An ode to the fresh product without artifice
The Somsis remains as a vestige of the best that the Mediterranean Sea offers in the middle of the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona
Somsis
- Address: carrer de Montsió, 7, 08002 BarcelonaMenu: fish and seafoodMust-try: scorpionfish (if available)Wine: good menu with interesting proposalsService: friendly and honestLocation: part of the old convent of Mont-SióPrice paid per person: 70€
Samuel Soria is a person who is well-loved. He has been able to learn from the best teachers: his parents. He is the son of Mar i Rufo, one of Barcelona's most outstanding eateries. At Somsis, the product is the most important thing, and therefore, inventions are superfluous. This is a joint project by Lluís Costa and Toni Carrasco, led from the kitchen and dining room by Samu. We are in the Gothic Quarter, in a space that occupies the last vestige of the primitive convent of Mont-Sió from the 15th century.
The first thing we see upon entering is a display case that presides over the kitchen with the best fish and seafood. The staging already invites you to enjoy yourself thoroughly, but the best is yet to come. We sit at the table to enjoy the best product, but with control so as not to get burned. We start the meal with an anchovy gilda; some rock mussels; a brioche of smoked eel with teriyaki sauce, and a tuna belly tataki with mustard, soy, and wasabi sauce. A bottle of Vitus, from the Llopart cellars, accompanies us throughout the meal, a fresh white wine that pairs perfectly with everything we taste.
The second part of the meal is focused on increasingly exclusive products: foot-and-a-half-long grilled langoustines and a scorpionfish large enough to yield three portions. Product and only product, without excessive artifices or manipulations. With the Llavaneres coca and some chocolate-filled wafers, we conclude a meal based on the best product that the Mediterranean offers us.
The name of the restaurant comes from the fact that upstairs there is a table for six: the three partners plus three essential collaborators to move this project forward. They decided on this name to give value to the communion between all of them and to the importance of each person's work. Furthermore, Samu had the great fortune of Rosa (ex Mar i Rufo) accompanying him on this adventure. They opened a year and a half ago, and the clientele is already loyal: some already knew him, and others have joined him after tasting this proposal so simple yet, at the same time, so difficult to execute well.
After lunch, we sit with Samu at the table for six. “I was born into a wonderful family, where my father and mother are very hardworking. I learned how to work with the product from them. I don't like to hide where I come from; I am very proud of it,” he explains to us with passion and showing great affection. “We want the product to come from nearby fish markets. Today, the scorpionfish you ate was from Sant Carles de la Ràpita, and the langoustines, from Arenys.”
Samu and his partners have established themselves in the Gothic Quarter. It may be too soon to say they have triumphed, but the foundations are solid, the product is impeccable, and the staff is unbeatable. If you go, let us know...