Pompa: the brother of the Berbena restaurant "that got out of hand"

How does Carlos Pérez de Rozas Canut manage to give his restaurants such charm and charisma? Anyone who didn't know Berbena, when they passed by, would be mesmerized for a second, glance inside, and think: "I'd like to be one of the people at these tables right now." Well, it turns out that a few months ago he opened the Pompa restaurant, and the same thing happens. Just a few steps from Berbena, at the intersection of Séneca and Minerva streets, we find Pompa like a magnet. It seems like a bubble in the middle of Barcelona. Perhaps that's where the name comes from. Just as embassies are part of the territory of their respective countries, these two Pérez de Rozas restaurants must be part of their own universe. One that has gained many followers, more than can possibly be counted, because a common complaint Berbena received was that it was difficult to get a table. Of course, memories are short, and the chef says it wasn't always like that.

When he opened Berbena seven years ago, he didn't have a strategy for getting the word out. “Our Instagram is often the antithesis of marketing strategies,” he says. He explains that they’ve never invited anyone to speak, and that, moreover, when he opened, he didn’t know anyone in the industry because he’d spent a decade abroad. He can’t say the same about the new restaurant, Pompa. It’s built on the success of the other restaurant, so it’s been packed from the start. It also helps that it’s very small—therefore, not difficult to fill—and that when one is full, they direct you to the other. “One Wednesday, we filled both restaurants with a double shift. And we’re baffled by it because we don’t understand it. You feel like you have survivor syndrome: the plane crashes, everyone dies, and you don’t,” Carles Pérez de Rozas explains honestly. When he says this, he’s referring to the fact that there are good restaurants that strive to be full.

When construction began on Pompa, it was rumored to be a wine bar, but it has turned out to be a fine restaurant. A place even more upscale than Berbena.This got out of hand"He says, referring to the cost of the renovations. But there's another factor that led him to decide on a restaurant with a higher average price. "You need a financial structure to pay better salaries, not haggle with suppliers, pay for artisanal products..." he explains, and that could only be guaranteed beyond a certain level of spending.

Thus: "Berbena is more mischievous, eclectic, and modern. Pompa is sophisticated and refined. It's not snobbish or elitist. The cuisine is more traditional, rooted in tradition, and simple. Like, for example, beans with potatoes served on a tray, or a salad. More home-style. It's a paradox." High-end home cooking, then.

On the menu, you'll find crispy corn, polenta pim-pam, the "reluciente" (a type of polenta), grilled duck hearts, and charcuterie that Pérez de Rozas brings from Corsica. Pérez de Rozas, whom regular customers will always find. [The text abruptly shifts to a seemingly unrelated topic:] wine access unicorns"It's not up to me to judge the customer, whether they're ready or not. And I shouldn't set an exorbitant price point. I don't put up barriers for anyone to access them. Whoever wants it can ask, and I'll be happy to open the door. I don't care who you are," he explains, referring to places that don't serve certain people. He wants "wine consumption to be democratized."

He's also proud of his bread, which they bake themselves, and the olive oil, which a friend supplies. Add wine to the mix, and we have "the three pillars. We have" the three pillars. Sharing and socializing it is our job. If you're unsure which of the two restaurants to choose, de Rozas makes it easy: "Here at Pompa, the food is designed to complement the wine. At Berbena, the wine complements the food." Choose your adventure.