Public, more than a wine bar on duty
With nearly 200 wines available for purchase and takeaway during its extended opening hours, it seems logical to think of the new Público as a fantastic wine bar that has just opened its doors at 30 Enric Granados Street in Barcelona.
A highly versatile concept that plays with different spaces and aspires to be the place to grab a quick lunch, enjoy a glass of wine and some snacks in the afternoon, or plan a gourmet dinner. All this with a fairly short menu where, again, each diner can choose their path: a clear focus on the product without much fuss, or more elaborate dishes.
At the helm of the kitchen is Edgar Martínez, with an impressive resume from some of the country's finest restaurants (Arzak, Dos Palillos, etc.) and who launched the Michelin-starred Xerta in Barcelona. He has recently joined the PanteaGroup project, which previously operated Sumac & Mambo in this same location, a lively Middle Eastern restaurant where, frankly, the food was excellent.
Edgar Martínez has taken charge of the kitchen at Público.
But now it's about raising the bar in gastronomy with a change of direction, a new head chef and, on the horizon for the group, the opening of a restaurant with the Torres Brothers in the new gastronomic area of Barcelona's Port Olimpic.
Price according to market
Still finding its feet after opening just a few weeks ago, there's still room to fine-tune the service and the culinary philosophy, which will have to choose between prioritizing the product and the grill as the main focus, or more elaborate dishes. The truth is, the space, the ambiance, and the local offerings all strongly suggest embracing the former. And allowing the fish and meats displayed at the entrance—where there's even a lobster tank—to truly shine.
More elaborate dishes, such as these squid stuffed with sausage, also have their place on the menu.
We started off on the right foot with a superb steak tartare: excellent hand-cut beef, seasoned with just the right touch of spice—there's always time to turn it up—and flavored with sriracha instead of Tabasco. Served on a brioche bun with smoked butter (from Rooftop Smokehouse, we're told), it's a real treat.
Another classic, the potato salad, is given a high-level twist with a combination of perfectly cooked potatoes and vegetables, to which house-pickled mussels are added - the sauce itself is used as a seasoning for the whole - and some salted prawns to top it off.
Among the more substantial dishes, the parmentier—exquisitely delicate and creamy, patiently prepared in the open kitchen that allows you to watch everything unfold—served with an egg and accompanied by a small seared slice of foie gras, earns a high mark. We have more reservations about the cod cheeks served on a faux risotto with wheat and green sauce. It's tasty, but it unnecessarily overshadows such a magnificent ingredient as the pieces of cod, which are succulent and have a perfectly balanced saltiness.
Good product and charcoal grilling, one of the pillars of this project.
Those looking for hearty stews and soups should definitely try the squid stuffed with Catalan sausage (from Cal Rovira, an excellent pork supplier), with mushrooms and Santa Pau bean cream. A well-prepared classic, although we wonder if removing some of the ingredients would allow the others to shine even more. Less is more, a saying that's been repeated so often in the culinary world lately.
In any case, those who are looking for something like that always have the option of browsing the selection of fish and seafood and opting for grilled dishes. The price, of course, depends on the market.
Wine shop
This dynamic menu, which changes according to the season or what's available at the fish market, is amplified when it comes to drinks. But it's almost better to browse the extensive electronic menu, check out the wine rack, or rely on the daily selection of drinks.
Wines can be purchased to take away or consumed in the dining room by paying a small corkage fee.
Xavi Nolla – whose interesting Vins de la Memòria are located there – is in charge of this selection, with very reasonable prices. For those who want to take it home, the price marked on the bottle only needs to be increased by 8 euros for corkage to enjoy it in the dining room.
An interesting option. The reasonable prices encourage you to try it, and, as Público rightly points out, being open until 11:00 PM every day for wine sales makes them a must-visit wine bar in the city center that's always worth keeping in mind.
Still with details to adjust after the launch, the space and the proposal have the potential to carve out a niche in the area and, as its own managers acknowledge, take over from the defunct Monvinic.
