Ikibana – Japanese – Brazilian food with style

This excellent Japanese-Brazilian fusion restaurant-lounge bar is situated on the very edge of El Born.

The first thing you’ll notice as you approach the door are the big fat carp swimming on the floor – you have to walk over the fish when you enter.

Watch as your steps create ripples in the pool and the fish scatter in all directions. Kids (like me!) love it, and keeps them amused during the short wait for food. And, when tired of the swimming touch-sensitive fish you can watch a large-screen projection of life under the ocean. Amusingly the undersea scenes are cut in with a live feed from the kitchen – so you can watch the expert chefs prepare your sashimis, tempuras, makis and sushis.

The food here is excellent. A very good friend (Hi Krystyna!) who loves Japanese food, and has probably visited most Japanese restaurants in the city, eats here every Friday lunchtime. The lunchtime set menu is only 12 euros and worth every cent.

Good, lively, very friendly atmosphere. And it has already gained a deserved reputation among locals for excellent food, friendly service and good value. If going in the evening you’ll probably need to book ahead or be prepared to wait for a while.

p.s. My taste must be impeccable – four months after posting the above (and less than a year after Iki Bana opened) Time Out Barcelona magazine voted it as one of the best 50 places in Barcelona to eat sushi  – even though they don’t specialize in sushi! Go there, try it, you’ll see and taste why.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Ikibana – Japanese | Bars, Restaurants (Japanese-Brazilian) | Daily menu € 12.00
Passeig Picasso 32 | El Borne | +34932956732
13:00 – 16:00 & 20:00 – 02:30 daily