La Nacional has finally bounced back from its Health Department shuttering, and as owner Jesus “Lolo” Manso promised us, the front “cantina” has gotten a bit of a makeover. As you can see from the shot we took on Saturday, the walls have been painted to include Mahou and (our favorite!) Chupa Chups logos. The floor is now a maroon-and-black checkerboard. If you miss the old La Nacional and its fluorescent austerity, look for paintings of it in the back nook, where there’s a communal table where the pool table once was. We can vouch for this much: When we visited, there was the usual cadre of Spanish-speaking retirees, and the Barça game was playing on two of three fancy flat-screens. Bonus points if you spot the photo of Ferran Adrià on the wall.
