Area : Sant Pere - Santa Caterina i la Ribera
Tel. : 933 102 768
Price : more than 40 €
Web site
TripAdvisor : 4.5/5 rank 7 / 4333 55 reviews
Yelp : 3.5/5 2 reviews Qype : 3/5 1 review
Tucked in a side street next to La Estacion de Francia, you would pass by this place and not even give it a second thought. A very good friend of mine, whom I trust completely when it comes to food and restaurants, told me that this was a pretty spectacular place.
If you like cod, this is the place to go. Barcelona is a city that adores its cod. You can find it in so many different ways, from fritters to salads, to croquetas and then more than 20 main dishes. Stuffed with foie, “a la llauna” which loosely translates in the can, but that just means it’s braised in sauce in an earthenware dish, al pil pil….the list goes on. La Estrella had about 6 different dishes paying homage to this humble yet delicious fish.
This is an absolute “must go” restaurant in Barcelona. Service, food and wine all impeccable. Go with an empty stomach, you won’t want to leave a thing on your plate!
Barcelona-metropolitan
This family business has gone through many faces: it was once a bakery, then it became an inn. But when Jordi and his wife Pepi took over they turned it into a restaurant that delicately balances the demands of both traditional and modern tastes.
For instance, our starter of prawn salad may not sound particularly traditionally Catalan—and it wasn’t. It had a good mix of leaves, from radicchio to rocket via lollos and lamb’s lettuce. There wasn’t a shredded carrot or hard-boiled egg in sight. Still, the concept is traditional as a standard modern bistro staple.
But Pepi, who’s in charge of the cooking, seems to be a woman who likes to do things differently. In this case, ‘differently’ means the addition of tendrils of deep-fried ‘sea spaghetti’. This added a welcome dash of salty savouriness, but the seaweed’s glutinous qualities meant their initial crisp crunch gave way to a tooth-clogging chewiness. Those with dentures may be advised to stick to the plump and tender prawns.
The salad had been one of the ‘specials’ that Jordi ‘sings’ (as they say in Spanish) to the customers at the table. His explanations are so intricate and appetite-whetting they leave diners drooling but dithering over what to order. The extra dishes add needed variety to the regular menu, which is heavy on the bacalao. There’s cod with honey, samfaina, mushrooms… you name it. If you’re a cod-lover, La Estrella’s reputation makes ordering it here a safe bet.
You need to watch out when dining at La Estrella: their dishes do lean towards the rich and filling, and you really want to leave room for pudding. If you’re at all of a limited appetite it might be best to stick to salad so you can manage their tiramisu or their ‘six textures of chocolate’, both of which are infamous among Barcelona’s dessert aficionados. The chocolate coulant and tarte tatin also have their fans. But what has really got the gourmets talking is Pepi’s range of homemade ice creams and sorbets, with radical flavours such as wasabi, goat’s cheese, violets or cactus.
La Estrella’s position, tucked away behind Passeig de Colom, has the air of a well-kept secret. And the secret of its success is respect: Jordi is attentive and respectful to all and exudes a passion for his job that’s infectious. Pepi shows great respect for her ingredients, and the prices are respectful of the customer’s pocket.
