Calle Riego, 27, Sants (other locations available)
Barcelona
http://www.laparadeta.com/eng/paradeta.htm
This was our favorite restaurant here in Sants. We ate here the night we arrived (Sunday). And one more time, when it reopened on Tuesday.
La Paradeta is a self-serve seafood restaurant chain here in Barcelona. You pick your items, which they will weigh before cooking. You get your drinks and pay at the window. Your receipt lists a number that they call out as your items come out of the kitchen. It's great that they stagger the items so you do not get too overwhelmed.
Fresh seafood on ice. There was a variety of shellfish (oysters, littleneck clams, razor clams, teeny weeny clams), baby squid and regular squid, shrimps and prawns, two types of fish. The lobsters were actually from the US. Everything is prepared simply, either fried, grilled or broiled.
We had some San Miguel while we waited for our number to be called. It tastes quite distinct from the Philippine brand; its a tad fruitier and smoother to drink. I think I'm in the minority because I like it more. It's definitely easier to drink than Estrella Damm, the other popular pale lager here.
House salad. The best part are the barbeque-flavored olives, which have a lot of umami.
Steamed mussels. These were sweet and superfresh.
Chipirones (fried baby squid) and little fried fish. The chipirones are ten times better than your usual fried calamari because the baby squid are more tender and cook up crunchy.
Clams in white wine and garlic. These babies were tiny but have immense flavor.
The other time we went, we also got to try the razor clams (not pictured), which were sweet and succulent. It was interesting that the only sides they had were rolls, no rice or any other grains. The focus is just on the seafood.
We noticed that La Paradeta was popular with families and groups of friends. There was quite a jolly atmosphere with everybody talking, drinking and digging into the piles of seafood.
No comments:
Post a Comment