Photo by Thomas Vilhelm
The other day I asked Josep Maria, one of the owners of La Cova Fumada, why they don’t have a sign outside with the name of the place. "Why should we," he answered. "People already know where it is."
Well, some people do. What Josep Maria probably meant to say was that the tiny family driven restaurant in the heart of Barcelona’s old fisherman quarter Barceloneta needs no publicity whatsoever. Once you have tried their fish and seafood-tapas you will always come back for more.
Photo by Thomas Vilhelm
That is if you can handle the rather chaotic and very Mediterranean atmosphere, off course. Shouting from both staff and mainly local clients is intense and the oily steam rising from pots and pans in the open kitchen gives an idea of how the restaurant got its name – la cova fumada means the smoky cavern.
Photo by Thomas Vilhelm
But all that just seems to underline the exquisite taste of the sardines fried with parsley and garlic. The best I have ever tried and believe me, I have consummated quite a few travelling throughout Spain and Portugal. The octopus (pulpo), the mackerel (barat) and the cod (bacalao) are other of my favourite dishes, and no lunch at La Cova should come to an end without a ‘pirata’, coffee-punch invented by Josep Maria and his family.
La Cova Fumada, c/ Baluart 56, Barceloneta. Tel. 93 221 40 61. Metro: Barceloneta.
Open Monday to Friday from 9 to 15.30. Thursdays and Fridays also from 18 to 20.30. Saturdays from 9 to 13.30.
GO FURTHER: Find out where in Lisbon Lucy and her friend go to eat sardines and spicy sausages. Click here.