Super succulent steak, the most delectable lobster you’ve ever tasted, roasted cauliflower so good you’ve promised yourself you’ll be recreating it when you get home – expect all of this and more when you dine at the new kid on the block, MR PORTER steakhouse in Barcelona.
Any restaurant that buzzes with energy and sees every seat taken on a Monday night must be good, and this new addition to Barcelona’s dining scene achieves exactly that. Sister to the already successful Amsterdam iteration, Barcelona’s offering holds the same trendy feel with hearty food, lip-smackingly good cocktails and service with a smile as standard.
Sitting inside the Sir Victor hotel, which blends modern interiors with affable staff, just steps away from the grand shopping boulevard of Passeig de Gràcia, this glorious steakhouse has hit the ground running. I had to practically fight my way through a throng of people in the lounge area to get to the restaurant’s check-in desk, and despite the fact that the crowd was there for a local fashion launch party, the buzzy nature of the place never seemed to die down all night.
From fashionable groups of friends catching up over good food and cocktails to dressed-up couples on dates to the odd single diner simply enjoying the food, this modern, low lit dining destination was thriving all night long, and with a DJ keeping the space lively, it set the scene for a vibrant night’s feasting. Without wishing to sound a little too old and boring, the music could have been a notch lower for my liking and little less clubby for such a decadent dinner, but I liked that it wasn’t a stuffy, silent restaurant space where diners are afraid to talk. At least my dining guest and I could chat away as we ate.
An open plan space, MR PORTER boasts curved leather booths, low-hanging lights and an abundance of dark décor, while an open kitchen allows you to take in the chefs hard at work and a wine wall makes for great feature to separate the lounge and restaurant spaces.
Food
With delightfully sounding dishes on the menu using gourmet ingredients, you know you’re in for a decadent treat whatever you choose. Laid out in sections entitled ‘little kick start, carpaccio, salad, meat, more meat, seafood, and accessories’ with a separate ‘sinful dessert’ menu, dishes are made for sharing with the table and boast a host of options, whether you’re a keen carnivore or enjoy more vegetable based dishes.
Normally I’d opt for all the carbs and salads would be avoided, but the delicious looking combinations on the salad section piqued my interest. The two of us shared a focaccia, which is complimentary to all, and olives to start followed by a prawn salad, whole roasted cauliflower, sirloin steak and lobster and chips. We also indulged in some decadent desserts, but more on that later!
First things first though and with the food ordered, it was time to peruse the drinks menu. We decided a bottle of the house Merlot (Alturis) would suffice, it was an easy drinking, lighter wine and so paired well with both the steaks and other plates of food we devoured.
Every good evening begins with a cocktail, if you ask me, especially when the options look this good. I fancied something light and refreshing and the Aphrodite with its punchy, fruity and oh-so refreshing flavours was the perfect pick. The bright green drink was topped with a cucumber ribbon and raspberry thread onto a cocktail stick along with a decorative leaf and it was difficult for me not to gulp the gorgeous drink down in one go. Luckily, the alcohol content held me back from doing so! Consisting of 400 Conejos Mezcal, lime, yuzu sake, cucumber and basil, it packed a punch but was so refreshing at the same time.
Back to the food and we tucked into our gorgeously soft and squidgy focaccia with gusto while my dining companion took care of the hefty portion of olives. The jumbo prawn, grilled corn, avocado and dried chilli sauce salad was so delicious with a kick from the chilli complementing the other subtly tasting ingredients so well.
The roasted baby cauliflower was anything but small, as the name might have implied, and the accompaniment of sage with the buttery soft vegetable was all it needed. Rustic, simple, delicious, melt-in-the-mouth and quite large for a ‘little kick start’ dish, I was already trying to work out exactly how I could recreate this once I returned home. Sadly, I haven’t yet been so successful.
With 11 types of steak on the menu, (MR PORTER is a steakhouse after all) it was hard trying to narrow down an option that we both wanted and settled on the 350g+ sirloin steak, cooked medium. Served on a board, the steak was perfectly cooked with a nice strip of buttery-soft fat running along the edge.
We also tucked into a succulent and utterly delectable grilled lobster with herb butter – the ultimate surf and turf meal – alongside a portion of skinny fries with parmesan and basil aioli that would easily serve four diners.
A short break was required and I almost turned down dessert, but am so glad I didn’t as the chocolate explosion was a dish unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Ridiculous, in a good way, a huge chocolate shell to fill a dinner plate arrived, filled with milk chocolate mousse, a macaron, two little shortbread biscuits, blackberries, two cherry and white chocolate balls, a passion fruit mousse, and little crispy balls, all drizzled with raspberry sauce.
Poured with dry ice and then smashed to leave a beautiful mess on the plate, I dug in with gusto, but this was clearly for two people and I do wish I had shared this as I couldn’t finish the sizable portion.
My dining companion opted for the popcorn crème brûlée with caramel ice cream, which he said was nice if not for the green chilli slices, which were sprinkled on top. He felt that the chillies weren’t needed and almost ruined a great dessert.
In a nutshell
A buzzy, popular place with big portions and sharing plates that you’ll long to return for, MR PORTER is the restaurant that you won’t want to miss out on when visiting Barcelona. Overall, expect simple, rustic, hearty food, prepared well, that’s high on decadence. Staff make the whole experience seamless and enjoyable.
Factbox
Address: C/ del Rosselló, 265, 08008 Barcelona, Spain
Tel: +34 932 71 12 45
Website: mrportersteakhouse.com/barcelona
Instagram: Instagram.com/mrporter_barcelona
See snippets of my travels and food adventures on Instagram @tashheard_food_travel
All imagery provided by MR PORTER Barcelona
