For Work For Pleasure, Rafa Zafra's daily menu
It's no secret that Rafa Zafra's extensive list of restaurants offers excellent food, but the bills are rarely what some would call affordable.
In this landscape where restaurants like Estimar in Barcelona and Madrid and Casa Jondal in Ibiza coexist, Per Feina is something of an oddity. A restaurant dedicated to its daily set menu, it opened in 2022 in Barcelona's Poblé Nou neighborhood and has now moved to the upper part of the city, at the corner of Vía Augusta and Diagonal.
The name has grown to Per Feina, Per Plaer, meaning "for work and for pleasure." The same concept of simple cuisine and relatively moderate prices remains, but now it's expanding to include evening dining. And, of course, it's designed with that upscale clientele in mind who want a set menu but are also willing to pay a bit more.
There's a set menu, à la carte options, and lunch and dinner specials. In other words, lunch for work, dinner for pleasure, although in reality almost all the options can be combined at any time. Except for the set lunch menu, which, naturally, is only available at lunchtime on weekdays for €24. It includes a first course, a second course, a drink, and dessert or coffee. Bread, by the way, is not included.
Customers can create their own menu from the dishes listed on the "Per Feina" menu. For example, a potato salad or a delicious grilled artichoke with romesco sauce to start, followed by meatballs in pepitoria sauce, Catalan-style confit cod, steak, and more.
Dishes that stray from the usual luxurious imagery of Zafra, but which, served in this charming establishment, transform the popular set menu into a thoroughly enjoyable business lunch. And it's full of local touches, both in the classic Catalan stews (peas with cuttlefish, cap i pota with chickpeas…) and in a Barcelona-style macaroni that, incidentally, seems to be everywhere these days.
Those who come with more time or a desire to explore the "Per plaer" section will find a dozen dishes where quality ingredients and simplicity reign supreme: confit leeks with hazelnuts—highly recommended—decent truffle cannelloni, rib rice, and onion soup. Comfort food with dishes under 20 euros, except for those who opt for the Rossini steak or the 500-gram ribeye.
Although the kitchen isn't always open, in the afternoon they offer a more casual menu with items from the bar's display case, cured meats, and preserves. And, of course, the ever-present gilda.
Open since last spring, the attractive venue also lends itself to events, and they're already exploring ways to capitalize on the after-work scene. The truth is, in Barcelona, at least during the week, the typical afternoon social gathering is much less common, but Zafra certainly doesn't offer any options. The cocktail menu—classic and moderately priced for the location—reflects this same approach.
An elegant eatery with a Catalan spirit, but one that could definitely pay more attention to the bread used for its pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato). It's not about being purists, but it's an important detail in a place with such a menu and walls covered in beautiful illustrations of Catalan recipes. The wine-by-the-glass selection is also somewhat limited compared to the restaurant's extensive wine and sparkling wine list.
In any case, it's an option with excellent value for money, considering the dishes, the restaurant, and the neighborhood. The move to a new area has allowed them to expand their offerings and adjust prices to the area and the year, although not drastically, as back in 2022 the Per Feina menu was around €18. Inflation, you know how it is. And the neighborhood.
Per Feina Per Plaer
Address: Via Augusta, 9, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Barcelona, Spain.
