Barcelona Photoblog: restaurant
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts

August 05, 2019

Can Marc Restaurant: An Excellent Choice at Montseny National Park

Can Marc restaurant should be in the top five list of best places to eat while enjoying the company of nature at Montseny natural park near Barcelona. I say this out of respect for the rest of good options in the area.

This little gem is hidden in a very modest road in Sant Esteve de Palautordera, a town at the Valles Oriental county (the Eastern side of Montseny park). Sant Esteve is 55 kms away from Barcelona city but still in the Barcelona province limits. There are plenty of rural activities at your disposal in this town first documented in history back in IX. As a matter of fact Can Marc is not only a restaurant but a rural farm or "Mas" in Catalan with attractive and comfortable rooms devoted to fans of nature, hiking and horse riding.

But let's go to the main course, the exquisite cuisine of Oriol Sabé with his team led by Sergi Planas

I will give you some examples with pictures. All dishes were part of the 28 Eur menu of the day although you can go A la Carte of course.

A delicious mellow rice with all the subtleties of fresh seafood, especially the famous Blanes shrimps adorned with this delicate foam.



Rice with Blanes shrimps - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera



A fresh marinated cod and clams with crisp flavors although not too strong accompanied with apple slices.


Cod seviche - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


A succulent portion of roasted suckling pig with mushrooms and asparagus.


Roasted suckling pig - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


An attractively presented mushroom sautee on egg and bacon.


Sauteed mushrooms with eggs and bacon - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


And for dessert a great tatin sided with what tasted like mint or rosemary, I couldn't tell but the combination was surprisingly good.


Tatin with icecream - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


The staff is polite and very efficient. We had the Agaliu 2017 white wine (Costers del Segre D.O), ecologic and 100% Macabeu grapes which I strongly recommend you.

July 19, 2014

Catalan Cuisine Suggestions: Restaurant La Violeta, Castelltersol, Barcelona

Violet Marmalade and Fried Cheese Gaspacho
Tuna Fish and rice Icecream with Strawberries on top


One the good things in life, if not the best, is to go out and find a nice meal, at a nice restaurant in a nice place. When it comes to enjoying excellent Mediterranean dishes, Catalan cuisine, is one of the best choices. It's been a long time, I haven't recommended an interesting restaurant in or out of Barcelona and in fact I always forget to use cellphone pictures I take while traveling around Catalonia to share them here with you. That's what a blog is for after all.

Today I want to suggest Restaurant La Violeta in Castelltersol (there should be a letter cedilla after the R but Google spiders don't like foreign letters too much), a Catalan municipality that is part of Barcelona province which historically devoted to the textile industry and took its name after a castle that dates back to the ninth century. Restaurant La Violeta and the hotel with the same name, are located in a house from 1860, restored in the 90s. Apparently is just another normal local restaurant, but I have to say that if you happen to be nearby you shouldn't miss it because its cuisine is certainly worth tasting. When I say nearby, I mean, you could be watching eagles fly in renown Cim d'Aligues natural park or admiring the views at Sant Miquel del Fai

But let's talk about the menu at La Violeta:

For starters, I recommend you don't miss their special tapas, like Formatges arrebossats amb melmelada de violetes (breaded cheese dice in violet marmalade) in the picture above, or the Patatas Bravas a la Violeta. In fact, my wife and I fell in love with that violet flavor and that's why we always try to return when we have the chance. They have a nice selection of salads like the season salad with nuts, cheese, quince and apple.

For the main course, you can either have pasta dishes like the Rossejat de fideus mariners (a sort of Paella but with noodles and sauce) or a good shrimp risotto. I would go for the Arros amb llamantol (rice with lobster) but as you can see in the image, pan fried tuna can suit you well for less money. We were fortunate it was summer and they had the Gazpacho, one of the best I have tried, out of Andalusia of course.

For dessert, there was this homemade ice cream with strawberries that was just the cherry on top of the day. As to the price, it is slightly pricey, not much, but you get quality food and they are not minimalist at all, if you know what I mean. More details on their website following the first image.

October 09, 2012

Goat Cheese Salad, Terra Mia Italian Restaurant, Barcelona



Sometimes the best places to eat are not necessarily along those well trodden touristic routes nor are tips suggested by travel guides comprehensive enough as to include them. When we think of Italian restaurants pizza and pasta come to mind instantly leaving short room for other kind of dishes. But even though you go beyond that point and you are a true enthusiast of Italian cuisine and you accept the fact that it is richer than that sold in Italian fast food restaurants, you may be surprised at some troves you can find out there. Terra Mia is a very small restaurant very near Parc Güell, but difficult to see if you get to the park by bus. It happens that tourists go straight from the parking lot to Parc Güell and back to the bus again without noticing that some blocks down the street, exactly at carrer Ramiro de Maetzu, 31 there is this hidden gem. I am just a very happy client and they are responsible for that because the service is impeccable and food is exquisite.This goat cheese salad in the picture above is just a sample but you ought to try their every dish as not only the ingredients are genuinely Italian but also the way they are cooked and served. In spite of being a small place they have a very nice terrace. Don't forget to try a bottle Il carpino wine. Find here Terra Mia Facebook page.

April 22, 2008

Vildsvin, The Old Tavern in Ferran Street, Barcelona

Vildsvin, The Old Tavern in Ferran Street, Barcelona [enlarge]

Vildsvin, The Old Tavern (L'Antiga Taverna), 38 Ferran, Barcelona. It is funny to use a Swedish word to baptize the stylish but informal middle European tavern conceived by Sagardi Euskal Taberna Group. If you are reading this you know English, so Vildsvin might ring a bell. Let's see in German: Wildschwein. Huh, do you get it now? Wild Swine? Ok, let's quit it. That's a wild boar. Would you believe that a cute, chic place, with tiled floor, noble wood furniture and an oyster bar in the ground floor is called the Wild Boar? Nope. So I can imagine some smart guy, saying hey, it has to be a wild boar cause a tavern is a tavern but we are going to make it sound a little posh so we create an atmosphere here. 

Update 2023: Vildsvin is now: Orio Gotic restaurant also by Sagardi. A restaurant venue in Barcelona changes easily after 15 years. Restaurants come and go like mushroom.

October 29, 2007

Set Portes Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain

Set Portes Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain [enlarge]

7 Portes or Set Portes Restaurant is located at Passeig Isabel II, 14 near Barcelona harbor (check Google Maps at the bottom of the page). Under this arcade which is old and needs some clean up, you will notice the big wooden doors to this renown restaurant which is a must in Barcelona, mainly because of the good paella they prepare. Nevertheless there are other great places in the city with better reviews. This one is a classic so it is worth trying instead of wasting your time and money at Las Ramblas.

October 23, 2007

Sant Pol de Mar, Maresme Coast near Barcelona

Sant Pol de Mar-View of railroad and the sea, Maresme Coast near Barcelona

Sant Pol de Mar is a small town of strong Mediterranean flavor, with white houses that adapt to the gentle slopes on the hills of Maresme coast.

In Catalan, there are two names for English name Paul, one is Pau and the other is Pol. Sant Pol celebrates one of its most important festivities on January 25th, which is St Paul's day.

Of all the beaches on Maresme Coast, Sant Pol is one of the cleanest and most attractive for tourists and locals alike. It is a very quiet town which I recommend to visit.

Today's picture was taken from the upper part of town and it shows as you see the train station and railroads. You can go from here to Barcelona or vice versa in 40 minutes all along the coast. There is a very well known restaurant which is a must visit: Carme Ruscalleda's Sant Pau
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