Tuesday 23 July 2013

El Quim, La Boqueria, Barcelona.

We'd not been to Barcelona since our honeymoon nine years ago, so an early 'must do' on the list was El Quim in the central market just off the ramblas. I'd seen it on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and various other TV food shows, and more recently on the Hungry Hoss blog. I decided on breakfast, so we made our way there on the first day. It really is a riot of colour, noise and general activity when you enter the market. But we had no time to dither and take photos though, our friend Dr Gambas wanted her breakfast and she was getting desperate!



I quickly asked a local, and luckily we got there just before the rush. You take a stool at the little bar and order. It's amazing how they get about four staff in the tiny space making up food orders and not bumping into each other.


I'm not really a breakfast person to be honest, I like to think I make up for it later in the day though. So even though I pride myself on eating just about everything, I just couldn't face stuff like tripe or fish at that time in the morning!
After our excellent coffees and zumos, (proper squeezed orange juices,) we all went for the same thing, the house special; huevos con setas (eggs and mushrooms.)
The bread came, it was really good (it usually is in Spain, really crispy and crunchy). The mushrooms though were a disappointment to be honest, the champiñones themselves were pretty good, but they were absolutely swimming in oil and came in at a whopping €17. I thought this place was supposed to be cheap! The tortilla though was top-notch and had that real runny gooey element which the best ones have.
So I must be the only 'foodie' who was not totally blown away by El Quim, I thought it was quite good, but much more expensive than I'd imagined but I guess that's what happens when you become 'famous'. I suppose I had high expectations as well, and these were later met more successfully at a similar traditional tapas bar; Cal Pep.
I would probably return though and try some of the other things on the menu, or perhaps try their competitor in the market Pinotxo. We bought some smoothies from a nearby stall and went on our way down the ramblas.....

3 comments:

  1. 17 euros for some mushrooms?!?

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  2. Ouch! I echo that sentiment. Rare varieties or just success going to their head? The Spanish do like to be liberal with the oil as well I found - not that there's anything wrong with that.

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    1. I normally like loads of olive oil, but this was way too much!

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