A place I wouldn’t enter from the outside, but which turned out to be surprisingly good: Restaurant La Clara (16. August 2025)

When you enter the La Clara, you’re taken a bit aback since the entrance is basically a bar, so, you’re wondering where the restaurant part is, but that is towards the back and downstairs, so, there is actually more than enough time to sit down and enjoy a proper meal. Once we were seated, we decided to order a few things, which would make sure we’d have an interesting lunch, starting with the “tomato coca bread” (EUR 3.95), which is just somehow a must when you’re in Catalunia.

I decided to start with the “raf tomato salad with onion and tuna belly” (EUR 16.90) and was rather disappointed since I had expected raw tuna belly instead of what looked like canned tuna. I’m not saying, it was canned, but frankly, it was a bit disappointing. At least the tomatoes were flavorful.

Next in line was a “roast vegetable pie with anchovies and broad beans” (EUR 15.50), which was also very different from what I had imagined. Sure, a pie can be many things, but somehow I had expected – somewhere in the picture at least – some dough, but there wasn’t any. So, frankly, that wasn’t entirely my dish.

Then, we went for the “Iberian ham croquettes” (EUR 2.95 per unit), which were quite fine – so, nothing to complain about here.

The “Catalan sausage with white beans” (EUR 16.50) was exactly what the description on the menu said. A sausage with white beans. Somehow, I don’t know why, I had thought you’d get a proper plate, which looks like a meal. I mean, it is a meal. But somehow, it looked almost too simple for a restaurant (and the price). The beans were delicious, though. The sausage, on the other hand, was a bit too coarse for my personal gusto – but rich from a flavor perspective.

That one thing I do – picking and trying the thing which I haven’t tried before – turned out to be “battered lamb brains” (EUR 16.50) and frankly, that is a dish I’m happy I tried because it’s interesting, but it’s also definitely a dish I won’t have again. The texture of lamb brains is way too mushy for me to truly enjoy it. But, you know, you’ll never know unless you try.

Then it was time for the “cheese ice cream with red fruits” (EUR 8.00), which turned out to be quite a massive portion (and quite expensive too, for what you get), but which was also enjoyable in terms of flavor combination.

Although I had asked for two scoops of ice cream, they weren’t served together but separately, so I got two plates of ice cream, which was a bit too much. However, the “nougat ice cream” (EUR 8.00) was an interesting flavor profile, but not necessarily something I would want to order again.

The place is superbly simple in terms of interior design, but it seems like a lot of locals are actually coming here, which is a good sign, and I think that shows in the dishes. I mean, you get traditional, simple, tasty dishes, which are tasty – minus the lamb brains, but I’m sure people would disagree. That being said, I think it’s good to book a talbe in advance – although the place wasn’t fully booked out, it was about 75% booked out, and we came very early for Spanish standards (1pm CET).

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Contact Details:

Restaurant La Clara

Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 442

L’Eixample

08015 Barcelona (E)

Tel.: +34 932 89 34 60

Heomepage: https://www.laclararestaurant.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.