Catalan Cuisine

Catalan Cuisine is one of the world’s most overlooked culinary treasures, and perhaps one of the most ancient, with the world’s first recorded cookbook coming from the region. With influences over the centuries (going back thousands of years) form the Moors, Romans, Greeks and Phoenicians, Catalan cuisine is itself a fusion of distinct styles, all based on the abundant produce from the Mediterranean sea and the land and mountains south east of the Pyrenees.

Catalan Cuisine is characterised by simple presentation of beautiful and fresh ingredients; from Pa amb Tomaquet (crusty bread rubbed with garlic, fresh tomato and drizzled with olive oil) to dishes such as Botifarra amb Mongetes (Catalan sausage with beans), Esquexada (salt cod salad), Sarsuela (fish stew, literally ‘little opera’ in a bowl with the wonderful blend of ingredients, colours and flavours) and the blending of sea-food and meat (Mar I Muntana), with classic dishes such as pigs trotters stuffed with prawns, or roasted peppers with minced squid and pork.

In particular, the modern cuisine of Catalunya is characterised by its innovation and inventiveness. Home to some of the very best restaurants and chefs in the world, modern Catalan cooking is pushing the boundaries out and in a continual state of evolution.

The Catalan lands stretch as far south as Alicante, and include the Balearic Islands, the South of France and even Sardinia. Our own take on Catalan food, is based on the notion of fusion, mixing Catalan and Spanish dishes and ingredients with ingredients and dishes from the UK (and vice versa) producing such signature dishes as tortilla de scouse, Catalan spiced potted Southport Bay shrimp, scouse with morcilla and chorizo and croquetas with oxtail and horseradish mousse.  We’re not slaves to tradition, merely fallen under the spell of the fabulous food and drink we have enjoyed in Catalunya and the whole of Spain. This is our take on classics and modern dishes, many of which you will see in the best restaurants and bars in Barcelona – with our own personality stamped on them.

Catalunya is a land rich in vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, cheeses and wines. Even for those people who are real foodies, there is still a lot of mystery about Catalan cuisine. Our advice is not to get bogged down with labels or definitions, instead enjoy some stunning ingredients and dishes in our contemporary and chic restaurant and deli.