Many of you know that in this blog I have a section called iLike. The idea of this section was simply to comment the stuff that I do not cook, and I like. Anyhow, in this case, I should create the section iHate, but with the main objevtice of not charging myself with any more bad vibrations, I wont.
The Cerveceria Catalana is a bar/restaurant in Carrer Mallorca in Barcelona, in the cross with Rambla de Cataluña. Ever since I arrived to Barcelona moreless three years ago, this bar has been a tapas and small dishes referrent. I have always promoted this bar as the best in the city when looking at the quality-price ratio, as they offered an excellent tapas selection, including the andalusian classic pescadito frito (deep-fried fish). (Please note the usage of the past tense in the last sentence). Moreover, a key element of this bar was its atmosphere. It was decorated as the tipical spanish bar, but with the walls covered with bottled beer from anywhere in the world. Patatas bravas (deep fried potato cubes with a medium spicy sauce) were so good! such good memories in this bar! so good the Timbal! (roasted vegetables covered with goat cheese).
However, last week, and with the excuse of having some friends visiting the city, I decided to taken them to have some good tapas. The first big surprise was from the decoration. Suddenly I noticed how the splendor and richness of an old bar left place for cheap-wood covered walls, abstract art paintings from Ikea (with all my respects to the swedish giant) and low lights reaching darkness. That lovely bar had became a modern-like restaurant taken out from 5th avenue. Confused from the environmental change, I tried to follow the tapas ritual ordering the big classics: 2 dishes of bravas, a timbal, bread with tomaro, 5 tenderloin tapas, and a dish of fried calamari.
The Cerveceria Catalana is a bar/restaurant in Carrer Mallorca in Barcelona, in the cross with Rambla de Cataluña. Ever since I arrived to Barcelona moreless three years ago, this bar has been a tapas and small dishes referrent. I have always promoted this bar as the best in the city when looking at the quality-price ratio, as they offered an excellent tapas selection, including the andalusian classic pescadito frito (deep-fried fish). (Please note the usage of the past tense in the last sentence). Moreover, a key element of this bar was its atmosphere. It was decorated as the tipical spanish bar, but with the walls covered with bottled beer from anywhere in the world. Patatas bravas (deep fried potato cubes with a medium spicy sauce) were so good! such good memories in this bar! so good the Timbal! (roasted vegetables covered with goat cheese).
However, last week, and with the excuse of having some friends visiting the city, I decided to taken them to have some good tapas. The first big surprise was from the decoration. Suddenly I noticed how the splendor and richness of an old bar left place for cheap-wood covered walls, abstract art paintings from Ikea (with all my respects to the swedish giant) and low lights reaching darkness. That lovely bar had became a modern-like restaurant taken out from 5th avenue. Confused from the environmental change, I tried to follow the tapas ritual ordering the big classics: 2 dishes of bravas, a timbal, bread with tomaro, 5 tenderloin tapas, and a dish of fried calamari.
This was my face right after the waiter throw at us a couple of dishes full of McDonalds style fries covered with some cheap half-spicy sauce while saying: "two bravas". So happy! So quietly we could see this guy walking away after condemning this sacred tapas dish. I felt totally offended for several reasons. All of a sudden my tapas Cathedral in Barcelona was demolished by dirty money (now that this place obtained a good reputation in Lonely Planet, they'll survive from this reputation lowering the quality of the dishes), and also making my friends have a bad impression of myself.
The rest of the dishes just confirmed what had just happened. The bread with tomate was poor. The calamari were fried hours ago, and the meat tapa was extremelly overcooked and tiny.
Summing up, the best tapas in Barcelona were found in here, but not anymore. The new marketing strategy of the company seems to be taking it to the cheap and low quality side. I hope no one else goes there with such high expectations as I had, and throw the money away as I did.
Bon profit, but somewhere else other than the Cerveceria Catalana.
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