el atril
December 9th, 2012
El Atril is located in El Born, near the church of Santa Maria del Mar – it has tables outside in the square and cars don’t generally drive down this street anymore. I’ve had drinks and snacks here before, but this was my first proper meal. It was definitely chillier and time for coats, but the sun was shining so we had lunch al fresco.
brandada de bacalao
For my first course I had Tornado de Brandada de Bacalao y Pimento Piquillo – delicious brandada (made of salt cod, garlic, milk and olive oil) on a slice of crispy coca bread with some little strips of piquillo chilli peppers on top. It was completely delicious!
cazuela pollo guisado
My main course was a Cazuela Pollo Guisado a la Cazadora – hunters casserole of chicken fricassee (similar to chicken cacciatore). Lots of chicken in a rich and warming sauce with vegetables. Again excellent.
mel i mato
For pudding I had Mel i Mato – a very typical Catalan dessert of soft white cheese and honey. I always go for Mel i Mato or Crema Catalana if they are on the menu and I’ve never been disappointed.
We drank Catalan vino rosado with lunch – como siempre.
The staff were very attentive and everything was perfect – of course it was for 11.50€.
El Atril has a warm and cosy interior too, handy for the colder wetter winter weather.
Mad Dog TV Dinners 
Another amazing menu del dia! I had a delicious mel i mato when I was in Barcelona a couple of months ago – it’s often on the menu here too as we’re not far away from Catalunya but it’s different from restaurant to restaurant.
Yes! I love mel i mato and you are right, the cheese and honey types can vary considerably. I’ve also had it in Greece, but I can’t remember what it’s called there 🙂
sounds great, I wish i could just pop over to Spain!
I wish you could too 🙂
Another perfect meal – am just sipping a lovely glass of vino rosado (como siempre, as you say!)
The Catalan stuff’s dangerous – it doesn’t give me a hangover!
Sounds perfectly safe to me then!
Definitely, but there’s no need to stop 🙂
What a lovely afternoon!!!
It was a beautiful day 🙂
What a great lunch!
Thanks Tessa 🙂
Another great meal, MD. I’d love to try that brandada de bacalao. Salted cod is not a common item here and I’m always game to give it a try when I see it on a menu. No surprise that I eat a lot of baccala when I’m in Europe. 🙂
Thanks John! That was a very good brandada – one is spoilt for choice here, there are lots of market stalls in the Boqueria, alone, selling salt cod.
You’ve made me wonder if it was once a staple (in the US) in pioneering days, like beef jerky… It’s not popular in the UK either, though my friend Amaia has found someone who sells it in the East End.
Pretty fucking perfect meal. I just love brandade. It’s one of those things that are just not worth making at home, as it only works in big quantities. The whole description of that lunch is just so right:)
Thanks Roger it was 🙂
I’ve just caught up with all your dining posts of your visit to Barcelona. I haven’t been in years but you certainly do make me want to return. For some reason, I remember the food being expensive but your meals have been so reasonable and delicious sounding.
The lunchtime menus are cheap and amazing value. At night time, restaurants charge similar prices to any international city. It’s best to avoid anything on or near the Ramblas, as they are expensive all the time. For an economical holiday I advise people to go out for lunch and cook in the evenings (if they have catering facilities).