Cuitat Comptal (est 1997), the former name for Barcelona is a split-level affair, with wooden floors and balustrades leading up to a raised dining area above the front bar. Below, chill cabinets brim with tentacles, shell-on prawns, shimmering anchovies, and artichoke hearts glistening in pools of oil. The real energy is at the bar, where the buzz of conversation and clinking glasses set the tone that’s where we chose to sit after passing up the quieter top floor. With it’s warm, wood-clad interior, a terrace that spills out onto the street, and a menu stacked with all the classics, it’s the kind of place where you could easily lose an afternoon or evening, grazing slowly and sipping on vino seco blanco.
First came the Cantabrian Sea anchovies (€5.75), as recommended by our burly server – dressed in chef whites, goatee immaculately preened. These fillets are the real deal: caramel-tinged, meaty, and ludicrously well-balanced, offering a perfect caress of oil, salinity, and melt-in-the-mouth richness.
Prawn skewers (€4.35) were some of the best I’ve eaten, either before or since. The natural sweetness of them are intensified by caramelisation on the plancha and they have the perfect level of tension and crunch synonyms of the freshness and quality.
Beef tenderloin (€4.50) comes sandwiched between a padron pepper and a crisp slice of bread slathered with fresh tomato, all skewered together with a cocktail stick. Seared over high heat until an umber-tinged crust forms, the centre stays beautifully rare. Reassuringly good – and definitely not made for sharing.
Plancha caramelised baby cuttlefish Andalusian style (€5.95) get the simplest of drizzles, a salted parsley olive oil as they are so fiendishly fresh, it’s all they need to bring the best out of them.
We also go for the “tortilla especial” (€4.95), stuffed with meltingly soft fish, white beans, and slow-stewed spring onions. The sauce is luscious, begging to be mopped up with tomato-rubbed bread -so we do, dredging through every last bit of it, along with a hit of romesco.
Pescadito frito (€6.10) is a prime case in point that they do fried things really, really well here. I saw my neighbouring diner order this dish and painstakingly pick out all of the fried anchovy’s finicky bones, why bother when you can inhale the whole thing with a plump, caramelised pardon pepper?
Verdict
When did I go? March 2018
The damage: Expect to pay €25/30 per head.
The good: Everything I tried was cast iron delectable, it’s the sort of food that I easily lose myself in the moment when eating. Don’t miss the prawn skewers or pescadito frito.
The bad: There’s no niggles to think of.
Rating: 4/5
Would I go again?
Address: Rambla de Catalunya, 18, 08007 Barcelona Spain
Web: https://www.laflautagroup.com
Leave a Reply