23-10-2018

Dos Pebrots, the restaurant that sums up millennia of Mediterranean cuisine

In Barcelona, a visit to Albert Raurich’s latest project. According to Albert Adrià, it’s the most interesting establishment in town

The entrance to Dos Pebrots, Albert Raurich’s

The entrance to Dos PebrotsAlbert Raurich’s latest adventure in Barcelona (photo by Philippe Regol)

After a decade successfully spent at Dos Palillos, in the past few months Albert Raurich developed a new gastronomic concept: Dos Pebrots. The dishes are based on the history and landscape of Mediterranean cuisine, from the Romans and Marcus Gavius Apicius’s cookbooks, to current Catalan cuisine, including Medieval recipes and a few influences from Maghreb.

Raurich was for many years the chef at el Bulli and he’s already proven that he knows how to interpret Asian cuisine from a modern and creative perspective. He now shows how to update millennial Catalan cuisine and local popular cuisines. Salting, preserving in vinegar, fermentation, scapece, Pre-Columbian gazpacho, home-made anchovy garum and authentic alioli, made in a way impossible to find elsewhere in Barcelona, are just some of the examples of this work of modern revindication of our past. 

The menu briefly explains the history of every recipe, but Albert is aware that clients expect of him excellence and succulence above all, not just ethnographic discussions or storytelling.

To the left, Borja García, Albert Raurich’s Basque chef 

To the left, Borja GarcíaAlbert Raurich’s Basque chef 

Pine nut tortilla 

Pine nut tortilla 

Indeed, we can guarantee that the food at Dos Pebrots is fun, interesting and tasty. A Basque chef from Vitoria, Borja García, is in charge of creating every dish and directing the kitchen. He’s worked in the kitchen at EtxebarriNoma and with Seiji Yamamoto at Ryugin, in Japan. He’s learnt from each experience, always preserving a unique personality. He dominates the grill, enhances the flavours of each product and never uses instruments or techniques just for the sake of using them. He goes straight to the essence.

The simple Potatoes with grilled onions, seasoned with anchovy colutura are worth trying.  Or the lovely arroz de pescado, rice with fish or salted cod tripe (perfectly cooked) with the famous alioli, so solid that you can cut it with a knife! And then tortilla made on the spot, in front of the client; an intriguing Andalusian version of tortilla de camarones, with prawns. In the summer, you must try the fantastic Cold soup of cucumber, melon, ginger and mint. The Tortilla with pine nuts or the Turbot fricassee are both excellent. The pork chop or the Grilled pigeon are a must.

Among the desserts, the Olive oil and lemon sorbet is fantastic, and the Tocinillo del cielo withchantilly aromatised with Jerez is unique. The Crema Catalana with ginger is also excellent. The wine list includes many natural wines, with low alcohol. There are some very nice vins de soif, to use the French term.

Fruit marinated with herbs and liqueurs 

Fruit marinated with herbs and liqueurs 

The pantry with vegetables preserved in oil

The pantry with vegetables preserved in oil

According to Albert AdriàDos Pebrots is, without any doubt, one of the most interesting restaurants in Barcelona. For sure, it’s one of our favourites. Interesting fact: it’s open on Sundays, both at lunchtime and in the evening.

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso

Dos Pebrots
Carrer Doctor Dou, 19
Barcelona​, Spain 
+34.938539598
amb@dospebrots.com
Average prices, not including wines: 50 euros
Closed on Monday and Tuesday 


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by

Philippe Regol

A French graduate in Spanish Philology, for 40 years now he’s been living in Barcelona and for 20 he’s been a cook. A lover of gastronomy, he now livens up the Observación Gastronómica 2 blog 

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