Away Day Review #6 - El Jardí de l'Abadessa, Barcelona

CUISINE

The main attraction of El Jardï is told in the name itself, the garden. Set in the ‘exclusive neighbourhood of Pedrables’, this tranquil spot offers relief away from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona’s centre. The menu offers the classic Catalonian specialties, as well as a selection of main dishes. You can enjoy a meal in the Inner Room, Garden Terrace or the Cocktail Area.

MY SCRAN CHOICE

As we were in a group of around 10 of us, sharing plates was the order of the day. We ordered a vast array of traditional Spanish dishes.

PLATE 1

‘Coca Bread with Tomato’

A Spanish staple: simple but effective. It’s always a nice start to tapas by tucking into some tomato-smothered bread.

PLATE 2

‘Croquetes de Pemil Ibèric and Ceps’

These croquetes were slightly underwhelming, but I suppose once you have tried out Bar Cañete’s, your expectations will have risen. They were still enjoyable though and perfect on a hangover.

PLATE 3

‘200g Burrata on a Bed of Roasted Aubergine and Sundried Tomato, Anchovies and Pistachio Pesto’

Again, I felt somewhat disappointed with this burrata. The olives and tomatoes felt scattered around the plate and there was no real unison with the rocket and pistachio pesto. The dish felt a little dry, but the next dish certainly went some way to counter this…

PLATE 4

‘Patatas Bravas by Jardí Abadessa with Homemade Aioli and 5-Pepper Oil’

Patatas bravas in Spain are something else… The sauce complemented the crispy potatoes to good effect. You can’t have tapas without patatas bravas.

PLATE 5

‘Bellota Ham’

The meat is always excellently sourced in tapas-focused restaurants. The thinly cut ham worked well in unison with the burrata and/or the coca bread.

PLATE 6

‘Fried Baby Squid with Free-Range Egg’

The calamari was delightfully crunchy and enjoyable, but I felt the addition of the egg was a peculiar idea and felt a little out of place on the dish. I would have preferred a creative dip for the fried squid.

REFRESHMENTS

‘A bottle of Torre del Veguer 2019’

The wine was very nice and worked well alongside the tapas during lunch-time.

THE FEE

The fee was reasonable as we did not over-order, which could have occurred, especially as there were ten of us. However, I felt part of the price was due to the pricey neighbourhood and atmosphere and less associated with the food.

THE REVIEW

Overall, it was a lovely lunch out, as the atmosphere and spacious setting makes it perfect for a group meal. Away from the chaos of Barcelona’s centre, you’ll feel at peace tucking into tapas. Some of the dishes were a little disappointing, but the restaurant’s general ‘vibe’ outweighed the food’s quality in regard to my lasting feeling.

Room for Improvement?

I would certainly look to improve the creativity of some of the dishes, most notably the calamari and the burrata, as well as their presentation. On the whole though, it is a delightful location for a restaurant and so a bit of fine tuning would give it an extra wow factor.

THE EYE TEST

THE TASTE TEST

SERVICE

ATMOSPHERE

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

- PATATAS BRAVAS -

FINAL MATCH RATING

LOCATION

Address: El Jardí de l’Abadessa, Carrer de l'Abadessa Olzet, 26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain

Website: https://www.jardiabadessa.com/