THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED.
*Ping*
“You want to have dinner with me Thursday?” the WhatsApp reads.
…
“Sure.”
*Ping*
“Great, table for 5 at 20:30. Obrac. Anjalina Chuglani.
Which is how I find myself at Obrac. Anjalina knows Daniel Roca and with his help, she does the ordering.
“Danny! We are hungry.”
“Have the ceviche, it will bring you to tears.”
“How about the tuna?” Anjalina asks.
“Divine. It will bring you to tears.”
“Maybe you are a much sadder person than I am.” she jokes.
“What’s the idea behind this place?” I ask Danny
“Well he comes from the Lonja family.” (A 10 restaurant family business.) Anjalina explains.
“But this is my project.” He interjects. “The boys in the kitchen, they have worked at Hoja Santa and Pakta. So we have some influence from there. A little Nikkei. Mostly we try to get a good product and if we can, amplify it, if not we leave it.”
We go heavy on the starters: Crispy octopus (€9.9), Tuna belly with seasonal tomato salad (€9.2), Bluefin tuna toast with avocado (€12.9), Sea bass ceviche Nikkei style (€12.9), Meat with truffle and foie croqueta (€2.3). We skip the main courses and we go directly to desserts. One of each: chocolate with olive oil and salt (€5.9), Tres Leches cake with ice cream and fruit (€5.6), Roast pineapple with coconut cream (€5.9).
The menu at Obrac is a Paleo’s fantasy come true. Protein raw and cooked (in a wood fired oven). Fish, mollusks, bovine, porcine, fowl – you will find it here. The vegetables are thin on the ground on their own or as an accompaniment. This is not unusual, we are in Spain after all.
They serve it all in a bright contemporary space with comfortable chairs, black paper placements under the plates and the same Ikea water tumblers I have at home.
We don’t cry for either the ceviche or the tuna but we really enjoy it. The desserts are variations on themes that are prevalent in the city – chocolate with olive oil and salt say but I am happy to report that they not only nail it but in most cases surpass the original.
Obrac
Carrer de Laforja, 11
08006 Sant Gervasi / Gracia
familialonja.com/restaurantes-barcelona/restaurante-cocina-mercado-barcelona/
facebook.com/obracbcn
Hello! My name is Suzy. This blog is about discovering Barcelona through its eateries. I take it one restaurant or shop at a time and post on the blog once a week. I vary where I eat to have a have a mix of high and low end places. My goal is to find the special places, the ones worth seeking out and show and tell you all about them.
We went but Obrac was no longer at the address given….and indeed none of the neighbouring shops ever remember it! A real puzzle. The telephone number also doesn’t work.
Any suggestions? Your other recommendations have all been fantastic. Just bought some bread at Origo
Hi Annabel – I will check and update it thanks. Places come and go so it’s best to check ahead. Hope you found a good replacement.
Me again – so I just called them and it’s the same restaurant group but they changed their name to Bara Alta and refurbished the restaurant. Same people though but different menu they said – hope that helps.