El Melic del Gòtic

Charcoal flavor in the heart of barcelona

El Melic del Gòtic (the navel of the Gothic) is a name that is quite in agreement with the location of the restaurant that is located between the narrow streets of the Gothic district of Barcelona.

We find a rustic appearance and decoration together with the local, reminiscent of a farmhouse. Before, it was a monastery, Montsió. Now, a part of these walls that still have original stones are the home of this classic restaurant.

It is located in the highest part of the neighborhood and is frequented both by local people who will eat their daily menu as well as by tourists. We talk of a restaurant that offers typical Catalan cuisine cooked to the ember. In fact, charcoal ember is its specialty. Focused especially on meats, something that is immediately appreciated when reading your menu. In it we will see that there is no fish. That does not mean that they don’t include it in their daily menu, along with other more varied dishes so that the offer is wider.

On our visit, we were able to try that menu. You can choose between 3 first, 4 main, and 3 desserts. In the main, you usually find a meat from the charcoal a la carte. We chose a salad of tender buds with seafood and citrus vinaigrette as entree, quite correct. As a second, we could not resist choosing their specialty. We decided on the entree of veal grilled with parmentier. In this case the parmentier could be changed for a pumpkin puree, thus taking advantage of the seasonal product. As a dessert, we chose a yogurt with strawberry jam, although one made with honey from flowers was also a strong candidate. The food in general was correct, but as the salad and dessert were more usual, the entree was remarkable. A good charcoal flavor, well made and a really generous portion.

El Melic del Gòtic is a place in the center that we advise you to visit if you want to move away from the newest or most modern cuisine and are looking for something more authentic. As much for its surroundings as for its food, it is a clear simple example of what characterizes the Catalan ember with a good selection of meats of first quality.

The menu is served from Monday to Friday from 13 to 16 hours, at a price of 12 Euros. Outside that time, you can always eat a la carte,  the kitchen is non stop. In addition, the house wine is from its own vineyard, Ferrer i Catasús, from Penedès.

Luisa Ramos from bacoyboca.com