Home IN THE CITY Streetlife Streetlife: Rec Comtal
Streetlife: Rec Comtal
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Elsa y Fred
Carrer del Rec Comtal 11, 08003 Barcelona
Inspired by a 2005 Argentine rom-com, this gastrobar radiates the same warmth as its namesake. Elsa y Fred is a popular spot for brunch in the Born, offering a menu brimming with tapas and breakfast dishes. The snug space is decorated with patterned wallpaper and kitsch photo frames, enticing passers-by inside for a catch-up over coffee or food.
Co-owned by couple Camila and Ramón Matarazzo, the business is a family affair: Ramón wanted to pursue his passion for cooking, while Camila designed the cosy interior with the help of her sister. "I always loved that the film was about positivity and living happily," explained Camila. "We wanted to reflect this in the restaurant. People come here for the friendly atmosphere as much as the food."
Blending traditional French cuisine with Catalan favourites, Ginette's menu favours quality over quantity. Traditional French recipes are made using local ingredients and flavours to create a menu of modern dishes, made to be shared. Ginette was founded by three French expats who wanted to share their country's rich cuisine with Barcelona.
Naming the restaurant after the grandma of one of the owners, Parisian-style tables line two separate spaces within this quaint locale—a light, casual front room and an intimate back room, complete with soft lighting and an open kitchen. Diners have a large selection of French wines to choose from, and the modest menu culminates in some fine French desserts, the most popular of which is a dreamy chocolate mousse.
Hiper Retal
Carrer del Rec Comtal 5, 08003 Barcelona
Offering a range of beautiful fabrics, sold by the metre and stored by the stack, this family-owned fabric shop is one of Rec Comtal's oldest shops. It was founded in 1978 by Francisco Ripoll Barbera and is now run by Ripoll Barbera's daughter, Sonia. A bonafide neighbourhood business, the staff have developed lasting relationships with their customers, who come from all over the city to purchase reasonably priced materials. retalestelas.esy
Hotel Rec
A new kid on the block, the adults-only Hotel Rec opened in January this year to much fanfare from the press—and for good reason. Housed in a custom-built block overlooking the Arc de Triomf, the modern three-star hotel is named after the waterway that supplied the city with its lifeblood for hundreds of years, and attempts to channel the same spirit of innovation through the design of its rooms and social spaces. Boasting a rooftop pool, a light and airy lounge with views of the city and the acclaimed Fismuler restaurant, the Hotel Rec offers a simple but chic place for weary travellers to escape the bustle of the city centre.
Les Dues Sicilies
Named after the bygone Southern Italian kingdom, this restaurant aims to transport its patrons to the streets of Napoli and shores of Sicily, and prides itself on serving a range of regional dishes made using imported ingredients, such as wild fennel from the Sicilian mountains.
The Neapolitan-style pizzas are made from dough that has been left to rise for 48 hours to enhance flavour and help with digestion. "The site here on Rec Comtal chose us," explained co-founder, Elena Cristiano. "We inherited it, ovens and all, from a bakery that had been open for over a hundred years."
The space is compact and kitsch, with wooden beams and exposed stone walls adorned with photos of Italy. A fishy highlight from the menu is the polpetti affogati—braised octopus in a tomato, parsley and pepper sauce—a traditional Neapolitan fishermen's recipe.
Nakashita
This popular Japanese restaurant is inspired by the layout of a traditional Japanese tavern, with sushi chefs at a wooden bar along one side of the restaurant, fashioning their innovative creations and devising new and exciting recipes for the daily specials menu. The space itself is compact, snugly fitting 16 diners at oak tables, with an overflow terrace on the street outside.
Barcelona streets Streetlife Parc de la Ciutadella Archive 2018 July 2018