Flax & Kale is the talk of the town among the vegan-vegetarian crowd – a restaurant that aims to impress with kombucha, gluten-free pizza, nut cheeses, impossible croissants, and other goodies pepped up with avocado, jackfruit, coconut oil, and plant-boosted edibles that are catnip for the meat- and dairy-free lovers. I come not as a sneering, meat-eating buffoon, but with an open mind, rich in curiosity and hopeful that vegetables (and the occasional oily fish) might invigorate my appetite. There are four branches in Barcelona and one in Madrid; I visited the one called Flax and Kale Passage, not far from El Born, which has been doing its thing with verve since November 2017. They’re known for never allowing gluten into the kitchen – even their pizzas, cooked in a sizeable stone oven that takes centre stage in the venue. The space itself is a mix of shiny pipes, distressed brick, and texture-patterned banquettes.
We loved their matcha latte’s €3.50 so much that we doubled up. Always double up if you’re not in doubt.
Umami almonds €4.95 come with an umber-tinged coating elevated with white miso, a pelting of white sesame, black garlic and ginger.
Avocado toast €5.95 comes as a thick slice of gluten-free bread, hoisted up with mixed seeds and spread edge to edge with sticky avo. On top, thick wedges of avocado are layered with slinky slices of watermelon radish tucked in between, creating something that resembles an adorned conch. Lubrication comes courtesy of a tangy yuzu sauce, with gummy smears of açai, and crunch delivered by a scattering of pistachios.
We also went for the bao bab Benedict’s with faux bbq pulled pork made from stewed down jackfruit. In fairness, the fibrous strands of fruit resembled protein albeit without the sultry notes of meat. There’s poached eggs on the right side of oozing, peanuts for texture and plant based hollandaise for moisture. The bao themselves didn’t have that satisfying chew from worked gluten, but more of a crumbly sponge character giving satisfaction in a different way.
Superfood plant based dumplings €10.50 are a commendable veg-only riff of generally meat forward versions. There’s more bbq jackfruit, truffled fungi and “carne de olla” which is another plant based protein number. A pot of dark soy based liquid deep with umami is there for dunking.
And we came the next day off our own steam as the boss loved the ride the first time around.
These are the kombucha-boosted drinks – we order the Mr Barri €4.95 and the Berlin €5.95. Did you know kombucha is rich in probiotics that promote gut health? That means I can finally save money on that enema I’ve been promising myself.
The Moroccan roasted portobello €12.50 came with a poached egg, avocado, beetroot cream, roasted spice notes of dukkah, a baba ganoush and the crunch came from ancient grains, & crunchy coated chick peas.
I opted for the avocado toast €5.95
And also ‘the all greens’ pappardelle €13.50 which was a mound of gluten free ribbons of pasta with capers, snow peas, spinach, green beans, asparagus, anchovy sauce, something called ‘muddicca aturrata’, to save you googling, that’s a crisp breadcrumbs in Italian. It didn’t have the satisfying tension and chew from your common pasta, but it was pleasing in a different way, like knowing the meal won’t clad your thighs after and send you into a carb abyss.
We finish with more matcha latte and a matcha chia pot €5.95.
Verdict
When did I go? March 2018
The damage: Expect to pay €30/35 per head with matcha lattes
The good: What Flax and Kale is majestic for is giving you the ability to slow graze guilt free without the overt calories that a butter boosted, carb laden protein feast could give. It was perfect to burn some hours and fuelling for the short walk to the tapas bars for lunch. It’s a clever take on layering interesting uncommon ingredients together.
The bad: It’s pricey for what it is, but then again I can imagine buying the ingredients isn’t cheap or easy.
Rating: 3.5/5
Would I go again? Coming here is part of my intrinsic skillset
Address: Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt, 31, 33, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Web: https://flaxandkale.com
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