A themed restaurant, which turned out to be a delicious surprise: Restaurant Teatro Kitchen & Bar (23. March 2024)
I had picked the Teatro Kitchen & Bar because I figured it had good ratings. That being said, I was a bit surprised when I entered the Teatro because it looked rather like a very ‘hip event space’ than a restaurant serving good food. Well, first impressions can be wrong. But that only changed once the food arrived. The waiter was friendly, but incredibly ‘cold’, i.e., really just focused on doing his job. Now, this is not, per se, wrong, but it doesn’t make you feel welcome as a guest.
In any case, the concept is that you get a lot of small bites and maybe one or two big bites. To start, the “Quelites taco km0” (EUR 3.90 / unit), which turned out to be “tacos de hibiscus” were interesting to get your palate started because the ‘tortilla’ was actually sweet.
The “Cannolo catalano” (EUR 5.30 / unit) was absolutely delicious! I mean, the filling was just cream cheese, but the topping was just amazing – especially with the small anchovy dots.
The “pork rind & prawn cristal” (EUR 7.20 / unit) was lovely in terms of flavour profile. However, it’s not easy to eat, so you have to be rather careful if you want to not have a mess (didn’t work for me). But the combination of the crunchiness of the chicharrones and the lightness of crystal prawns was just amazing.
The “Spider crab Thai toast” (EUR 6.00 / unit) was OMG! I mean, the combination of the sweetness of the meat of the Spider crab and the toppings – a poem in your mouth! I wished I had ordered more than two!
Luckily, there were other outstanding dishes like the “Beef Ly0 flute” (EUR 8.50 / unit), which was exquisite as well. I wish they would have a explained a bit more what exactly you’re eating, but I do admit they were great in terms of flavour! Again, something I was almost re-ordering for dessert!
The last small dish was the “nori, foie gras & eel tartlet” (EUR 8.50 / unit). Firstly, it was impressive how they had built a small box out of the nori leaves and made it into a tartlet. That being said, the combination of eel and foie gras works a charm! Frankly, I was totally exhilarated by the food!
Then, I went for the “yellowtail fish ‘aguachile’ & chips” (EUR 16.00), which was a little dampener. Unfortunately, the ceviche was not as great as other ceviches (yes yes, I know, it was technically not a ceviche, but it was still a ceviche). Still, it was good. But just in comparison to the previous dishes, it didn’t quite match.
The “St. Carles prawns roll” (EUR 8.00 / unit) were delicious. From a price point perspective, I found EUR 8.00 per roll a bit of a rip-off, because they are basically gone with 1-2 bites each. But, admittedly, tasty.
Given the neighbouring table had ordered a dish, which looked super appealing, I decided to also go for it. And the “Korean octopus” (EUR 15.00) turned out to be delicious, because you had to dip it in a sauce, and then in the crunchy bit, and man, it was great!
Then, I went for what I had believed to be the main course (in terms of price), and in terms of size, it also somehow was. The “bone marrow, grilled sweetbread & black truffle” (EUR 28.00) was a lovely flavour combination. I mean, you must like bone marrow, and you must like sweetbread, but if you do, then it’s delicious. There was plenty of bone marrow and it was outstanding in terms of flavour. The sweetbread pieces on top really added to the dish as well. What I liked was the ‘sliced fennel’, which acted as a palate cleanser.
My personal disappointment was the “truffled cheese brioche” (EUR 8.50). It was a bit cheesy inside and had a bit of truffle, but it was really average and definitely not worth the EUR 8.50.
All in all, the whole place feels more like a theatre (hence, the name, I suppose), but it definitely serves – to a large degree – delicious food.
If you get a seat next to one part of the kitchen, you will see that they have an interesting ceiling (i.e., strawberries), which is definitely something a bit out of the ordinary.
All in all, I loved the experience at the Teatro. Sure, the staff could be a little friendlier, the prices for the single dishes are rather expensive, and the background music should – IMHO – be less loud, but other than that, it was a great experience. I suppose, booking in advance is highly recommended. Also, once you’re done, and if you pre-book, you can be moved to the Backstage Bar to finish your drink, or to take another one.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Teatro Kitchen & Bar
Av. del Parallel 164
L’Eixample
08015 Barcelona (E)
Tel.: +34 936 83 69 98
E-Mail: info@teatrokitchenbar.com
Homepage: http://www.teatrokitchenbar.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. 
