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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Be the change! Urban bistro and wine bar.

On this post : on Calle Valencia, the Urban Bistrot, Soho alike, Cornelia and Co or the Belle Époque wine bar Toto? Nice places to go in Barcelona...

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.~ Mark Twain Quotes
In Barcelona , on Calle Valencia, we have Cornelia and Co, our own Dean and Deluca. This picnic store inspired by the Soho Dean and Deluca, invites you to walk around the store in a small gastronomic trip. You will get your different salts and oils, wines; fresh fruits; handmade fresh pasta; a lovely inviting cheese cellar or the smell of freshly baked bread. Cornelia and Co incites you to interact like you would on the street , has different areas to walk talk and of course eat.
They are open from 8am to 1am ( in the morning). We are lucky to have those places nowadays where we can have a bite at anytime and not at the standard late Spanish timings.



I have been going there for sometime now, and their extremely friendly and efficient staff invites you to go again and again. Apart from their lovely sandwiches- my favorite one is the goat cheese and rocket in whole wheat bread- you have excellent salads, raviolis in sage and butter, different dishes of rice served in their hot pan, fresh juices made at the moment,  At night you can enjoy a nice drink before going for dinner, or have dinner there or come after. It is a place you can go and enjoy any time of the day. And if you are in a rush , they can always pack a picnic bag for you and you could enjoy it on way to work or on a bench in the sun!
Please do try their lemon meringue tart!
A big applause to Carla Tarruela, to have open this new concept in BelleBarcelone and to always be around and supervise with a smile. My children love this place and my elder son even wrote about it in one of his essay:
" Once you step inside Cornelia & Co located in Calle Valencia, you feel as if you’ve just step in a hip café in New York’s SoHo area. The ceiling are tall and rustic and there are art deco pillars supporting it, there are bright chairs covered in vintage pictures, there are long simple light bulbs hanging from the wall and interesting art all over the place. The restaurant serves all types of food. They serve the best fluffiest burrata in town covered with truffle oil; they also have a wide range of tapas. I also suggest trying the lemon meringue pie, it taste exactly as the ones I eat when I visit Paris. It has a tangy bitter lemon custard and is topped of with meringue to balance the acidity of the custard. In the restaurant they also have a corner in which you can buy some ingredients that they use in their kitchen like their truffle oil, the “bonilla a la vista” chips or some Voss water. The owner claimed to have gotten inspiration for her restaurant after she visited New York’s Dean and Deluca establishment.

Recently they have opened a new place just opposite. The owners of Crusto, the adjacent bakery have inaugurated TOTO restaurant. A new concept of slow  food and wine bar, focused in contemporary Italian food. The decor is striking and vintage chic. The designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan also designed Ocaña and Chez Coco. The entrance is a bit indoor and the wine and cocktail bar takes you back to the Belle époque. The open kitchen is inviting with their huge basket of breads and vegetables a la vista. A team of professionals from the cocktail barman, the pastry chef, the sommelier and the head chef will make sure you get an incredible meal.
We just entered as we were passing by and had some wine, a delicious burrata served with bread topped with mint and "habitas" chutney, some interresting warm olives and herbal almonds ... Will surely go back to have a proper meal. A bit pricey but worth it especially when you get to meet Sandro Rosell, our Football team Barça President! 



Recommended wines:
Red : Fulanito, tinto crianza joven de Ribera de Duero
White : Afortunado, verdejo, de Rueda - Good and intense aromas of fresh tropical fruits on a goof herbal and floral background.
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A day with BelleBarcelone

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