A group of us decided to meet on Wyndham and pick a destination for a last minute birthday celebration. We were in the mood to try something new so we decided to give Boqueria a shot... the hostess told us it going to be a half an hour wait, shes made ome room for us at the bar (although not enough room) and bought a round complimentary Cava Sangria on the house. And we are off to a great start...
After about forty five minutes we still had no table, so we ask the hostesses again and were told it was going to be another 15 minutes. This is one of my pet peeves about restaurants. Give guests an accurate waiting time!
Once we were seated, we got a full view of the restaurant. I must say the place is very beautifully designed - low hanging lamps, dim lighting, Spanish tiles, a lot of vegetables and fruits on display. You really feel transported to one of the beautiful Barcelona tapas bar. The vibe on a Friday night was buzzy. A lot of people out looking to have a good time.
The maitre'd Ana explained the menu to us. Boqueria has traditional tapas and then they keep changing their market menu weekly depending on what is in season. The specials menu was highly recommended so we decided to focus mostly on that:
1) Chorizo in red wine: Simple yet divine. We decied to order another plate.
2) Prawns in garlic sauce: This is a very traditional tapa. The prawns tasted fresh. The dish could have used less salt though.
3) Fried manchego: So rich and flavourful. Deep frying food often kills the flavour but on this dish we could still taste all the elements
4) Grilled Iberico Pork Ribs: This dish arrives flaming at the table so watch out! The ribs tasted good but then it is very hard to mess up ribs.
5) Bombas: The wagyu and beef and potatoe croquettes were sublime. Great recommendation by our server. The croquette blended really well with the spicy aioli sauce that was served with the potatoes.
Overall, it was a good experience although a bit pricey but then again you pay for the vibe and ambiance as well. Will return!
