suculent

Barcelona’s Raval district is not a place you would usually visit as a tourist. Gritty and multicultural, it embodies every abstract of metropolitan life. This vibrant area is still mainly for locals, the tour guide would say. But set your GPS for Rambla del Raval 45 and you will find here a local haunt, that is opening up to curious eaters of the world. Here is your destination. A well-kept Catalan secret turned culinary gold, El Bulli alumni Antonio Romero’s culinary playground, Suculent.

Wooden tables and wicker chairs

Descending down the steps of this cozy eatery, you find yourself suddenly immersed in an old cellar filled with beautiful Catalan tradition: Wooden tables and wicker chairs, books, plants and rows of mason jars along the walls combine to create a homey feel more like a grandma’s kitchen than a culinary revolution. This, you sense, embodies the local culture. And so will the tantalizing and comforting dishes you are about to be served here.

The small, unique eatery, owned and operated by award-winning chef Antonio Romero, serves delicious slow-cooked dishes, and elevated comfort food from Spain and the rest of the Mediterranean region. With great focus on slow-cooked stocks and sauces, the dishes at Suculent represent nostalgia in a modern, refined sense of the word and come with plenty of bread to wipe every last remaining drop of deliciousness off the plate.

Your choices at this rustic eatery are simple. There are two. 

Your first menu choice, the “Classics Menu”, priced at a very reasonable 50 Euros, represents the greatest culinary hits from Antonio Romero’s ten years run as head chef at Suculent. The large “Suculent Menu”, priced at 70 euros, on the other hand, offers a more experimental experience. This menu option, in many ways, serves as Antonio’s playground where he reworks and elevates classic dishes to his own level of excellence. With, he argues, absolute respect for tradition and flavor.

The efforts of the kitchen are backed beautifully by the front of house staff who are serviceminded and full of recommendations on how to make the most of your meal. Whichever culinary trajectory you choose to venture down at Suculent, you cannot fail. And whichever path you choose, the journey starts with an Adonis cocktail made from house-blend Vermouth - an alcoholic concoction so intoxicatingly delicious that you cannot help begging for seconds or thirds, until, eventually, the waiter takes the bottle away with a smile.

Continue onwards on the journey to the roasted duck croquette, a portion of heaven containing extraordinary depths of flavor. Rich duck filling that has clearly seen some serious TLC, served hot and wrapped in a coating so crispy it makes a crackling sound when cut through. This heavenly bite almost demands to be treated as finger food, which, indeed, is a nice nod to local tradition. As an indication of things to come, these crispy and juicy bites melt away to nothing on the tongue and are very much mourned when gone.

The Red prawn Ceviche that follows, is really not your run off the mill Spanish kind of dish. Unorthodox in style, this very dish had the great Ferran Adriá question its merits during a test dinner. Yet, head chef Antonio Romero defended its place on the menu where it has remained the, perhaps, most compelling dish since day one. What makes this dish sing is the unconventional yet perfect textures of avocado and corn that fully complement the intensity of the plump and juicy prawns. As well as the savory boost of seafood stock which provides a perfect excuse for you to eagerly and hungrily mop the plate with the house-made bread.

Stop for a second to consider the royale hare cannelloni with foie gras cream and codium seaweed. In this star of a dish, ingredients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and style. Slow-braised with love and respect, the fall-apart tender meat is mixed with foie gras cream to create the deepest and richest of stews as a base for this decadent take on cannelloni. The dish is further elevated by the intense, oceany flavor of the Codium seaweed which adds zing to a dish that is topped with both white and brown sauce… What a suave finish!

Unparalleled Spanish classics with modern twists

Essentially, the rest of the menu reads as a tour de force through both classic and unfamiliar elements. And as far as absolute classics go, one dish is not to be missed. Antonio Romero’s steak tartare served over grilled bone marrow with pommes soufflés, is the absolute signature.

For the curious gourmand, the dish is worthy of a culinary trip alone: Rich, creamy, crunchy and intense, its contrasting textures play together in absolute harmony. And like so many other dishes on Suculent’s ever-changing menu, it serves as a modern crowd-pleaser - deeply anchored in tradition.

Read also: Antonio Romero - I’ll Feed Your Soul

There is a lot to adore about this place… “Renovated but certainly not modern,” Antonio Romero calls his signature style that seems so perfectly suited for the cozy old cellar. A style that is somehow both very classic without feeling oldfashioned, and very original without losing its comforting and familiar touch. It is far from the avant-garde style of El Bulli and other past ventures of Romero’s, but still caters to the souls of local and international eaters alike. These are familiar yet exciting dishes renovated with respect, tradition and attention to detail… Delicioso!

Suculent

Price range: Mid-range

Cuisine: Rustic, unconventional and utterly decadent

Where to go: Rambla del Raval 45, 08001 Barcelona, Spain

What to expect: Renovated, classic Spanish cuisine.

What the vibe is like: Loud and buzzing, yet this old cellar eatery feels comfortable and cozy with wooden tables and wicker chairs.

What to order: Go for the Greatest Hits, the Classics Menu, at 50 Euro which includes classics from Antonio Romero’s ten years as head chef of Suculent.