Bodega 1900

Just across the street from the wonderful Tickets, Bodega 1900 is Albert Adrià’s take on the neighbourhood bodega with a nod to the traditional vermuteria giving locals the sense of a place to head to for a vermouth.

The menu seems relatively simple although there is plenty of variety in terms of the types of food offered. There is a section each for small bites, confits & pickles, pure breed sliced meats, cheeses, vegetables dishes, traditional bites and chargrilled meats. Similar to Tickets, the kitchen will design a course of tasting dishes so you get a sense of the menu. I opt to go it alone because there are a number of menu items that sound really tempting.

The atmosphere is totally relaxed. The soundtrack is all over the places with the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Suzi Quattro, Nirvana and Peggy Lee all putting in appearances amongst many others.

Despite no real sense of how big the dishes might be, it’s very easy to rattle off a list of bites that you want to go for and then sit back, relax and wait for them to arrive.

I probably should have ordered the house vermouth but decide instead to go for a very welcome Estrella beer. The dishes turn up as they’re prepared and first to arrive is a plate of vinegar fresh anchovies with olives. It looks gorgeous, smells gorgeous and is gorgeous. The mildly vinegary anchovies are relatively meaty and just superb. Crisp garlic slivers and parsley add vibrancy. Olives are not really my thing but are a nice accompaniment. An excellent start to the meal.

Much of the food is prepared on Bodega 1900 greaseproof paper on wooden boards. This allows the waiter’s a nice sleight of hand as the paper slides off the board to sit in front of you. The first dish to arrive like this is a generous portion of smoked mackerel with a dash of olive oil and salt crystals. The wonderfully tender mackerel has a light smoky hint that pairs superbly with the oily flesh. 

There’s no doubt that they know how to treat fish properly but there’s a lot of other tempting directions to go on the menu. Next to arrive is Bodega 1900’s take on tomato bread, the staple of restaurants throughout Barcelona. The combination of crunchy, fresh bread and the sweet, juicy tomato topping makes this one of the best versions I’ve had.

A portion of 5 years ham whips off its chopping board. The streaky slivers of meat bordered with fat hovering on liquid are pure luxury on the palate. The overall flavour of the buttery meat is glorious combining sweetness, nuttiness and a subtle hint of blue cheese.

First of the traditional bites to arrive is the Joselito, an Iberian ham croquette. The crisp exterior breaks to a wonderfully oozy filling that is stacked with flavour.

The Joselito is followed by the Duroc, a pork rib pie that combines a light pastry shell with a lovely herby pork filling.

The last of my dishes to arrive is the spicy squid “mollette”. Crusty roll with squid rings is topped with lemon, aioli and a spicy sauce. I’m concerned the squid might be overpowered by the stronger flavours but it comes through nicely so the overall taste is superb. The other highlight is the lemon that is a really nice accent on the whole dish.

After seven dishes, I should think about dessert or more reasonably call it a day. But where’s the fun in that? I ask for the menu again and there’s at least a couple more items I have to go for. First up is a portion of homemade potato chips with vermouth sauce. The huge crisps are very light in texture and the sauce is sprinkled on at the table.

Last but not least is my chargrilled option. The half portion of roasted Bresse quail is a great way to finish the savoury courses. It’s served alone but the meat has wonderful flavour enhanced by the subtle spicing on its skin.

The dessert portions I see going past the table are not small so I pass and instead ask for my bill. It’s accompanied a small shot of paxtaran, a traditional Catalan sloe-based liqueur. It’s the perfect final touch to a really satisfying meal. 

There is nothing particularly innovative on the menu but every dish is treated with care and there isn’t a bum note throughout. Given my choice I’d rather go to Tickets but Bodega 1900 is a very satisfactory back up if you can’t get a reservation. Looks like I’ll be back to Albert Adrià’s places in future Barcelona visits

Overall rating – 4/5

Date visited - 21-Nov-14