Boqueria to Barcelona is like what Borough Market is to London, except the food is more compelling – there, I’ve said it! Debatable? Well yeah, everything is debatable. La Boqueria has been around since 1836, home to over 200 traders slinging some of the best-looking Iberian produce I’ve ever laid eyes on be it jamon, fruit, butchers cuts, fronds of greenery, fresh pressed juices, confectionary with plenty more besides. The market is littered with hole-in-the-wall joints, but snagging a seat at one during peak lunchtime? Nearly impossible. After several failed attempts, I was about ready to throw in the towel -every stall was absolutely heaving. Then, on my way out, I clocked Ramblero de la Boqueria, its ice cabinets stacked with the sea’s finest, demanding to be eyeballed – I found myself wiping dribble off my chin. They were full, of course. But just as we were about to admit defeat, along comes a man the size of Danny DeVito – but with more hair – offering to take us to their sister restaurant, Petit Ramblero, where we could graze in the comfort of air con and an actual table. This man spoke my language. We later found out that he’s Dutch and came over here for the gig. Why not.
Our waitress, beaming in the background, became an unexpected highlight of the meal – her energy infectious, her passion for the food undeniable.
We commence with a glass of vino seco blanco €3.95 to grease the engine.
And you can’t do tapas without a plate of Padrón peppers – €8 well spent. Ours came plump and blistered, glistening from the olive oil they were fried in.
Patates braves (€7.50) arrived in a faux newspaper-lined skillet, paired with two aioli-based sauces – one spiked with chilli, the other packing a slap of garlic. They’ve taken the humble spud and turned it into something soft, decadent, and downright inhalable. The variety used was sweet and luxurious, and I couldn’t stop forking them in until the skillet was empty.
Calamars de Platja (€13) – here, the natural caramelization of the baby squid brought an ample sweetness, with plenty to go around. All it got – and all it needed – was a drizzle of salted garlic and parsley oil. Simple, honest, and absolutely spot on. It put me in my happy place.
Onto the “Navalles” (€17) – razor clams, and real razor clams at that. None of those mussels masquerading as the real deal like you’d find at Kayani Akti. Like the squid, they get nothing more than a sear on the plancha and a drizzle of that gloriously simple salted garlic-parsley oil – because anything else would just be bad manners. Razor clams are one of the greatest of their kind, the confectionery of the sea.
We finish with a pleasantly dense olive oil chocolate ganache (€3.50), finished with sea salt and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. The crunch comes from the nutty crumb and the crisp slice of bread it’s rafted on. Yeah, we ate it all. Of course we did.
Verdict
When did I go? March 2018
The damage: Expect to pay €30 per head with a glass of plonk
The good: They couldn’t put a foot wrong here. We ate the food to lift the weight of the world off our shoulders and enjoy a serene meal away from the hustle and bustle of Boqueria. Come for the seafood, as we did.
The bad: It wasn’t as well valued as some of the other restaurants we visited, but at €30 per head you’d get a whole lot less in London.
Rating: 3.75/5
Would I go again? Yes
Address: Carrer dels Banys Nous, 8, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Web: https://www.facebook.com/petitramblero/
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