If a local Barcelonian had to define his local equivalent of the Garden of Eden he would probably talk about a quiet garden hidden in some block of the Eixample with a beer fountain that never runs out and from which we can drink to our heart’s content. This accessible little Eden is now a reality at Cerveceria Barcelonesa, the new Catalan cuisine restaurant (and an endless fountain of beer) that has just opened on Passeig Sant Joan.
The place is just that, an oasis in Passeig Sant Joan that raises the level of the area. It does so not for the anecdote of the beer fountain (which is already worth the visit), but for a menu of Catalan cuisine of quite high level that offers, in addition, a menu for 10.5€ in an area where Catalan food is scarce and prices are skyrocketing.
A menu of 10,5€ in Passeig Sant Joan that is built to pleasure.
That said, at La Barcelonesa, the beer fountain is the anecdote. Perhaps the first reason to go. But the reason to stay is a menu of Catalan cuisine created by Karel Schroder, chef of Gyoza Bistró (which we already loved) who makes here Catalan cuisine with classics taken care of.
As with his gyozas, his simple-looking cuisine hides a lot of care and detail. The boletus croquettes and a veil of Iberian ham (at 1.5€ each) are very good, and the veil acts as a counterpoint to the flavor of the mushrooms, complementing each other and not repeating flavors as is often the case.
The grilled artichokes with a veil of jowl are also good and the mussels au gratin with allioli are a hit, although the allioli, probably with egg, coagulates when heated, and the result is not great. But it is still a flirtatious idea. Seconds don’t lower the level: a monkfish and shrimp caldereta ( good idea: classic fish stew options are not plentiful) and a cheek with foie and parmentier as hearty and tasty as you could ask for.
Many of these dishes appear on a menu that can be constructed at will. For 10,5€ you can order a single dish with a drink (just for that cheek alone it would be worth it). For a few euros more you can add a second course or a dessert, up to 20€ for a complete menu, which is the price of a menu in the area, but in this case, with quality Catalan cuisine.
The source of happiness (and beer).
The last great attraction (or the first, depending on who you ask) of Cerveseria Barcelonesa is the beer fountain that has been installed in its courtyard. Well, actually it’s their patio and the premises, a large and bright space that is not intuitive from the outside and that opens with a giant window to a garden inside the Eixample apple of the Eixample.
Hidden in this garden is a fountain reminiscent of a modernist fountain from which infinite beer flows. Its owners are still thinking about what they will do with it. At the moment, just for going for lunch or dinner any customer can have a free beer on their own. A good claim that serves as an entrance for a senyor àpat of Catalan cuisine in a Paseo Sant Joan that needed a reliable restaurant like this.