In recent years, the upper area of Barcelona competes with the Eixample district in gastronomic novelties. They do not seek the tourist public, but the loyalty of Barcelona residents, so the proposals usually offer quality and non-exorbitant prices. Today we present two young establishments that deserve a visit and tasting. The first, The Lot, incorporated a unique Sea Cocktail Bar in November and dares with an extra-long schedule to offer breakfasts, lunches with an executive menu, and more elaborate dishes for dinner. The second, Dos Cucharas, has already managed to take root and showcase a young but spirited cuisine far beyond the Via Augusta neighborhood.
The Lot: a brave and creative experience
At first glance, it looks more like a cocktail bar or music bar than a restaurant. It can be a handicap, but also an attraction if someone is looking for a different, modern atmosphere for dinner, with neon lights and defined by the prominence of the bottles that decorate it.But The Lot (Santaló, 103) is a multi-layered universe, which starts operating in the mornings and mutates as the hours of the day pass. It is endorsed by chef Alejandro Sanahuja, who already showed talent at O'Peregrino and here exhibits Mediterranean cuisine in an urban and contemporary setting in his own place.
This somewhat cold but very versatile interior design covers everything from conventional service to 'take away', with dishes that surprise in this somewhat transgressive environment in the area. The place works especially well for events and groups, due to its structure. Sanahuja has conceived it as a place to eat well and stay for a drink or enjoy the evening.
Gastronomically, the long day starts (on weekdays at 9:00 am) with breakfasts as powerful as your appetite demands, from tuna, avocado and arugula toasts to truffled bikini, to the rhythm of natural juices and coffees. At midday, the restaurant offers a weekly executive menu, which combines fresh produce and creative doses, which we have not yet had the opportunity to try.
But at night, the menu allows you to explore proposals that oscillate between sea and land, where the product shows quality and technique, with many textures, careful presentation and surprising prices on some dishes.
The night can start with oysters, from the natural version (excellent, at 3.8 euros) to elaborations such as the Japo (fried with panko, soy sauce and ginger) or the Lot (daring, with gratinéed soy mayonnaise and honey, bee pollen and orange pulp), not suitable for purists, among others.
Among the starters, there are classic, well-executed dishes such as ensaladilla (classic but with prawns), croquettes or the house's bravas. But we highly recommend their Pulpo y Tierra (with parmentier and paprika, 9.5 euros), in thin slices, delicate, tender and juicy. Also the delicious low-temperature Duck Gyozas (with hoisin sauce, sesame and Chinese onion), served with hane or crispy crust.
The house also highlights options such as the Tropical Prawn Carpaccio, and the Scallop Miniburger, among others.
Sea bites and sips
Del Sea it's hard to choose, from a repertoire that ranges from the Cod Brandade Cannelloni with béchamel and red prawn demi-glace, to theRibeye of the Sea, of tuna belly and caramelized cabbage; or the Green Lobster Risotto with squid. Due to the quality of the tuna and its treatment, we highlight theTuna Tataki with yellow chili mayonnaise, wakame and pickled red onion, which fills this dish, omnipresent in many restaurants but rarely with this intensity, with contrasts.And we especially applaud the vibrant Sea Bass Nikkei Tiradito, with avocado, Chinese onion and toasted peanuts. Full of flavor, but allowing the protagonist fish to shine.
In the Land section, there are plenty of options for carnivores, such as the Low-temperature Suckling Pig, accompanied by sweet potato cream and candied pipes, the matured T-bone steak or the Steak Tartare with smoked butter, among others.
There are only four desserts to choose from, but they are well executed. Their Brioche French toast with red fruit vinaigrette, white chocolate and caramel and salted butter ice cream never fails. But there are also lighter options, such as a Lemon sorbet with cava and candied ginger.
For eating at home, they have an unusual burger menu: from the Premium beef burger to the yellowfin tuna burger, or the breaded grilled shrimp burger.
At the venue, the gastroexperience cannot be complete without an incursion into La Coctelería del Mar, with the motto "the ocean in a glass". Whether to whet your appetite, or to end the night, as the venue, although open daily, closes at 2:00 AM from Tuesday to Friday, and at 3:00 AM on Saturdays. The sophisticated proposal of mixologist Alessandro Calvo is inspired by marine flavors and textures: citrus, marine botanicals, soft smokes or saline essences define it.
Sanahuja wanted the sea not only to be eaten but "also drunk", adding spectacular presentations, with suggestive glasses and cups that evoke the seabed, and the necessary explanation from the barman to assimilate all the technique they hide.
Home-style cooking at Dos Cucharas
Sant Cugat was the takeoff strip for the chef and entrepreneur Marcos Pujadas in 2019, when he burst onto the scene with his classic, warm, and well-crafted cuisine, challenging the 'tapas boom' with his firstTwo Spoons, which evoked that moment of sharing a dish. So naturally, but again risking everything, he dared to jump to Via Augusta, 201 in Barcelona in 2023 with the same idea and an even higher bar.
The spacious premises had been home to DOP Barcelona and other previous ventures. It was not easy territory, on a busy but unfriendly street, despite being in the heart of Sant Gervasi. But the market, homemade, local, traditional and solid cuisine, together with the spark of the place, comfortable and capable of sheltering families but also being intimate, took hold in the neighborhood.
On the one hand, with a very solid lunch menu proposal at 26.95 euros. And on the other, with a menu where you can share or hedonistically enjoy your favorite dish, which can vary throughout the year because the inspiration is marked by seasonal produce.
As a wardrobe (or pantry) staple, there is no shortage here of Russian salad, homemade croquettes, quality bravas, their bikini with Angus jerky, Andalusian-style baby squid…. In the Con dos dedos repertoire, more daring options appear such as the Bao bun with Iberian jowl and caramelized onion in dark beer, or the Brioche with red tuna in tartar, a daring combination of lime and white chocolate.
In general, the chef approaches the starters tempting the palate, evoking traditional flavors with some surprising touch, but without a revolutionary aim. He says he prefers to excite and associate each bite with moments to remember, with pleasant sensations associated with the kitchen. In this chapter he proposes everything from homemade duck Foiegras to Eggplant with sage yogurt and seeds. The roasted Leeks with buffalo stracciatella, crunchy hazelnut praline and basil, ideal for whetting the appetite, get a good score.
Among the pastas and rice dishes, creamy rice dishes, dry rice dishes and even noodle casseroles are prepared, although one of the 'hits' from the very beginning has been the Pularda cannelloni with foie sauce and seasonal mushrooms, intense and easy to share.
The deck of main courses is extensive in meats and fish. It ranges from Chateaubriand of beef for two to a generous Milanese with a low-temperature egg and truffle, without missing several red meat options, such as a Frisian cow Tomahawk or a Portuguese Turina cow Rib, among others.
In the sea section, there are always fresh monkfish, turbot, or hake, as well as market fish baked or grilled, as a lighter version. But the menu surprises with its more gourmet section, with different preparations with caviar, and a small selection of seafood, from oysters to lobster, to feel like you're on the front line of the sea.
The sweet ending makes the choice difficult, with a standout creamy Flan with Bourbon vanilla, and their already famous Cheesecake with red berries. But if one aspires to their star desserts, which require long preparation, they must notify when ordering the rest of the dishes. Like their Soufflé with orange and vanilla ice cream (half an hour) or the elaborate Torradeta de Santa Teresa.
A selection of a hundred well-chosen wines tops off the feast, with a very variable average ticket, since the dishes cover wide price ranges, although it is common to exceed 60 euros à la carte.
Add The New Barcelona Post as your preferred Google source for free
Stay informed with the latest news.