Apart from great seafood, the century-old Els Pescadors -restaurant serves up a neat microcosm of Poble Nou, on Barcelona's north-eastern flank. Once an unpretentious tavern for the district's fishermen, factory workers and political activists during the area's industrial heyday, the eatery has been extended and modernised in recent years to cater for a more international crowd. The original dining room - all painted wooden rafters and heavy -marble bar and tables - contrasts sharply with the subdued earthy tones and minimalist decor of the new spaces.
Outside, around the picturesque Plaça Prim, the same battle between tradition and gentrification is being waged. A whitewashed picture gallery cuts a lonely figure beside 19th-century workers' cottages and vacant allotments, while a banner hanging from one dilapidated terrace block deplores the social cost of urban renewal.
