniture recovered from antique dealers, among robust tables and vintage armchairs. The terrace, covered by a blue metal structure, overlooks the sea and is aired with sprinklers that somewhat appease the heat that characterizes the Marina Vela complex in the most intense months of the year.
With this image, Anita's, with capacity for 200 diners, wants to seduce varied audiences, starting with those who pass in front of the place while walking or doing sports, encouraging them to make a stop to rest. Once seated, they can choose between its natural juices or smoothies to quench their thirst. If that doesn't seem enough, they can go for a second breakfast or have a brunch, with varied options, from fruit and avocado toast to Eggs Benedict, pancakes and waffles.
For those thinking about lunch or dinner, they will find a complete offer of American street food, with an average ticket, according to Garí, of between 20 and 23 euros. An ideal plan for families, Garí emphasizes, taking into account that Anita's is located in a quiet, car-free area. It starts with appetizers, with stars like the Nikkei ceviche, acidic but tasty, or the pork belly and prawn bao. For those who go straight for the classics, there are plenty of options, both local, with bravas, croquettes, and Andalusian-style calamari, and deliciously adopted ones, with hummus with falafel and papadum, nachos with guacamole, and fish & chips. The more daring can venture with prawns with chilli mayo or oysters.
After trying a couple of starters, it's time to choose between burgers, tacos, and rolls. Anita's smashed burgers are set to be one of its great successes, especially the cheese burger and the bacon cheese burger, with bread imported from the United States and cheddar cheese brought from Pitchpork (United Kingdom), the only foreign ingredients on a menu with a distinctly local stamp. Those who want to accompany their nachos with tacos, carnitas are always the winning option. Whatever you choose, one cannot leave Anita's without trying the lobster and truffle roll.
If there's still room in your stomach, desserts range from light, with sorbets, to sweet, with ice creams, milkshakes, and chocolate, lemon, and carrot cakes. A good way to put the finishing touch is with the daring coffees that have been devised at Anita's, with a Pink latte that adds beetroot or a Costeñito that adds milo, similar to cocoa, and caramel syrup. Those who want to extend the after-dinner conversation have cocktails at their disposal, with micheladas and lemon granitas with vodka. The restaurant will convince them with DJs to liven up the stay without disturbing any neighbors.
If there's still room in your stomach, desserts range from light to sweet"We wanted to do something different," Garí defends when asked about the letter. They considered offering what is expected of a beachfront establishment, with rice dishes and fish, but preferred to do something "less formal," especially considering that very close to Anita's is Julieta's, another restaurant from the group that already covers that demand.
With an investment of 2.2 million euros and the creation of 30 jobs, Anita's is already preparing for autumn. Garí expects it to be one of the best seasons for the venue, along with spring, when the heat won't be as intense as in summer. The CEO of Isabella's also has his eye on the arrival of the America's Cup, when he is sure that the area where they are located will finally become popular. The company won the concession for the space for a period of 20 years.
A dizzying expansion
Anita's is the group's seventh restaurant in Barcelona, which has experienced a dizzying expansion since the outbreak of the pandemic. The arrival of covid marred the inauguration of Isabella's House, an apartment building adjacent to Isabella's, the very first establishment, opened in 2013 on Ganduxer street. However, a few months later, Isabella's House reopened and they dared with Harry's, located in Pasaje de la Concepció. They maintained the commitment to Italian cuisine they had already made at Isabella's and Bella's, the company's second establishment, inaugurated in 2018 on Avenida Diagonal. The crisis caused by the coronavirus also allowed them to acquire premises that were previously impossible to get, with better prices and in strategic locations.
In 2021, with covid still affecting the sector, came Julieta's, located in the former Mamarosa premises, near the W hotel. It was the first to open to a new cuisine, switching to rice dishes. Likewise, it was the year of the opening of Gala, which served to transform the old El Principal, on Provenza street. A trend that continued this 2022 with the arrival of Carmina, which meant reopening the historic Senyor Parellada, in the Born.
Anita's is the seventh restaurant the group has in Barcelona, which was born on Ganduxer street with Isabella'sIn addition to all this, the group led by Isabella Heseltine, Marco Garí's mother, has also gone to Porto, where it opened Valentina's, and to Madrid, debuting with Casa Isabella, in the Recoletos neighborhood. According to the CEO, are working to open their second establishment in the capital by early next year. It will be located on Velázquez street, in the Salamanca neighborhood.
After the growth of Isabella's and with the return of tourism, the group is registering figures "well above" those of 2019. What Garí defines as "the champagne effect" has also influenced: the average ticket has gone up and diners extend lunches and dinners, ordering drinks and staying longer in restaurants. This year, the company expects to close with a turnover of 25 million euros and Garí already has another new project in hand. It is a hotel in Llafranc, which will have about thirty rooms and will have a restaurant for 150 diners. It is expected to be ready for next Easter. In Barcelona, for now, there will be no more news.