La Balmesina is surely the great pioneer of gourmet pizza in Barcelona(and, officially, one of the best pizzerias in the world). One of the first to experiment with sourdough, with quality Italian and local products and with long-fermented pizzas that would result in that puffy, crispy edge and that dough with just the right texture to hold the topping and fold at the same time, offering a soft and satisfying bite at the same time.
After Balmesina came Gina la Balmesina, the same pizzeria but with a more casual concept. And as families grow, now Focacceria Balmesina has arrived, joining the wave of focaccerias in Barcelona to offer the iconic Italian sandwich with the characteristics that we are already getting used to seeing: fluffy focaccias, counters full of sausages brought directly from Italy that make you salivate and high bars to enjoy this Italian food as in the country of the boot, at the pace.
Artisan dough, sustainable cured meats and natural wines: this is what an ethical focacceria is all about.
You already know focaccias:the trendy Italian snack is made with spongy and crunchy dough, Italian sausages that make you salivate and, in this case, natural wines and all the products, even the flours, are ethically and organically produced.
That’s one of the ways Focacceria Balmesina is different from others: the flours in the dough are the same organic flours they use in their pizzerias. The sausages come from small sustainable Italian producers or, in the case of the pork belly used to make the porchetta, from Cal Rovira, a Catalan producer known for sustainability in its treatment of animals.
The same with the wines: they are all organically produced, joining a trend that, yes, is a trend, but also ensures a more ethical and humane relationship with wine production.
What’s on the menu?
Some of the focaccias we tried are the Porchetta: with homemade porchetta, mayonnaise, mustard and pickles; the speck with mushroom cream or the parmigiana, with eggplant parmesan and parmigiano matured for 24 months.
Among their natural wines we tried the Clarete, but they also have craft beers and homemade soft drinks such as lemonade and iced tea, along with the socially responsible Aura water.
The place, by the way, is on Maquinista street, just behind the Mercat de la Barceloneta, directly on the way to the beach, and therefore perfect for a beach snack next summer.
Free focaccias and 2×1 the whole week of the inauguration.
By the way, to inaugurate the premises, the Focacceria Balmesina will give away on November 28, from 18h. focaccias and wines to everyone who comes, and throughout the week, until Thursday, will make a two for one of their sandwiches, so that no one is left without trying.
📍Carrer de la Maquinista, 13, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona
💸Focaccias between 9-10€.