la palmera
August 16th, 2013
After a day of eating and a night of wandering around Gràcia I woke up starving. We were cooking a feast on the terrace later, so shopping at the Boqueria was the order of the day, but first came lunch…
menu dia
I was intending to have lunch in the Boqueria with Matthew, handy for meeting Oli there later, but it was overwhelmed with hungry tourists, so I suggested trying one of the restaurants tucked away behind the market. I’d noticed La Palmera (the Palm) some months ago. It does a 3 course lunchtime menu with wine for 10€ and is always full of locals, a sign that the food is good. The restaurant was completely packed and the staff were rushed off their feet, but they said they could fit us in within 5 minutes so we waited.
sopa peix
True to their word, we had a table in about five minutes and I ordered Sopa Peix – fish soup. The soup itself contained rice and not much fish, but the fish flavour was excellent.
fabas catalana
Matthew ordered Fabas Catalana – broad beans and Botifarra Negra (blood sausage). I tried this and similarly it was delicious.
pollastre forn
We’d both ordered Dorada (sea bream) but unfortunately they ran out and the waitress came back to ask what we’d like instead. On the spur of the moment we both ordered Pollastre Forn – roast chicken with fries. The chicken tasted of garlic and olive oil – another winner!
pa amb tomaquet
As per usual the food came with Pa Amb Tomaquet – here, very much a DIY affair, you rub the bread with raw garlic, squeeze in the juice of half a tomato, drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
gelat
The puddings were mostly things that had been bought in – I had an ice cream and you can see Matthew’s flan in the background. The other options were fruit or yoghurt.
carajillo
I had a carajillo de cognac to give myself a much needed pick up in order to go shopping – otherwise I might have needed a siesta after lunch.
This is a very typical old school Catalan restaurant. The menu was in Spanish and Catalan and I doubt that any of the staff speak English. We asked for a bottle of rosado with lunch, but they only do red or white wine. Matthew didn’t want red, so we ordered white – I was expecting a slightly unpleasant cheap white wine (what can one expect included in a 10€ menu), but the wine was a very good table wine. Everything here was excellent and I’ll definitely go back!
La Palmera is at: Carrer Jersusalem, 30, 08001, Barcelona
Mad Dog TV Dinners 
That ice cream looks delish!
Ha ha – it was nice but they don’t make it themselves 😉
I love the juice of a tomato and garlic on the bread, i might try that tomorrow, simplicity itself, great lunch, in a great location.. glad you are having a nice time! c
Thanks Cecilia – it works well with toasted bread too and it’s a lot easier to rub with garlic 😉
I am with Miss C. Was just about to comment that I want to do the tomato today….and she beat me to it!
I just ate some myself and put the skins into my stock 😉
Oh! What a brilliant idea!!!!! I just blanched pounds of tomatoes yesterday..too bad I didn’t speak to you about it before I chucked them!
My mind always boggles when I read what you have ordered and then look at the incredible price! That broad bean and blood sausage dish has my name all over it 🙂 ! [OK, when I was a bub, and ill in bed and Mom asked what I wanted, the answer half the time was blood cakes/sausage: my Swedish grandmother was the Grand Master of that . . . so the order got filled about 4-5 hours trip away 😀 !]
The price really is amazing, even to me. When I saw the blood sausage I wanted the broad beans too (though I do love broad beans anyway). I’ll have to look out for the Swedish blood cakes – I’ve got a Swedish friend who lives in London, maybe she can get me some 😉
Sorry to mix you up: I am actually Estonian-born and methinks there may be more Russian-Finnish in the recipe. . . but it’s as good an excuse as any to ask: perhaps 😉 !
Thanks for the heads up – I’m still interested and will post the blood cakes if I can find them in London 😉
I am always amazed how well you can eat in Spain without spending a lot of money…especially knowing the price includes wine.
General Franco insisted that restaurants provide a 3 course lunchtime meal at an affordable price. Since his death, many restaurants have continued the practice. I’m amazed and grateful that they still do it 🙂
I seek out places like this when I’m “over there.” The Tourism Boards should put up signs “Follow the Locals for a good Meal”. 🙂
I hope they don’t – I’m sure it would lead to an increase in prices. In the tourist spots like the Ramblas, the price of a 3 course lunch is 4 or 5 times the price 😉
Sounds like good food was had all around. I just signed up for a basque cooking course and one of the dishes et will make is that fish soup. I cannot wait. You are in such a great food destination.
You can’t beat Basque cuisine, I’ve got a good Basque friend who lives to cook and she’s a joy to cook with. I’m sure you’ll love the cooking course 😉
Sounds wonderful, properly gutsy, robust Spanish food. Hope we get to read about the feast you cooked too.
It’s coming… 😉
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Wish the menus del dia were as good where we are 🙂
Maybe it’s time to start the Chica Andaluza Bar in your village – people will come from miles around 😉
We keep hoping someone will take over the one you can see from our garden…I’d do it for a week or two but I’d soon get distracted!