That a restaurant celebrates three years of life may seem unremarkable. But if it happens in a city as changing as Barcelona, where gastronomic projects come and go, it has its merit. And even more so if the diner continues to be surprised with each visit. That's what happens at Fonda Pepa, where you won't find dishes as refined as the belly salad or the steak tartare.
In the heart of Gràcia, friends and chefs Paco Benítez and Pedro Baño continue to prepare cuisine with notable respect for the season. “We will never offer you a tomato carpaccio in January,” insist these chefs who have worked in great restaurants like Caelis and, in the case of Benítez, the Danish Noma. It is precisely because of this maxim that its menu constantly changes, a dynamism from which only some dishes such as cap i pota and marinated sea bass are spared, and which also affects the wines.
That 'fonda' printed in red letters on the entrance sign is also a declaration of intent. “For us, the inn is a place where you always eat well and where traditional cuisine linked to the territory is made,” they explain. And that is what they offer to those who cross the door of their establishment, but with their personal touch. Because in addition to looking at traditional preparations, they apply the techniques learned in the houses where they have worked and use the best product they can afford, which they mostly purchase in different markets in the city. Their tastes are also present in dishes that are “what we want to cook and eat.”
We verified this on our last visit, when we ordered a cauliflower with a mole of chilis, seeds, spices and fruits, and another of herbs and pickles. A nod to Mexico, Benítez's country of origin, which surprised us for the better. Or the delicious cap i pota, with fried potato cubes, and herb oil, red onion gel and pickled piparras. They call it cap i pota mare because they always prepare it with a little sauce from the previous stew, a practice that is inspired by the mole madre from the Pujol restaurant in Mexico, or in other recipes such as bread and panettone, and that makes it The flavor never changes.
The menu includes just a dozen options to facilitate this rotation based on seasonality and avoid accumulating fresh product, and which also responds to Baño and Benítez's need to offer well-thought-out and well-crafted dishes.
The bar with green and clay tiles or the ceiling beams are some of the elements that were kept when acquiring the premises (it was previously Cal Robert), and that give it a tavern feel. The closeness and friendliness of the team also contributes to this, which is completed by the chefs Christian Hofmann, Oriol Torrents and Pigindra Gurung.
