The entire Solà family opens its restaurant on Carrer Sepúlveda, its ‘Bodega’, With all the excitement of the first day. It’s an excitement that is particularly praiseworthy, because it’s not exactly the first day they are opening but more like the 20,000th (they’ve been open more than 60 years). The secret? A strong, incurable addiction to making their guests happy.
Surely we’re not introducing you to the Bodega Sepúlveda for the first time. After being open so many years, with so many satisfied clients recommending it to their friends, and keeping in mind that this restaurant is already a gourmet heritage site, you have most likely been here already. And actually, people don’t go to Sepúlveda to eat but to get happy.
Just emerging from a slight “restyling”, the venue continues to give off the classic bodega vibe from the 1950s, creating an atmosphere that is a far cry from sophisticated and modern and closer to the restaurant we have in mind when we’re dying for a satisfying meal. Tables with tablecloths and totally friendly, personalised service complete the x-ray of this lively venue with a large, loyal following.
So let’s eat! For appetisers, we sample “Fresh anchovies with olives” and an apparently simple “Tomato salad with spicy tuna”. We continue with the dish that everyone who tastes it tries to replicate at home: “Courgette carpaccio with smoked cod, shredded cod and parmesan shavings”. Only Sònia Solà knows how to execute this recipe perfectly: you simply can’t miss this dish if you go. The last appetisers are “Wild mushroom carpaccio (not too many wild mushrooms this year) with flavourful, refreshing pomegranate” and “Croquettes of stewed meat and txangurro", which are fried to perfection and will not let you down!
Tomato salad with spicy tuna
Courgette carpaccio with smoked cod, shredded cod and parmesan shavings
Wild mushroom carpaccio
Croquettes made of stew meat and txangurro
We’re starting to leave stains on the tablecloths (it’s impossible not to!). Perfect “Meatballs with wild mushrooms” are brought to the table, a mythical dish here and perhaps one of the best and most representative ones. We’re still dunking our bread in the meatball sauce when another mythical dish from this restaurant appears: “Chickpeas with butifarra sausageS”, with a capital “S” to show that it’s plural, because the family uses a broad (and secret) assortment of them to give the dish unique aromatic nuances. With the tablecloth now full of stains, we continue with the “Tripe” made personally by Mrs Solà. There’s not enough bread in the world for it. Finally comes the laborious, delicious to gobble up “Rack of baby lamb ribs with garlic sauce”, which we eat like famished carnivores in the middle of nature: with our fingers.
Meatballs with wild mushrooms
Chickpeas with butifarra sausages
Tripe
Rack of baby lamb ribs with garlic sauce
All of this comes with whatever wine you like, which should come as no surprise since this food/meal has many pretenders, wine-wise. Just any wine isn’t good enough to pair with such powerful flavours. Finally, the desserts are by their friend and master pastry chef Cristian Escribà, so if you leave room for sweets you won’t be disappointed.
Petit fours
Bodega Sepúlveda has gone through waves of culinary fads without budging; it watches clients come back again and again. It’s a place that has always been successful, and which is still successful today, but they wear this mantle with a humility that brings them closer to their customers, who are enamoured of the food, the service and the authenticity. If you haven’t been there yet, please pick up a spoon and savour happiness. A sure hit!
| Score | ||
|---|---|---|
| Food | Wines | |
| 69 | 75 | |
| Service | Venue | |
| 70 | 62 | |
| Price | Miguelín Stars | |
| 35€ |  |
|
| Per person: 2/3 appetisers to share +1 main course +1 dessert +1 glass of wine | ||
Where is Bodega Sepúlveda?
Address: Carrer de Sepúlveda, 173, 08011 Barcelona
Telephone: 933 23 59 44
Timetable: Monday to Friday 1:30 to 2:30 pm and 8 pm to midnight; Saturday 8 pm to 1 am; Closed Sunday
Website: http://www.bodegasepulveda.net/