Paco Meralgo (Barcelona, Spain)

Alta Taberna Pacomeralgo Restaurante
C/ de Muntaner, 171, L'Eixample, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 30 90 27
www.restaurantpacomeralgo.com
Tue 10/15/2024, 07:55p-09:45p
Wed 10/16/2024, 10:00p-12:05a





I recently found myself in Barcelona on relatively short notice, and naturally, since I was going to be in town, I had to plan out which restaurants I'd be trying (which I accomplished with the aid of an Excel spreadsheet). For my first night in the city, I was thinking something casual that could accommodate a delayed flight into BCN, and I definitely wanted to have tapas while I was here, so Alta Taberna Paco Meralgo made sense. Located in the L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample neighborhood, conveniently a short walk from my hotel on the edge of Sant Antoni, the eatery boasts a punny name based on the phrase pa' comer algo ("to eat something"), and is part of the Grup Olivé family.

The story of Grup Olivé starts with founder Josep Olivé Carbonell (born 1953 in Sant Joan Despí), who opened his eponymous Restaurante L'Olivé in 1984. The success of that initial spot allowed him to expand, and his sophomore effort was the seafood-centric Barceloneta, right on the water. In 2000, L'Olivé moved to a new location on Carrer de Balmes, and its former home was converted to Paco Meralgo in 2002. The wine-focused Vinya-Roel arrived in 2005, and was joined by the now-shuttered Catalan spot Tuset in 2008. In summer 2014, Vinya-Roel was replaced by Restaurant BarcelonaMilano, and in 2017, the group acquired tapas specialist Bar Cañete. Most recently, in 2022, Grup Olivé purchased the longstanding Baixas pastry shop, which was founded in 1958. On the leadership side, Francesc Grau, Grup Olivé's head chef for 30 years, was replaced in 2014 by Joan Clotet, who still looks to be top toque. Meanwhile, Josep's son Oriol Olivé took over management of the company in 2018.


Here we see the front-left section of the restaurant, where I waited until my seat was available.


And here's my view from Paco Meralgo's left-hand bar, with its rather cozy spacing.


As for Paco Meralgo's menu, it's a fairly lengthy affair, listing plenty of classics along with some more unique dishes, and you can also venture into the chalkboard specials. There's definitely a seafood focus at play, but you'll find separate meat and sandwich sections, too. The cocktail list is also shown above, though this doesn't really seem like the place for such beverages. Click for larger versions.


I've also included the wine list, which is actually more serious than I expected, with a distinct emphasis on Spanish and French bottlings. Click for larger versions.


Croquetas de pollo y jamón [3.05€ ($3.34)] | Chicken and ham croquettes
The croqueta is arguably the most recognizable tapa of them all, so it felt appropriate to start with one. Tonight's example was right on the money, featuring an expertly fried exterior leading to a luscious interior teeming with a delectable jamón-boosted, pollo-fueled goodness.


Ensaladilla rusa del día [7.35€ ($8.04)] | Fresh Russian Salad
Given my penchant for potato salad, this version of the classic Olivier salad was a must-try for me, and didn't disappoint. The creamy marriage of potato and veggie was on point, and I appreciated the brininess of the dish, courtesy of what I assume was canned tuna. Lovely crunch from the breadsticks, too.


Pan con tomate [2.70€ ($2.95)]
Naturally, I had to try Paco Meralgo's take the iconic pa amb tomàquet, which, curiously enough, isn't actually on the menu. Instead, I was asked if I wanted an order, and I readily agreed. I'm glad I did, since this was the best version of the Catalan staple I've had. I loved the crunch of the toasty bread, but even more crucial was its smoky char, which linked up perfectly with the just-tangy-enough smears of tomato.


Tortilla abierta de gamba fresca [20.60€ ($22.53)] | Open fresh prawn's omelette
The truita oberta amb gambes was another item that I just had to try, and it ended up being my favorite dish of the night. I loved the silky softness of the egg and how it combined with those savory, well-textured shrimp, while the use of onion kicked things up another notch.


To drink, I wanted something easy-going, and thus opted for the Brut Prestige Rosé Taittinger [15.00€ ($16.41)], with its healthy amount of fresh, vibrant, invigorating red fruit.


Navajas de las Islas Cíes a la plancha [17.50€ ($19.14)] | Grilled razor clams
I have a hard time resisting razor clams, and these examples from the Cíes Islands met the mark thanks to their multifaceted brine and diversity of textures. They were tasty alone, but the navalles really opened up with a squirt of lemon.


Pavías (Bacalao rebozado) [12.15€ ($13.29)] | "Pavias" strips of salt cod in batter
I'm typically quite the fan of bacallà, so this next dish certainly caught my attention. The fritters showcased light, crispy battered outsides with a hint of sweetness, which worked handily with the salty, satisfyingly-textured fish within.


Carpaccio de ternera con vinagreta de mostaza y foie [12.45€ ($13.62)] | Veal "carpaccio" with duck foie gras and mustard vinaigrette
In one of the better carpaccios I've had, mildly seasoned veal had an almost tomato-y tang, and made surprising sense with rolls of cool, delicately spiced foie gras. At the same time, I really enjoyed the nutty, crunchy accents from the pistachios, as well as the pricks of salt present, all while the mustard helped tie it all together.


I was already very, very full by this point (ate too much on the plane ride over), but I still felt the urge to order a couple of things from the dessert menu. Click for a larger version.


Tap de Cadaqués [3.90€ ($4.27)] | Sponge cork with rum and coffee cream
A cork-shaped sponge cake from Cataluña came out soft, saturated, and loaded with boozy, coffee-tinged flavors.


"Montadito de Madagascar" [2.50€ ($2.73)]
Last, we have a dollop of creamy, yet surprisingly light chocolate, drizzled with olive oil and crowned with salty, crunchy, somewhat cheesy(?) shards of toasted bread.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unfortunately, I didn't get to try nearly as much of Paco Meralgo's menu as I wanted to on the first night, so I actually returned the following day to sample more. This time, I was seated at a table in the corner of the left side of the restaurant, which afforded me a nice view of the room.


Gambas de Palamós a la plancha [35.70€ ($38.94)/102gr.] | Grilled red prawns from Palamós
Catalonia is well-known for its catch of gamba rosada, so naturally I felt compelled to sample the shrimp. They showed off a more intense, more concentrated, headier brine compared to most, and tasted patently of the sea. Just lovely--be sure to suck the heads!


Given the messy nature of the crustaceans above, I was soon provided a wet towel, which I very much appreciated.


Almeja fina de Carril [11.50€ ($12.54)] | Live "Carril" big clams
I also wanted to explore some bivalves tonight, and got started with the cloïssa fina. The clam demonstrated a delightfully snappy-supple texture, while flavors were subtle at first, but finished with a clean, but very palpable salinity.


To drink, I went with draft beer this evening, and up first was the Mahou Clasica Barril [4.05€ ($4.42)], a pretty prototypical, crisp, refreshing, quaffable European pale lager that's basically what you want to pair with this sort of food.


Zamburiñas al horno (cuando el mar lo permita) [16.25€ ($17.72)] | Baked baby scallops (when sea permits)
Tiny scallops were cooked more than I'd normally prefer, but I didn't mind, since it sort of made sense in this case. Their sweetness and smoke paired swimmingly with bits of roe, and the olive oil served as a great complement.


Gambas frescas al ajillo [31.55€ ($34.41)] | Fresh red prawns fried in garlic
The gambes a l'allet was another standout dish. The soft-but-bouncy shrimp took beautifully to the potent bite of garlic, but were never overwhelmed, and I loved how the heads really soaked in the pungency of the ajillo, so don't forget about 'em.


Pulpo a la plancha con espinacas y velo de panceta ibérica [17.30€ ($18.87)] | Grilled octopus with spinach and cured pork veil
Chunks of octopus displayed a properly tender, yet substantial texture, along with a marked sweetness that played nicely with the bitterness of spinach and peppery piquancy of the accompanying sauce.


Croquetas de sepia "Obama" [3.05€ ($3.33)] | Cuttlefish "Obama" croquettes
The cuttlefish croqueta was another winner, largely thanks to how well its sweet brine married with that oh-so garlicky sauce on the bottom. I'm not sure what the connection with President Obama is, but I'm assuming that the croquette's named in his honor due to its black tint.


My second draught beer was the Alhambra Barril [4.05€ ($4.42)], a noticeably sweeter, maltier lager compared to the Mahou above.


Anchoas de Ondarroa maceradas [8.25€ ($9.00)] | Marinated "Ondarroa" anchovies
Anxoves from northern Spain were overtly saline, but not without reason, and were tempered just a tad by their marinade.


Ostra mediana de la Ría de Arousa [8.35€ ($9.11)] | Galician Oyster
A lone oyster had that clean, focused brine I was looking for, but also possessed this intriguing spiciness on the back end that I wasn't expecting, but didn't mind at all.


Buñuelos de bacalao [2.85€ ($3.11)] | Cod fritters
This bunyol bacallà was just what I wanted, with its tender, salty insides and wonderfully toasty exterior. Yum.


Catalan custard [5.50€ ($6.00)]
Given that I was in Catalunya, it just felt right to ended with a serving of crema catalana: a cool, creamy, sweet custard with a smoky, caramelized, though not particularly crunchy top, served with a shattery, multilayered cookie on the side.


As I was leaving, I snapped this photo of the other (right-hand) side of the restaurant.

This "high tavern" of tapas made for a great first meal in Barcelona, and quite simply, managed to deliver the best tapas experience I've ever had. The quality of ingredients and care put into the food was clearly a cut above anything I'd encountered previously, and after eating here, I was actually a bit saddened, since we don't (as far as I know) have anything truly comparable in Los Angeles. That's an obvious gap in the LA dining scene that I hope can be filled.