La Bodegueta

la bodegueta

October 3rd, 2013

We were going to visit an art fair in Plaça España his afternoon, so it seemed a good idea to have lunch on the way. Poble Sec (dry village) is between Montjuïc and Paral·lel, just South of Barcelona’s Gothic centre.

barrels

We walked up c/ Blai which is pedestrianised and full of bars and restaurants. At the lower end of the street (by  Paral·lel) we came across La Bodegueta. I saw rabbit and snails on the menu del dia and we liked the traditional bodega interior, so it seemed worth trying.

interior

La Boegueta was originally established as a bodega, around 1900. For those who haven’t visited Spain, a bodega is a wine shop or cellar where you buy wine from a barrel, to take home or drink in. Often a bodega will sell a few groceries too, such as eggs, potatoes, cheese and ham. La Bodegueta has been converted into a restaurant, but still retains the old barrels and paraphernalia of its previous incarnation.

patatas gratinadas al cabrales

Like the interior, the menu looked hearty and rustic. I was particularly intrigued by the starter of Patatas Gratinadas al Cabrales – scalloped potatoes with Cabrales cheese. I’m a big fan of Cabrales, an artisanal blue cheese from Asturias, aged in limestone caves.

The Patatas Gratinadas came in a large earthenware dish (about 8 inches in diameter), piping hot from the oven. The potatoes were thick and chunky and the sauce was rich with a distinct sharp Cabrales taste. The portion was big enough to be a main course and it was absolutely delicious!

pan con tomate

Pan con Tomate arrived at the same time as the potatoes. The bread was rustic and slightly toasted, rubbed with the usual garlic, tomatoes and olive oil.

conejo con caracoles

The main course, Conejo con Caracoles (rabbit and snails) came straight from the oven in a similar sized cazuela to that of the potatoes. It was cooked in a thick, rich, picante sauce, hot enough to have me sweating in spite of the ceiling fans!

leche frita

For pudding we had Leche Frita – fried milk! It’s a bit like a warm egg custard with a sugary doughnut exterior.

rosado

We washed our lunch down with a very good house rosado.

La Bodegueta is at: c/ Blai 47, 08004, Barcelona

The food was excellent and the large portions (pictured above) are individual servings. The 3 course lunch cost 10.50€ including wine – I’ll definitely be going back!