18. October 2014: Restaurant Arume

The Restaurant Arume is ranked quite high on TripAdvisor – usually a more or less reliable source but I must admit, I was not fully satisfied after this experience. While when you enter the atmosphere is absolutely great as the entrance is small, there is a cozy bar and you feel like you are entering a special area as the restaurant is also located in a small side street which you would usually not enter. However, after you are brought to the table through a small labyrinth, there is a small serving from the kitchen – “empanada con pulpo”. It is nice to get a small surprise from the kittchen but in all fairness if it really does not taste like much I wonder why serving it.

The selection of starters we had ordered that evening was a quite okay. Starting with “foie terrine, apple sorbet, ‘tetilla’ cheese and brioche” (EUR 13.50). The foie gras was somehow lacking a bit in intensity of taste. The combination with the apple sorbet though was a pleasant surprise I have not tried before but I must admit that I definitely would again.

The second starter of the night, “burratina, guacamole, sun-dried tomatoes and almond vinaigrette” (EUR 9.00) was truly rich. The burrata was aromatic, nicely smooth and the enrichment with guacamole and sun-dried tomatoes made it a really flavourful dish.

While the “king prawns tempura with ‘ajada’ mayonnaise” (EUR 8.50) looked incredibly good (and were served with soy sauce upon request of one of the party) they were not as tasty as they looked.

When we saw the tuna served at another table it looked so damn delicious we figured we should all order the same dish as a main course – which we only realized though the moment the dish was served – the “tuna dices breaded in sesame with spicy carrot purree” (EUR 15.50) looked incredibly nice but really a disappointment. The tuna was not really smooth and lacked aroma – however the crust around it was actually quite nice. In addition, the spicy carrot purree was great too. The combination of the various flavours together was also okay but the tuna by itself was really just a disappointment.

For desser, the “cardamon marinated fruits, mandarin foam and gin” (EUR 5.00) were again nothing special. The mandarin foam, I must say, was great but the fruit below was really not tasting like much. Well, once you are put down due to the tuna it is not such a big disappointment anymore.

Although I am not a huge fan of chocolate, I must admit that the second dessert, the “cocoa sponge cake, white chocolate, yoghourt and spiced ice cream” (EUR 5.00) was actually quite rich. The cake itself was aromatic and fluffy but the chocolate had some flavour in it we were – at first – not quite able to identify. But later figured it was pepper – frankly speaking, yeah, it is interesting as it is a combination of flavours you would not really expect but on the other hand it was really not to my liking.

However, the atmosphere is great, very interesting, pulsating – the prices are fair (e.g. a bottle of red wine, “Milo, 2013” accounts for a mere EUR 15.50; a bottle of sparklign water for EUR 2.50, and a double espresso for EUR 1.60). In addition to that, the service is friendly, dedicated and does a good job – until it comes to the point when you are ordering the bill. Then, suddendly, service seems to ignore you.

To sum it up, I am a bit unsure what to say – I mean, the place is totally cool, the prices are very fair, the dishes are not all bad but you just have to make sure to order various dishes and share them all. That the restaurant is ranked in the Top 10 on Tripadvisor for Barcelona is something I would definitely not support though.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Arume

Carrer de Botella 11-13

08001 Barcelona (E)

Tel.: +34 933 154 872

E-Mail: info@arumerestaurant.com

Homepage: http://www.arumerestaurant.com

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.