Three New Restaurants To Try around Turo Park

Three New Restaurants To Try around Turo Park: Bar Remedios, Bar Bocata and Bar Milagros

I’ve been to three vaguely similar new places in the last few months: Bar Bocata, Bar Remedios and Bar Milagros. Two hug the Turo Park side of Diagonal, while Remdios is on the bottom lip of Diagonal. This speaks to what to expect from the clientele – namely local. While the young flip-flopped, glute-exposing tourists mostly choke the meandering streets of the Gothic, Raval, Born and Barceloneta. Around the Paseo de Gracia, visitors upgrade to sandals. Turo Park mostly remains a Bermuda triangle of sorts and a good number of visitors don’t find their way up to these three restaurants, spread smartly amongst the Zara Home or the Habitat. (Colmado Wilmot which opened in 2023 and which I wrote about here is similar to these and may have well served as inspiration for Bar Milagros)

As a result, Bar Bocata with its punk red neon and mock spray-painted old newsprint bathrooms appeals to a younger local bunch. Salmorejo in a small tubular glass not a bowl sort of thing. Bar Remedios leads with its corner spot and wrap-around glass windows, clients perched like birds in an aviary on high bar tables clustered in the middle. Meanwhile, Bar Milagros leans into the Gervasi vibe with tablecloths and pretty green wireless lamps on each table, a stern bald older gentleman in a navy blue suit consults a large tome to check reservations even though Milagros has only been opened a few days.

All three places have done away with any notion of fusion or other influences. We are firmly, and safely in Catalan and Spanish territory. I’ve maintained the position that even mediocre Spanish fare is good. Croquetas in all their variations, gazpacho is equally delicious out of a tetra pack and certainly, once it has been decanted into a bowl, bravas, rice, a stew of entrails. Apply some thoughtfulness, seasonality and sourcing and yes – even better. I don’t know when it happened but burrata with peeled tomatoes and pesto is as ubiquitous as a Gilda (11.50€ at Bar Remedios). The tartar de tomate (8€ at Bar Milagros) where the partially dehydrated tomato takes on the texture of beef first came onto my radar at Maleducat but it’s becoming a regular feature around the city.

The new wave of locals opening are going from strength to strength with their interior design. Ten years ago it was enough to throw up a scattering of exposed filament LED bulbs and hope for the best. It seems that these days restaurants have cottoned on that better interior design means adding a couple of euros to that ensalada rusa. And the interior investment will amortise over time as opposed to the trout eggs I favour so much on my ensaladia which are only a win for the end eater.

Surprisingly, it is Bar Bocata that is the priciest of the bunch by a small margin even though the appeal is to a younger crowd. Bar Milagros is the most reasonable and has the oldest crowd. Post covid almost apocalypse most dishes will hover around the 10€ mark. Even if it’s just two small rectangles of a truffled bikini (12€ at Bar Remedios). However, in all these places where you are likely to be addressed in Catalan first, I don’t hear anyone complaining. And Catalans though generally rich and getting richer off the back of the hordes of people opting for the good life are a frugal bunch and these days exceedingly happy bunch. (Can we talk about what is happening to rents here?)

Three New Restaurants To Try aroud Turo Park: Bar Remedios, Bar Bocata and Bar Milagros

Bar Bocata
Travessera de Gràcia, 86
instagram.com/barbocata_/

Bar Milagros
C/de Laforja, 95, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
www.milagros.bar/

Bar Remedios
C/ de Muntaner, 212, L’Eixample
instagram.com/barremedios/

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