At the start of our stay in Barcelona, we posted one or two pictures on Facebook. Almost immediately, one of Mel's foodie friends popped on to say that Cal Pep was by far one of her favorite restaurants in Spain. She is quite well-traveled and a talented cook, so we did not take that recommendation lightly and made it our mission to eat there at least once before leaving.
Mel's friend had warned that there would be a wait (but it would be worth it), so we got there about a half-hour before opening and stood at the door. At first we were the only ones around, and we started to wonder if we had been a little overzealous. But lo and behold, about 10 minutes before the door was set to open there were at least 30 people behind us. Some even started to hover closer to the door, so we got very NY very fast and stood like offensive linemen to guard our first place spot.
Once we got inside, we could see why people were so antsy to be toward the front. Unless you have a reservation for a table in the back (which you need at least 4 people to get), it's a first-come, first-served situation at a narrow bar that spreads around the entire cooking area.
Anyone without a seat just waits around for someone to leave and then hops in. So we picked a spot in the corner so we wouldn't have anyone hovering around us.
We had complete faith that everything on the menu would be fantastic, and we had already designated Cal Pep as our big splurge meal for the trip. So when our server asked if we just wanted to try a few different things he thought we'd like, we just said, "Sure!" It was quite exhilirating to have absolutely no idea what was going to be placed in front of us. And every bite exceeded our expectations.
pan con tomate (fresh bread with tomato spread, very popular in Spain)
fried calamari and sardines (puts all other fried calamari to complete shame)
the sardines were definitely DJ's favorite
crispy artichokes
clams with ham in a sauce so exquisite we nearly licked the plate
the freshest, most amazing tuna tartare we have ever encountered; drooling just thinking about it
monkfish so delectable it was as if it had been cooked 2 seconds after being caught
their trademark dessert
We knew pretty early on in this meal that Cal Pep would be one of our top food memories of all time. We wished we were staying in town longer so we could go every night. Thank you Cal Pep for being the perfect conclusion to a lovely few days in Barcelona!
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