The name chosen for the restaurant, Tragaldabas ---an adjective that defines a person who eats excessively--- is heir to Tragaldabas Clandestino, the previous project of the owner couple, which consisted of holding secret dinners in an art gallery in L'Hospitalet. Their clandestine stage proved to be very successful, with an almost daily rhythm of events that encouraged them to open their own restaurant in Barcelona.
Pablo Romero and Alejandra Fontanals they tried to inaugurate Tragaldabas in early 2020, but the outbreak of the pandemic brought their aspirations to a screeching halt, postponing sine die the reopening of the premises to the public and straining the couple's ability to adapt to the new reality. But thanks to the support of friends and family, they were able to weather the storm and, in late 2021, they were able to raise the shutter again. On Tragaldabas' menu, traditional dishes coexist (black rice with morralets, duck cannelloni with truffled béchamel, boneless suckling pig or confit cod with beans), seasonal produce (white asparagus, morels, fried piparras) and references to a more travel-inspired cuisine (shrimp and scallop tacos, the mole that accompanies the suckling pig terrine, or their big hit: the octopus and kimchi salad); demonstrating the variety of registers that chef Pablo Romero is capable of deploying behind the stoves.Romero, who worked in England alongside Jamie Oliverand in Australia under the command of Neil Perry; he states that his is an "honest and product-driven" cuisine, in which tradition weighs more than creativity. Regarding his gastronomic mentors, Romero remembers the names of Santi Santamaria and Jean-Louis Neichel.Beyond labels, in Tragaldabas some dishes of such visceral pleasure are served as the salmon tartare with sea urchin: the reddish flesh of the echinoderm lubricates and inflames the pink dice of the fish in an impudent duel of unctuousness. Seafood products like these arrive at Tragaldabas directly from La Medusa, one of the most notable stalls of theMercat del Ninot. Romero is a regular customer of Ninot, and mentions Bacalalo (salted fish) and Lluís Macià (selected fruits and vegetables) as other sources of inspiration in his visits to the neighboring market.
With an average ticket of about €40 per person, Tragaldabas offers great value for money through a gastronomic project that broadens the field of traditional and product-based cuisine with successful and stimulating travel incursions.
Add The New Barcelona Post as your preferred Google source for free
Stay informed with the latest news.
