Saturday, February 28, 2026

El Chigre 1769 in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella

Gambas al ajillo and Cantabrian anchovies

I was a little worried about this place at first when it looked like quite a number of tourists inside (7 Carrer dels Sombrerers). Then again, that's probably also because I made a very last minute reservation, and the only time available was an early slot before most locals start dining.

Anyway, the food was amazing. They had a wide selection of fish available, including seabass and turbot, and the staff happily suggested options for us. The best thing that we had were those amazingly sweet prawns above. Seriously, I need to max out on prawns while I'm here in Spain this week, as the headfat is just so velvety rich and savory.

This place is also known for cider from the northern Asturias region, and they pour it from a height like the Basque do with txakoli (although this was from apples instead of grapes). The one that we had was quite dry, but it made for an interesting dish where they simmered chorizo in the cider. This place was fun.

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