Opened in 1944, La Cova Fumada ("The Smoked Cave") is one of the most popular gastronomic icons in Barcelona's port area.
Every day, people from all over the city come here to enjoy the powerful charms of fried fish.
Today, I'm taking you on a tour of this legendary restaurant in the heart of Barcelona.
Cova Fumada: article summary
Cova Fumada: a unique atmosphere in Barcelona
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere has remained virtually unchanged since the 1940s. In those difficult years, just after the Spanish Civil War, the main customers of this typical bodega were locals and shipyard workers from the port and from the famous "Maquinista" ironworks and machinery factory nearby.
The latter would come to enjoy a glass of wine and heat up their own food in the open "cheap kitchen". The same spirit still permeates the tiny place today, from the seven old marble tables and the same cramped open kitchen with its almost prehistoric blackboard, with the same menuThe wooden wine barrels are connected to a pair of taps set into a marble panel, on which bar tabs are inscribed in pencil.
Everything here feels like a blast from the past. More than just a restaurant, the place is truly part of the city's ethnographic heritage.
A prime location
Although La Cova Fumada is located in the market square of Barceloneta and has two entrances, it's not so easy to find if you don't know what you're looking for. There are no signs above the doors, so you'll have to look for people waiting outside and follow the aromas escaping from the kitchen window.
Cova Fumada: exceptional cuisine
La Cova Fumada is rightly legendary for its cuisine, not least for introducing the potato bomb, invented in the 1950s by MarÃa Pla, grandmother of the current owners, brothers Josep MarÃa y Magà Sole.
His original version of this dish, which has since become one of tapas was a small ball made of mashed potatoes with pork inside, rolled in breadcrumbs and eggs, fried in olive oil and, finally, served with aïoli or a spicier sauce made with cayenne pepper.
Beyond the famous potato bombs, the slate menu is more or less a list of classic tapas and small portions of fresh seafood grilled with garlic and parsley. Sardines, mackerel, shrimp, calamari and octopus are all served with a touch of olive oil and enjoyed preferably with Pa amb tomà quet (bread rubbed with oil and tomato).
Tapas not to be missed
Other excellent tapas include tender and very tasty fried artichokes, cooked chickpeas, stewed Cartagena beans, butifarra negra (Catalan black sausage) and salt cod.
Another dish is cap i pota, a stew made with the gelatinous parts of the pig's head. The only change in the menu over the last 70 years has been the introduction of seasonal seafood. Fresh clams, razor clams or crayfish, are steamed and prepared very simply.
How to get to Cova Fumada?
To get there, I recommend you take :
- Visit metro and exit at Barceloneta station (line L4)
You'll then have to walk a few minutes in the direction of the beach to find the establishment.
What are the opening hours?
The venue opens :
- Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
- Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
- Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Cova Fumada is perfect for a meal out with friends before your visit to the beach at Barceloneta. Here you can eat light and enjoy delicious dishes. before a relaxing day on the sands of Barcelona.
Leave a Reply