Anybody seeking a little authenticity and local knowledge must stray further afield than the touristy stretches along Las Ramblas. On the surface Sant Antoni, ensconced between the Raval, the Eixample and the Poble Sec, seems
like little more than a sleepy, residential neighbourhood. Young parents watching their kids as they climb on the monkey bars. Dog lovers of all stripes strolling up and down Avinguda Mistral with their dog companions. Groups of teens with wildly gelled hair and fashionable lip piercings clustered around park benches. A good mix of long time
residents and new arrivals, Catalans and diverse international contingents. There is something very grounded and authentic about Sant Antoni, a character characteristic that it shares with many of the excellent restaurants that line the streets of its modernist quadrants.