Since moving to Barcelona, I have been lucky enough to cross paths with some interesting and knowledegable people who seem to know a thing or two about the cool, hidden-away places in Barcelona to eat, drink and, maybe, be merry.
As a mum, my social life now seems to revolve meeting other parents at my daughter’s school and at my son’s nursery. It was here that I met a fellow parent and previous Londoner; Alba, who has become my go to person when it comes to Barcelona restaurants that are as far away from the tourist traps on Las Ramblas as possible!
It was through her that I came across Bar Mut in Eixample. No, it is not a doggy parlour, far from it, in fact. This local, very Spanish restaurant is off the beaten track in central Barcelona, where it’s the locals who fill the restaurant with their chatter and not the tourists. It really feels like an insider’s secret top tip for restaurants to visit whilst in Barcelona.
The atmosphere is one of cool chicness, and the restaurant serves fantastic tapas with an extensive wine list, which is always a draw for those (like us) in search of a great tipple. We chose the 2013 Gevrey- Chambertin. With its aromas of red berries and refreshing rose petals, it complimented our food choices perfectly.
The highly recommended dishes we tried were:
– Navajos, grilled with olive oil and parsley. (Razor clams to the rest of us.)
– Rice with mushroom, onions and sea cucumber.
– Egg Carpaccio, (yep, it does exist! ) with crisp potato shreds, accompanied by shrimps and pine nuts. I havent included a photo as no photo seems to do this amazing dish justice!
To top off these culinary delights, we ordered their homage to the famous Spanish dessert, Torrijas .
This dessert consists of slices of dry, almost stale bread usually from the day before. It is then soaked in milk, dipped in egg, fried with olive oil, then finished off with sugar. I guess the nearest equivalent us Brits have would have to Torrijas, is bread and butter pudding. It was amazing.
The bar is located in Calle Pau Claris 192, 08037 Barcelona, and I highly recommend it. It’s off the beaten track, has amazing food, a great atmosphere…what’s not to love?
