Fonda Pepa - Humble Magic

Gracia

Apr 10

Written By Maria

Fonda Pepa is a humble gastro bar in Gracia, and it checks all the boxes. It is, in fact, one of my favorite restaurants in Barcelona.

Fonda Pepa Barcelona — *Fonda Pepa, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.*

The owners, two talented chefs, Pedro and Francisco, took over a bar called Cal Robert and made it their own. The place is relatively small, but the leafy patio in the back adds space. The decoration is simple, but I like the little vintage details and even the cool napkins.

Come here for a casual dinner, or a tasty lunch with dishes that change frequently: you’ll be served delicious creations that won’t disappoint you. Come with a friend so that you can try different dishes. Pick between Catalan classics, a few Latin-American surprises, fresh seafood, and more. The open kitchen sports a Josper oven, and magic happens in there.

On our first visit, we opted for the lunch menu and were surprised with an appetizer: a creamy cod buñuelo. For starters, we shared small seasonal mussels in a wonderful tarragon sauce (if you’re a fan of béarnaise sauce, then you know how delicious this was) and a beautiful Catalan-style pâté de campagne with a mustard sauce.

The mains were equally impressive: albacore tuna prepared in the Josper and tacos packed with crispy meat, frijoles, and pickled onion. Both dishes left us speechless.

I rarely find dessert menus particularly exciting, but Fonda Pepa proved me wrong. We had a lovely orange-infused chocolate mousse with tangerine, and the winner was a flan. I did not expect to be surprised by a flan, and this year it has happened to me twice! The flan at Fonda Pepa was made with gorgonzola cheese and thyme, and it was magical.

Since our first visit we have passed through Fonda Pepa on many occasions, and it just keeps getting better, so much so that it is one of my favorite restaurants in Barcelona. Across the street they now have a shop called Cansaladeria Pedro Paco, where you can find some of the ingredients they use in their kitchen, and also takeaway dishes.

Fonda Pepa, Carrer de Tordera, 58, 08012 Barcelona (Gracia).

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