Paninaro Gràcia — Restaurant in Barcelona

I had a deeply unsettling experience at Paninaro, on April 2nd at 3:30 PM.

I ordered a takeaway sandwich and was served by a female employee who, after using the payment terminal and touching her apron, went directly to preparing my food without even washing her hands. She began cutting the bread, noticed my concern, reached for a box of gloves—but then chose not to wear them, proceeding to handle mozzarella with her bare hands. This was a clear violation of basic food hygiene standards.

When I calmly requested a refund, a male employee wearing a hat stepped in and dismissively claimed that gloves are only required when handling meat. I pointed out that hygiene should apply to all food preparation, especially with uncooked ingredients like cheese. I don’t believe I was mistaken—your own social media shows employees consistently using gloves while preparing sandwiches.

The refund process itself was slow and needlessly complicated, but what followed was even more shocking. As I left the restaurant, the same male employee followed me outside and began shouting at me in the street, aggressively demanding that I speak Spanish. I have never been spoken to in such a hostile, disrespectful way—by anyone, let alone someone representing a business. This individual's behavior was beyond unprofessional—it was intimidating, completely unacceptable, and frankly disgraceful. No staff member should ever leave the premises to confront a customer like this. He came across as not only hostile, but also profoundly unprofessional and uneducated.

I urge the management to review your security footage, which will fully confirm the accuracy of what happened. I would also appreciate some clarity: is it Paninaro's policy—or the expectation in a multicultural, international city like Barcelona—that customers must speak Spanish just to order a sandwich?

This experience revealed not only a serious lapse in hygiene practices, but also a troubling lack of professionalism and basic respect for your customers....

This is a wonderful, new place and I wish them well. To start with the service is brilliant and Marco the perfect host. The venue is bright, clean and modern, including the bathroom. The food selection is strictly limited to a wonderful if casual selection of very filling and scrumptious 'panini' made on the spot, with great bread, served with olives and some excellent crisps. No cutlery, no fuss. You can also buy cheese and some meat cuts by the weight to take home. (The La Tur cheese is absolutely to die for and so are the 'finocchiona' salame and the mortadella).Perfect also for a glass of wine and some Italian nibbles, or a refreshing crodino... Two types of deserts and coffee round up the perfect informal meal. Open long hours, 7 days a week, from midday. Sfizioso e molto molto...

Nunca antes había estado en un lugar como Paninaro, y sinceramente, ha sido una grata sorpresa. Este rincón en el corazón de Gràcia ofrece una experiencia culinaria única que combina la comodidad de un local moderno con el auténtico espíritu italiano. Para quienes disfrutan de cadenas como Subway, Paninaro es una alternativa infinitamente superior en calidad, frescura y calidez humana.

Desde el primer momento se nota el ambiente acogedor y familiar: el personal es amable, servicial y transmite esa hospitalidad italiana que hace que uno se sienta en casa. La iluminación cálida, la música suave y la atmósfera tranquila crean el entorno perfecto tanto para comer relajadamente como para charlar con amigos.

Los panini son el alma del lugar. Elaborados con focaccia artesanal y ingredientes de primera calidad, cada bocado refleja frescura y sabor auténtico. El pan es ligero pero sabroso, y los rellenos equilibran perfectamente tradición y creatividad. Mi favorito fue el panini de ternera, jugoso y con un toque de especias que lo hace irresistible. Sin embargo, el menú ofrece una amplia variedad de combinaciones, y además puedes personalizar tu panini eligiendo los ingredientes que más te gusten, lo que convierte cada visita en una experiencia distinta.

En comparación con Subway, Paninaro destaca no solo por la calidad del producto, sino también por la atención al detalle y el trato personalizado. Aquí se siente el cariño por la cocina, el respeto por los ingredientes y una clara dedicación a ofrecer algo más que “comida rápida”: es comida buena, fresca y con alma.

Además, su ubicación en el Passeig de Gràcia lo convierte en una parada ideal para quienes pasean por la zona: perfecto tanto para una comida antes de seguir explorando como para cerrar un día de compras o turismo.

En resumen, Paninaro es mucho más que un sitio de panini: es una experiencia gastronómica informal pero cuidada, donde la pasión italiana se nota en cada detalle. Sin duda, un lugar que volveré a visitar y recomendaré a cualquiera que busque calidad, sabor y un ambiente que...