BETLEM – Miscel·lània Gastronòmica: A gastrobar with a happy ending

Six years ago, Víctor Ferrer, a veteran of Can Fabes, turned the family shop Betlem into a gourmet tavern, or as he calls it, a Gastronomic Miscellany. The bustling venue is located on a corner in the Eixample Dret. It is tiny: only 4 tall round tables and fewer than 25 stools are squeezed into it, although they do take advantage of the corner to set up a welcoming terrace with 12 chairs. Plus, they also have a small private space with 6 chairs in the restaurant’s mezzanine, the only place where they take reservations.

The original floor, white tile walls, wine bottles, tall ceilings and a kind of hipster touch decorate the tavern and give it a quirky vibe that attracts both locals and tourists. The service is informal and led by Rosa, who is efficient and quick.

The food, as the restaurant’s name indicates, is a miscellany based on preserves, tapas, cold/hot sandwiches, little dishes and daily recommendations, and it is complemented by an interesting wine list sold by the glass and bottle. This miscellany makes all the sense in the world, since Betlem is open from 9 am to 12 midnight Monday to Sunday, making it the ideal place to go to have a sandwich mid-morning, tuck in a pre-lunch appetiser, sip a glass of wine in the late afternoon, or let yourself be enchanted by a series of little dishes for dinner.

We visited the tavern at night, when we had the chance to savour 10 little dishes. We began with a tomato salad with outstanding homemade tuna belly served on a small metal oval-shaped tray typically found in bars. Then came toast with steak tartare, which was perhaps a bit simple for a “Miguelín” palate.

Tomato salad with homemade tuna belly

Steak tartare

From the warm appetisers, we sampled outstanding homemade croquettes with more chunks than béchamel. We followed it with a dense codfish frittata, which we found was missing the liquidy part of the egg that makes frittatas so succulent. We concluded the appetisers with noteworthy crab ravioli, which had a pleasing texture, balanced flavours and a slight touch of heat which made it fun. A Betlem must-have.

Croquettes

Codfish frittata

Crab ravioli

Then we began our attack on the more impressive dishes on the menu. We began with Iberian pork with tiny Norway lobsters and ram’s head mushrooms. All the ingredients were perfectly cooked; however, we would have liked some kind of sauce that would better integrate the amazing products. We then sampled the hyper-crispy pork cheeks, a mellow cut which was perfectly cooked. It was served with lemon-scented mashed potatoes which didn’t quite convince us as they were a bit too citrusy. Finally, we tried the marbled beef with Jerusalem artichoke purée, an incredibly juicy, flavourful cut of meat seasoned somewhere between spicy and chorizo-tasting. Really interesting!

Iberian pork with tiny Norway lobsters and ram’s head mushrooms

Crispy pork cheeks

Marbled beef with Jerusalem artichoke purée

Betlem’s desserts deserve special attention: we Miguelines were unable to resist trying 2 out of the 5 on the menu. Víctor has created an exceptional version of cottage cheese with honey, a true classic, which blends flavours and textures in a way that brings this dish to the top of the menu. You must try it. The second dessert, a carrot crumble with coconut foam, is also worth sampling, although it may be eclipsed by the outstanding cottage cheese and honey.

Cottage cheese with honey

Carrot crumble with coconut foam

It’s a really intriguing miscellany with plenty of passion and the goal of crafting a menu brimming with flavour and dishes to suit all diners. We have no doubt that Víctor is on the right track to turn Betlem into a gastronomic landmark.

Where is BETLEM – Miscel·lània Gastronòmica?

Address: C/ de Girona, 70, 08009 Barcelona

Telephone: 932 65 51 05

Timetable: Monday to Sunday 9 am to 12 midnight.

Website: www.betlem.es