Sésamo

sésamo

November 23rd, 2011

Sésamo Bar y Comida sin Bestias, is an organic, vegetarian restaurant in El Raval, just next to Sant Antoni Metro. Sésamo translates as sesame, and comida sin bestias, means food without beasts. The food is so good, that even I might go here to eat…

There are very few vegetarian restaurants in Spain – when I lived in Barcelona, 20 years ago, I doubt there were any. Back then, after a two month diet of tortilla and salad, my vegetarian girlfriend started eating meat!

alfredo

Oli and I, had a rendezvous in Sésamo, with Alfredo, the Argentinian proprietor and chef, who’d promised to help us with food for the Homage to Cataluña shoot on Saturday. The restaurant was busy, so we sat at the bar and drank a bottle of Rosado, while Alfredo finished the dinner service.

beetroot risotto

We were sent a couple of dishes to keep us entertained while we waited – the first being a delicious beetroot risotto, sprinkled with parmesan. Alfredo has a very interesting approach to his menus – each week he chooses a vegetable and then produces a variety of dishes based upon that theme.

sweet potato and bitter chocolate

Next up was baked sweet potato with bitter chocolate – personally I think that this is the best way to serve sweet potato, I’ve never liked it as a main course. Once again it was fabulous,

bourbon whiskey foam

especially when topped with Bourbon foam,

foam machine

from the foam machine. I seem to remember asking if the foamer could be used to make allioli foam and the answer was yes, but not for deserts!

One more bottle down and mission accomplished – we moved on…

Sésamo is at: C/ Abat, 52, 08001 Barcelona

Alfredo does an 8 course, tapas menu (including wine) for €25 (minimum 2 people), plus à la carte and individual tapas. You don’t need to take my word for it that it’s good food here, there are plenty of great independent recommendations.