For any lover of the good life in Barcelona, paradise on earth would take the form of an inner courtyard in the Dreta de l’Eixample, ideally equipped with an endless supply of beer. This fantasy is now a reality at Cervecería Barcelonesa, a newly opened venue dedicated to https://barcelonasecreta.com/platos-tipicos-de-barcelona-probar/“]Catalan cuisine[/trackLink] that has revolutionized the Passeig de Sant Joan with a very unique concept.
Beyond the undeniable appeal of its beer fountain, this spot stands out for breathing new life into the neighborhood’s dining scene. It achieves this by focusing on well-executed traditional recipes and, above all, by shaking up the market with a menu starting at 10.5€, an unusual price in an area dominated by chain restaurants and inflated prices.
A €10.50 set menu on Passeig Sant Joan that you can customize to your liking
Although the free beer tap may catch your eye at first, the real reason to reserve a table is the culinary offerings created by Karel Schroder (whom many will already know from the success of Gyoza Bistró). Here, the chef brings his obsession with detail to the classics of traditional Barcelona cuisine, creating dishes that surprise.
The menu features dishes with a subtle twist:
- Mushroom croquettes (€1.50 each): Topped with a thin slice of Iberian ham that adds just the right touch of saltiness without overpowering the porcini mushrooms.
- Charcoal-grilled artichokes: Served with Iberian pork jowl, incredibly tender and flavorful.
- Mussels with allioli au gratin: An interesting combination, although the heat tends to cause the emulsion to curdle slightly if it contains egg, but the concept remains very appealing.
- Hearty stews and meats: It’s hard to find a good seafood casserole these days, so their monkfish and shrimp stew is a total hit. For meat lovers, the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the pork jowl with foie gras and parmentier alone makes the visit worthwhile.
Flexibility is another of its strengths. Its lunch menu lets you choose a single dish with a drink for an attractive €10.50 (a perfect option if you’re going straight for the pork cheeks). If you prefer the full experience with a main course and dessert, the bill comes to around €20—a typical price on Passeig de Sant Joan, but with a level of quality and authenticity that’s hard to replicate.
The Fountain of Happiness (and Beer)
Source: David León Himelfarb – Barcelona Secreta
Cervecería Barcelonesa’s ace up its sleeve is its spectacular back area. The spacious dining room, bathed in natural light, opens through a huge glass wall onto a classic Eixample courtyard garden that’s completely hidden from view from the sidewalk.
In this peaceful haven, an imposing structure takes center stage, emulating the city’s Modernist fountains—with the difference that beer flows from its spouts. While management is finalizing how it will manage this feature in the long term, for now the rule is unbeatable: any customer who comes for lunch or dinner can pour themselves a free draft beer. A brilliant strategy to attract customers to an honest and reliable establishment that the Passeig de Sant Joan desperately needed.
