Comerç 24

[SBonner]

My wife and I will be staying in a flat just around the corner from Commec 24. Any comments on the restaurant that seems to get alot of overseas press. Thank you

[Bond Girl]

I was there last September. If you like concept food that is more about the experience than about the taste, then you would like Commerc 24. May be things have changed since I went, but the food on my tasting menu all seemed to look like they had walked off the pages of the El Bulli cookbook. You get mussels, mushrooms and some sort of white fish served in oval sardine tins and they taste like food that came out of a can too. There was a white rice crispy plate spinkled with spicy curried powder: interesting but reminds me of a weird version of breakfast. There were lots of foam, or soup that resemble foam, or very airy soup (well you get the picture). These came in a Sherry Gazpacho, a Beet Foam, a Radish Foam, a Almond Milk with Garlic foam, and some other green-ish foam that I cannot identify. I remember a small one inch square of tuna marinated in soy sauce and sesame seeds at the end of a very long skewer. Some deep fried shrimp or langoustines on a skewer. A passion fruit or mango (it was yellow) foam for dessert. Plus, there was a chocolate covered pop rock.

Not my thing, but it might float your boat.

[SBonner]

Thank you Bond Girl.

Being the restaurant is just 30 seconds walk from our flat we will try it out. The foam thing still seems to be hot. It was the thing to do when we were there three years ago.

[Matthew Grant]

See Here for previous reviews of Comerc 24. I personally would disagree with Bond Girl. I agree that it is experimental food heavily influenced by El Bulli (Carlos Abellan spent several yeas there) but in my opinion it was an enjoyable meal because the experiments were exciting taste wise as well.

[Gerry Dawes]

I second that. I found Carlos Abellan's Adria-influenced food some of the best I have had. It was fun at lunch as well.

[victornet]

I, too, had a very enjoyable there last sunner. I enjoyed Alkimia even more, but definetely recommend Commerc 24.

[vserna]

Just to help anyone tring a Google search for this restaurant: the actual name is Comerç 24, with a single m.

[Matthew Grant]

Googling this restaurant or the chefs name never comes up with the actual restaurant website which is also in English. Happy to oblige

The Official Comerc 24 website! Click Here!!!!!

[Bux]

the actual name is Comerç 24

Thanks for pointing out our oversight. The topic title has been corrected. Matthew, thanks for the web site link.

[nimzo]

I had a booking for Comerc24 last week having confirmed the table 7 days beforehand after their initial e-mail. They were closed. I travelled in from Figueres for the meal and was not over happy with a chef who can't even be bothered to inform customers of a change of plan and who confirms a booking knowing that the restaurant will not be open.Enough said.

[pedro]

That's terrible, nimzo. I can imagine your disappointment. Were you able to find a last second backup plan while in Barcelona?

[nimzo]

We had a lovely evening doing pintxos in the Born but not quite what i had in mind, did bump into another person who was highly critical of Abellan's level of courtesy though so at least I don't feel singled out. All memories were erased by a brilliant meal at Cinc Sentits the following night, rare that I find food that really stuns me these days but Jordi did it in style. Alkimia on Saturday was strange, good ingredients let down a bit by presentation and terrible service, perhaps the worst I have ever had in Spain. I will post details in a new thread when awake enough to remember the comedy of errors. Bulli excellent as expected and Mas Pau still very much worth the trip, particularly for the cheeses.

[paulbrussel]

Enough said.

What a mess! I am very sorry for you.

However, may it comfort you that I wasn't that impressed by Comerç 24 a couple of months ago?

[tponti]

Having just returned from Spain with Barcelona as our last stop, I must say I am not at all dissappointed to not have had dinner at Comerc24 - although prior to arrival I had anticipated it would be THE dining highlight while in BCN. This is most likely a result of the unbelievable lack of courtesy extended by Abellan's staff when I stopped by in person (at dinner opening time) to request a dinner reservation for either the following night (a Wednesday) or the night after that (it didn't matter to us which night). My Spanish skills may not be stellar, but one thing I have managed fairly well is the ability to courteously request a dinner reservation. The staff member didn't even make eye contact, and proceeded to ignore my inquiry in order to walk out the front door and initiate a conversation with someone who appeared to be kitchen staff standing on the sidewalk two doors down having a cigarette! The entire time he didn't even so much as offer a nod of acknowlegement. Let me also add that the restaurant was completely empty at the time (9:15 pm). He then spun on his heel, re-entered the restaurant, and walked away leaving us standing there with jaws dropped.

My travel companion asked " THAT'S the place you've been saying we MUST have dinner at? Doesn't seem like a very good restaurant to me." What could I say to that?

So, we ambled away, shellshocked, to take refuge in nearby Arrel del Born to lick our wounds. Dinner was not only spontaneous, it was fabulous. (Rather than post details here, I will post a separate topic.) Sated and recovered, we left and immediately called Cinc Sentits for dinner a reservation the following night (which was even better than Arrel).

Needless to say, Comerc was not missed in the least.

[Schneier]

Comerc 24 for lunch.

Barcelona is the most interesting food city in the world. Blame it on El Bulli: the restaurant, the people, and the aura. Comerc 24 is a result of the second: Chef Carles Abellan is an El Bulli alum. Comerc 24 is known for minimalist cooking, startling flavor combinations, and just plain weird food.

I had the festival menu: sixteen small courses. It came in six waves.

First wave: tapas. A large green olive stuffed with an anchovy and covered in olive oil. A dollop of mashed potato, with tuna tartare on top, and flavored with lemon, apricot, chives, garlic, and olive oil. Sweet popcorn. Mashed banana on a banana chip. Yucca chips with a dipping sauce made from brie and nut flavorings of some kind. Potato chips with olive foam to dip them them. Some kind of sweet drink thingy that I never had explained to me. The standout was the olive foam.

Second wave: One: A green salad with octopus civeche and apple soup. There were tastes of cilantro, shiro, and a hint of wasabe. This was one delicious dish. Two: Smoked salmon with salmon roe and a bit of very light vanilla oil and beans. Also, delicious. Scallops with tangerine and orange bits, olive oil, and soy sauce. Again, delicious. These started to get interesting: interesting flavors and interesting combinations.

Third wave: One of the dishes was goose foie gras served with piece of persimmon -- yummy. The other was called "roast beef" on the menu. It was actually three different animals in a roast-beef-like preparation: lamb, duck, and cow. This was surprisingly good.

Fourth wave: "Mushroom cake" with truffle oil. This was some kind of cracker base with chopped wild mushroom tepanade on top, and slivers of some kind of white mushroom on top of that. I can't even begin to describe how good it was. Amazing. The dish of the meal. The other item was called "cephalopod with mentaiko," and was lightly grilled squid with fish roe on top. Delicious.

Fifth wave: A plate of sauteed red mullet served with mushrooms and diakon. Tasty, but I was getting full.

Sixth (and final) wave: French toast with vanilla foam. Again with the foam, and another delicious dish.

This is Spain, so the restaurant opens for lunch at 1:30. I was done by 3:00. Luckily, the restaurant I'm having dinner at tonight doesn't open until 9:00.

Bruce

[docsconz]

Comerc 24 for lunch. 

Barcelona is the most interesting food city in the world.  Blame it on El Bulli: the restaurant, the people, and the aura.  Comerc 24 is a result of the second: Chef Carles Abellan is an El Bulli alum.  Comerc 24 is known for minimalist cooking, startling flavor combinations, and just plain weird food.

I had the festival menu: sixteen small courses.  It came in six waves.

First wave: tapas.  A large green olive stuffed with an anchovy and covered in olive oil.  A dollop of mashed potato, with tuna tartare on top, and flavored with lemon, apricot, chives, garlic, and olive oil.  Sweet popcorn.  Mashed banana on a banana chip.  Yucca chips with a dipping sauce made from brie and nut flavorings of some kind.  Potato chips with olive foam to dip them them.  Some kind of sweet drink thingy that I never had explained to me.  The standout was the olive foam.

Second wave:  One: A green salad with octopus civeche and apple soup.  There were tastes of cilantro, shiro, and a hint of wasabe.  This was one delicious dish.  Two: Smoked salmon with salmon roe and a bit of very light vanilla oil and beans.  Also, delicious.  Scallops with tangerine and orange bits, olive oil, and soy sauce.  Again, delicious.  These started to get interesting: interesting flavors and interesting combinations.

Third wave:  One of the dishes was goose foie gras served with piece of persimmon -- yummy.  The other was called "roast beef" on the menu.  It was actually three different animals in a roast-beef-like preparation: lamb, duck, and cow.  This was surprisingly good.

Fourth wave:  "Mushroom cake" with truffle oil.  This was some kind of cracker base with chopped wild mushroom tepanade on top, and slivers of some kind of white mushroom on top of that.  I can't even begin to describe how good it was.  Amazing.  The dish of the meal.  The other item was called "cephalopod with mentaiko," and was lightly grilled squid with fish roe on top.  Delicious.

Fifth wave:  A plate of sauteed red mullet served with mushrooms and diakon.  Tasty, but I was getting full.

Sixth (and final) wave: French toast with vanilla foam.  Again with the foam, and another delicious dish.

This is Spain, so the restaurant opens for lunch at 1:30.  I was done by 3:00.  Luckily, the restaurant I'm having dinner at tonight doesn't open until 9:00.

Bruce

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An interesting meal, although reading your description, it surprises me that you would have been getting full so quickly. What had you been snacking on beforehand?

Did you notice any apparent lack of courtesy in the restaurant?

[vserna]

Barcelona is the most interesting food city in the world. 

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Heck, I wish I knew every city in the world to be able to make such a sweeping statement with full knowledge of what I was talking about...

[docsconz]

Barcelona is the most interesting food city in the world. 

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Heck, I wish I knew every city in the world to be able to make such a sweeping statement with full knowledge of what I was talking about...

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For a discussion on this topic click here.

[vserna]

Barcelona is missing one key ingredient to really aspire to be 'number one': a few great, truly great restaurants. None right now in town. Very interesting ones - yes! But the great restaurants of Catalonia (El Bulli, Can Fabes, Sant Pau, Can Roca) are all quite a distance from the city.

[docsconz]

Barcelona is missing one key ingredient to really aspire to be 'number one': a few great, truly great restaurants. None right now in town. Very interesting ones - yes! But the great restaurants of Catalonia (El Bulli, Can Fabes, Sant Pau, Can Roca) are all quite a distance from the city.

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As usual Victor, you are right. It would be more correct and not inaccurate to make the claim inclusive of Catalunya even if it is more than a city. As a greater metropolitan area it can stake its claim.

[Schneier]

Did you notice any apparent lack of courtesy in the restaurant?

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No. It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was mostly empty.

I found the service to be professional. My dishes arrived on time and in good order, the food was explained to me, and my questions were answered.

The waitstaff wasn't friendly or chatty, but that's okay with me.

Bruce

[Silly Disciple]

I had lunch at Comerç 24 today. Some pictures and comments. Some of the dishes are the same Bruce had, others were different. I'll use Bruce's description when possible.

First wave: tapas.  A large green olive stuffed with an anchovy and covered in olive oil.  A dollop of mashed potato, with tuna tartare on top, and flavored with lemon, apricot, chives, garlic, and olive oil.  Sweet popcorn.  Mashed banana on a banana chip.  Yucca chips with a dipping sauce made from brie and nut flavorings of some kind.  Potato chips with olive foam to dip them them.  Some kind of sweet drink thingy that I never had explained to me.  The standout was the olive foam.

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what we got was pretty similar. from bottom left: the yucca chips with brie and i think peppers (I asked the maitre for a copy of the menu and he promised to send it via email... will report). delicious. then the potato chips with the olive foam. As Bruce says, this was the most interesting bit. Above the "garrapiñada" (peanut covered with caramelized sugar), to the right the big olive with the anchovy, and next to it we had what I think were rovello mushrooms. In the center the mashed potato with lemon and the tuna tartare on top. The potato had a cilantro sauce which was quite strong, and I made the mistake to have it first, thus most of the other flavors were shadowed by the cilantro... a pitty, and I wish the maitre would have told me about the sauce, which he didn't when describing the dish.

Second wave:  One: A green salad with octopus civeche and apple soup.  There Scallops with tangerine and orange bits, olive oil, and soy sauce.  Again, delicious.

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we didn't get the octoups ceviche, instead, a Carpa (don't know the fish's name in english) was offered.

Third wave:  One of the dishes was goose foie gras served with piece of persimmon -- yummy.  The other was called "roast beef" on the menu.  It was actually three different animals in a roast-beef-like preparation: lamb, duck, and cow.  This was surprisingly good.

←

I agree with Bruce again, the meat cuts were good and the foie was excellent.

Fourth wave:  "Mushroom cake" with truffle oil.  This was some kind of cracker base with chopped wild mushroom tepanade on top, and slivers of some kind of white mushroom on top of that.  I can't even begin to describe how good it was.  Amazing.  The dish of the meal.  The other item was called "cephalopod with mentaiko," and was lightly grilled squid with fish roe on top.  Delicious.

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the base mushrooms were ceps, and the white ones on top were described as wild champignon. I found it good but the flavors were a bit... soft.

The sepia was a tad below room temperature, which I found weird. I would have enjoyed it more if warmer.

Fifth wave:  A plate of sauteed red mullet served with mushrooms and diakon.  Tasty, but I was getting full.

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We had a Dorada suqet with potato, garlic and suqet puree.

Sixth (and final) wave: French toast with vanilla foam.  Again with the foam, and another delicious dish.

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Same dessert. It was excellent. (Sorry, I was a bit typsy by then and snatched a spoonfull before taking the pictre )

we actually had one more dessert, a chocolate mousse with maldon salt and olive oil (reminded me of the olive oil dessert at Batali's Otto in NY), and a thin slice of crunchy bread. Unfortunately my battery died and I wasn't able to take one last picture.

picture of the kitchen.

Overall it was a good lunch, but given all the rave about Comerç 24 it fell a bit below my expectations. The service was excellent, and more than half of tables were busy.

Silly

Edited November 11, 2004 by Silly Disciple (log)

[SBonner]

My wife and I ate here last week during our stay in Spain and the food, wine, nad service were great. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visting Barcelona. The set menu was less than 50 Euros p.p. and offered a lot more than we would find in Vancouver at the same price.

[docsconz]

Excellent report, Silly, with beautiful photos. By appearance at least the restaurant is comparable to others in Barcelona I am familiar with. The foie with persimmons looked particularly delectable.

[paulbrussel]

"Overall it was a good lunch, but given all the rave about Comerç 24 it fell a bit below my expectations. The service was excellent, and more than half of tables were busy."

Exactly my impression. The rave is, I think only because it is the most look-a-like of elBulli in BCN.

I hope you had other experiences, e.g. at Alkimia, that just received its first Michelin star; well deserved, I would say.