A fishing neighborhood in the middle of the city

Jesús was born in Barceloneta sixty-seven years ago, specifically on Grau i Torras street next to Sant Miquel beach. This central spot in the neighborhood was once home to numerous beach bars, all of which were demolished in the early nineties due to the coastal law to make way for the seafront promenade. The Olympic dream was reclaiming the beach with a sea-level promenade and, with the blows of bulldozers, erasing an iconic image of the Barcelona coastline. Our host is a son of Barcelona's old fishing quarter, the owner of El Pescadito Frito (The Little Fried Fish), and his surnames are Barrio Pesquero (Fishing Quarter). And that's no joke!

We found Jesús a little way from the sea, on Villarroel Street, very close to the theater known for its extensive program of contemporary Catalan drama. At El Pescadito Frito (The Little Fried Fish), the stars are the fish caught on the beach and a deep fryer. They don't have a kitchen. We'll have fried fish and a few grilled items. We tell Jesús to bring us whatever he wants, and Óscar Martín, his godson, will be in charge of frying it. The menu is simple, and they don't overcomplicate things. We start with a beer, boiled prawns, cockles, and clams. Before we even have time to linger, it's time to test Óscar's skill at the fryer: fried fish, white cuttlefish, baby squid, and spider crab. Tasty, not at all oily, and with no smell of... fried foodA masterclass on something seemingly so simple is commendable.

We finished Jesús's suggestion with a plate of wonderful Huelva red prawns (you can eat them all) and grilled sardines that reminded us we're not so far removed from those beach bars that disappeared more than thirty years ago. The wine for this meal was Masia la Sala, an organic wine from the Penedès region made with Xarel·lo, Macabeo, and Chardonnay grapes and produced at the Domènech i Vidal winery. Staying true to the philosophy of keeping things simple, the dessert was from La Menorquina, the company that began its ice cream empire in 1940 in Alaior (Menorca).

"The key is the oil"

“Every day I go shopping at La Boqueria, the Ninot Market, and the Sant Antoni Market. I want to see what I'm buying. Our approach is based on the quality of the fish and seafood. I want to choose the product and the price,” Jesús explains. He believes in what they do, and their accumulated experience reinforces a concept that works very well for them. But he also adds emphatically, “The key is the oil. It has to be good and it has to be changed often.” We can attest to this: there are no odors, and the food is perfectly digestible.

Jesús started working as a waiter in 1984, and after six months the owner moved to Seville. Jesús then took over the business and became both owner and employee. Two years later, Óscar, who was still in school, decided to join his godfather in this venture.

A fryer, a pan, fresh, quality fish, good oil, skilled hands, professionalism, impeccable cleanliness, and good people at the helm. A simple formula, but hard to find. This pure, well-executed approach is what you'll find at El Pescadito Frito del Jesús Barrio Pesquero.