Last week Loverboy hit Sant Antoni, our favourite barrio of Barcelona, to try the menu at the recently opened Doppietta, the new Italian concept restaurant.

Located a stone’s throw from the buzzy Carrer Del Parlament, Doppietta, is the latest offering from British restauranteur Badr Bennis & Italian chef Nicola Valle. When the opportunity arose to take over the site of a former car mechanic’s workshop, the duo decided to create the restaurant as an homage to the world-famous Italian car race – La Mille Miglia.

Walking into the venue, it’s evident how much care and thought has gone into the design and the connection to the race. From posters on the wall to the music from the classic 50s era, everything is on point. That’s before we even get to the food.

Doppietta is Nicola’s own take on the classic Italian staple – a salumeria which sells everything from cured meats to cheeses. So on the Salumeria menu you’ll find delicious smoked sardines with strawberries & taralli and Picaña roast beef served with lemon curd which are all gorgeous but the part we enjoyed the most was sampling their carefully selected cuts of meat. From an eighteen-month cured Culatta to a tasty Panchetta Al Pepe made with pancetta & bay leaves and delivered from Toscana – they are all worth the visit alone. But wait because then we get to the cheese! Doppietta’s selection is so varied and the best thing is that they are all *chef’s kiss*. We tried the Salva Cremasco from Lombardia and the Ubriaco Amarone from Veneto – both highly recommended!

For mains, the kitchen offers up Tapas-size portions which are perfect for sharing. We found ourselves sampling the Salumeria on this visit but we will definitely be returning for the Aubergine parmigiana and the Crembri cheese melt which we spotted on our neighbour’s table.

Carrer Del Parlament is the perfect place for a leisurely Sunday stroll from bar to bar with Doppietta providing the grand prize at the finishing line!

For more info see www.doppietta.es