Established in 1989 by Josep “Pep” Manubens Figueres, Cal Pep is a highly regarded tapas bar, tucked not far from the mouth of the sea in Barcelona. If you’ve eaten at one of the Barrafina restaurants in London, you’ll know what good tapas can be – the Hart brothers, who run Barrafina, were inspired by Cal Pep and brought the concept home with them. Just like at Barrafina, at Cal Pep you nibble on superb ingredients cooked right in front of you at a snug bar, sipping on sherry or a crisp vino seco blanco. The team here is famously obsessive about sourcing the best seafood available that day, which ends up in the chilled cabinet on display – about as fresh as it gets. The sleek bar seats around 20 and overlooks the open kitchen. There’s no menu; the waiters simply ask, “What do you like?” and bring you what they think fits. If that feels a bit daunting, just sit back, watch what leaves the kitchen, and order whatever catches your eye. That’s what I did – and oh my.
The staff are hilarious too, a playful bunch taking selfies with customer’s phones whilst slapping each others bums!
Vino seco blanco
First to arrive was a slow-stew of chickpeas tangled with baby squid €16.80. A dish with the kind of depth that speaks loudly of slow braising. The squid was soft, the sauce thrills and the chickpeas had soaked up every last bit of it. It was marvellous. If you’ve got time for squid, this is the one.
Carxofes €6.70 are crunchy artichoke hearts piled up high, if you want to know if they tasted good or not then take my word for it, they bloody did.
Rap a l’espatlla €20.50 – the monkfish tail – was culinary reassurance that when it comes to cooking fish, Cal Pep isn’t just playing at it, they’re laying down commandments. The flesh was pearly, sweet, impossibly fresh – like it had swum here. Expertly dismantled tableside, it came resting on potatoes that some might call oily, but let’s be honest: that’s just code for luscious, especially when they’re bathing in a garlic-chilli slick that dares you not to mop the plate. Slithers of golden garlic, dried red chilli, all of it whispering lick the plate, you won’t regret it. And I didn’t.
Behold: the botifarra €17 – Catalonia’s answer to divine swine, jazzed up with hunks of melting duck foie and caramelised in a pan with a splash of port like it’s on holiday in Portugal. The sausage hits the plate glistening, rich, and slightly sticky, hunks of foie woven through like little nuggets of indulgence. White beans get sautéed in all that rendered goodness, soaking up the jus. Then there’s a glossy drizzle of sticky port syrup to finish. Oh god, it was good.
Then the mille-feuille €6.50 landed.. Folds of sugar-dusted pastry shattered at the bite, crisp and fragile like spun glass, with a thick layer of cool custard that oozed just slowly enough to make you sit up straight. It’s the kind of dessert that doesn’t ask for attention – it demands to be finished.
We couldn’t leave for London without coming back.
Pan con tomate €3.60 is a toasted, rustically hewn roll rubbed with the buzz of raw garlic and topped with a crush of fresh tomato. I saw it being served and immediately knew I had to try it.
Of course we had to get the carxofes €6.70 again.
A welcome hit of iron came from “cigrons amb espinacs” €4.84 – we ordered a half portion. We watch a massive frond of spinach being wilted down in a pan with chickpeas, creating a dish with a slightly grainy texture from the chickpeas and a soft, slightly fibrous bite from the spinach that rubs against your teeth in the most satisfying way. It’s a plate I’m already planning to recreate at home.
And yeah I had to give the lads my phone for some selfie action!
As the “botifarra” (€17) and “cigrons amb espinacs” (€4.84) were plated up, I couldn’t help but take a back seat for a moment, watching the magic unfold before making my decision. There’s something about the rhythm of the kitchen, the skilful assembly of each dish, that makes you feel like you’re about to witness something very tasty – before you even take a bite.
The undeniable juiciness
Finally came the “llobarro a la planxa” €25. When you come to a place where they respect fish so much, high level cookery of it is standard. The bass straight off the plancha is a very fine example of that. More of those luscious oil slicked caramelised potatoes come with it.
Verdict
When did I go? March 2019
The damage: €35/40 per head with vino seco blanco
The good: There are times when I’d come back for just one dish. But here at Cal Pep? I’d come back for everything. It’s the kind of place where you can spend your calories and have a hell of a good time doing it. Don’t miss the sausages, the fish, the squid, the artichokes, or the spinach. Have I made it clear that you need to come here and that I’ve got a serious soft spot for the place? Because I do.
The bad: There isn’t one in London! And only small whinge is that the port syrup on the botifarra is cloying.
Rating: 4.75/5
Would I go again? It will be the first place I’d hit when in Barcelona.
Address: Plaça de les Olles, 8, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Web: https://www.calpep.com
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