la coqueta
On Wednesday I had lunch with Julia and Nookie in Barcelona. They took me to a charming bar called La Coqueta. Julia particularly likes this place because they cater for carnivores and vegetarians.
la coqueta menú
I liked the look of the menú del día (above – typically chalked in Catalan, on a blackboard outside), the place was busy and our hosts were genial.
la coqueta interior
The shape of the bar is typically Catalan/Spanish – it’s a long thin space with windows in the door. This is to keep the heat out during the long hot summer. There are several tables outside under a large red umbrella, but it was windy, so we sat inside.
baked apples
As we sat down, I couldn’t help noticing some delicious looking baked apples on the counter.
vi rosat
Vi rosat was ordered, como siempre! This was the house wine and was quite drinkable.
amanida amb tomàquet i mozzarella
Nookie ordered amanida amb tomàquet i mozzarella as her starter – mozzarella and tomato salad.
creme de carbassa, sálvia
Julia had creme de carbassa, sálvia – cream of pumpkin soup with sage.
hummus de pèsols amb torradetes
I had hummus de pèsols amb torradetes – pea hummus salad with home made toasted rusks.
risotto de bolets
Julia ordered risotto de bolets as her main course – a mushroom risotto. This is becoming a popular dish in Cataluña, using local mushrooms and rice from the Ebro Delta.
bullit de verdures
Nookie ordered bullit de verdures – mixed, boiled vegetables, sprinkled with almonds. I noticed a bit of vegetable and risotto sharing going on between my companions.
brinsa de vedella a la planxa
My main course was brinsa de vedella a la planxa, served with fried potatoes and onions – brinsa (or entraña in Spanish) is a cut of veal, from the diaphragm muscle (there are two per animal). It used to be discarded, but an influx of Argentinian and Uruguayan restaurants have made it popular. Brinsa is intensely flavoured and as part of a muscle, must be cooked fast on a hot grill or braised slowly (to stop it becoming tough). Here it was cooked on the plancha with a chimichurri sauce. It was quite tender and delicious – I’d definitely order it again!
cireres
For pudding, Julia ordered cherries.
pom al forn
Nookie and I both ordered pom al forn – those fabulous baked apples, I noticed on my way in.
cigaló
No lunch is complete without a carajillo de cognac, for courage and an energy boost – I had a lot of food shopping to do later on.
factura
As you can see, the bill for three of us came to €39.20. We were very well looked after here and I will definitely be coming back.
La Coqueta is at: Carrer de Tamarit, 101, 08015 Barcelona.
Mad Dog TV Dinners 
Oh, I like this, both for menu and that wonderful price !!! Would have ordered exactly the same as you – I watch a lot of local foodie shows and that veal diaphragm muscle had come up methinks twice in the last couple of months . . . both times it being said that the butchers knew a good thing and took such home themselves !
Thanks Eha – I’ve heard similar about brinsa being the type of cut rarely seen for sale.
Looks delicious. Loved the cognac for courage. Actually all of this made me quite homesick for Spain though I have never visited. Or should I say not yet!
Thanks Cecilia – I think they’ve turned the sun back on now, the forecast is looking good!
You guys visit some very interesting and tasty restaurants. I love exploring the dishes online as I read your posts. I found the pea hummus interesting as it’s a dish you often see here and indeed we make ourselves. All the dished sounded interesting, but I was intrigued by the brinsa de vedella a la planxa. I’ve not tried this dish but would not hesitate to order it.
I always learn something from your posts and today I’ve learned a lot. I must admit I didn’t know much about the Catalan language so the link was great. Is Catalan the primary language or is Spanish?
Thanks Ron – the Catalan language was banned when Franco was in power and this gave it a huge boost. Children are taught Catalan and Spanish at school. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and as such there are many Spanish and South American people working alongside Catalans, not to mention tourists speaking English. Catalan is the dominant language, but audibly more so outside of Barcelona. In Calella (35 miles north), where I am, I mostly hear Catalan spoken in the street and shops. I looked up the figures for Catalan speakers recently and was amazed to see that it’s spoken by about 5,350,000 people!
Como siempre indeed! But, you know, the thing that always amazes me most is how inexpensively you eat wonderful meals in Spain.
Thanks Michelle – I don’t know how any of them make any money, but I’m very glad they are there.
Have never seen or heard of this cut of meat, one to look out for! Hope all is well with you?
It’s excellent – I thoroughly recommend it! All is well here, now that the weather has improved. I have never seen such and damp spring in Cataluña.
I think I say it almost every time you show the bill, you manage to find such good places to eat with such good value.
Thanks Karen – I love the menú del día. The first time I came across it, I thought it I’d got it wrong and the price was per course! I love to sit and eat a good leisurely lunch while many tourists stop by and order a burger and beer for the same price. People look at the cost of a tapa or single course and don’t understand the lunchtime bargain.
So very true…they don’t know what they are missing.