El Quim de la Boqueria – happy tummies since 1987

El Quim, headed by its namesake, a local Catalan chef, is something of an institution in Barcelona. I never went there because the mere thought of wading through hordes of guiri tourists at the Boqueria was enough to make me pass, but since I was with visitors (but not guiri tourists) I took the plunge. The place is set right in the centre of the market with hundreds of people around and getting a seat is pure luck, since it’s one of the typical Barcelona “market stall” eateries with just some chairs around a kitchen, and butchers and bakers and candlestick makers all about. But, alas, luck was with us and we popped into three seats and listo. Ok, I lie, there are no candlestick makers in the Boqueria, or maybe there are, it’s a big place. Biggest market in Spain they say.
Service is good, despite the fact that there are at least ten people working in a space smaller than the kitchen in my flat and the heat must be tremendous, especially in september in Barcelona. El Quim offers a small, decent wine list, one of my issues with restaurants here is crappy wine lists in Catalonia, where we have some of the best wine on the planet… but in any case the three of us were kind of hungover so just water this time! Ah yes els primers plats: we started off with some classic patates braves, which were just perfect, not too hard, not too soft, with the sauces home made. Also some asparagus wrapped in ham, cooked properly, just a little firm, and a remenat of various mushrooms in Port wine which was amazing and gone in about three minutes.

Then onto the main course – garlic shrimp, good and fresh (I would expect so since this is in a market) and another plate of bolets (mushrooms) with egg and foie, which just went over the top. Delicious. We finished off this outing with some stunningly good and fresh seitons (anchovies) in vinegar with olives and were far too stuffed for dessert. A shame because the desserts looked well worth the while.

En fi, a really top notch place, if you have the good fortune to be able to eat there. No reservations possible, my best advice is to show up at odd hours or hover behind people who are finishing up and paying. When you enter the market from les Rambles, walk straight back on the centre passage about twenty metres to find it. I’d like to add that this place is quite vegetarian and vegan do-able, there are many options available for your animal free dining pleasure.

EL QUIM DE LA BOQUERIA
Where: Parades 584-585-606-607-608-609, Mercat de La Boqueria
Rambla, 91 – metro: Liceu [L3]
Tuesday to thursday: 7 am – 4 pm. Friday and saturday: 7 am – 5 pm. Closed monday, sunday and holidays.
El Quim de la Boqueria

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