Can Bonet, the essence of Catalan cuisine arrives in Madrid
News arrives at El Retiro neighborhood . One of the gastronomic meccas of the capital , adds a new neighbor, one that comes from the memory of two old acquaintances from the neighborhood, Esther Bonet and Pere Vendrell . You will know them for being the architects of bringing a good part of the balearic cuisine , more specifically from Ibiza, with its restaurant Sa Brisa.
There they conquered us all with those dishes that traveled from Pitiusa around the world and geniuses like croquettes of bullit de peix with skate, the potera squid hot dog with kimchi, the peasant salad with peix sec from Formentera or the sirvia ibicenca ceviche . Three years later they go further and search their imagination to give birth to Can Bonet , his new restaurant, which opened on March 1 in the premises next to Sa Brisa.
Can Bonet, the essence of Catalan cuisine arrives in Madrid
Like many of the ideas that we have been seeing in recent months, Can Bonet was born during confinement . With more time at home than ever, Esther and Pere began to delve into their roots and cook at home. “ We started making recipes from Pere's mother who was a great cook. Many of them Catalan , which is where we are from”, Esther tells Traveler.es. Fate wanted the opportunity to stay with the premises next to Sa Brisa and materialize there that project that they had been thinking about for a long time.
“Those months woke us up the essence of our roots, the sea, the mountains, flavors, smells and textures with which we grew up . The smell of charcoal, of toasted bread with caramelized sugar... The recipes of our mothers and grandmothers They helped us get through the days and this was like being at home for us. Can Bonet is our tribute to all of them ”. In this way they relate what this new space means. “ Can Bonet is as if you came to eat at our house ”, remarks Esther.
Can Bonet, the essence of Catalan cuisine arrives in Madrid
And precisely, it is the first thing that one is going to find as soon as one enters, one of those restaurants that comfort . While Sa Brisa did have the design of Proyecto Singular, this new space was born purely from the hand of this couple. “Being so small, and I love decoration, we jumped into the pool and did everything ourselves. We have recovered an exposed brick wall, we have relied on small companies for furniture and lamps, the mirrors have been made for us by a client from Sa Brisa, the sofa by a gentleman from the neighbourhood...”, explains Esther. Just a few tables that ooze Mediterranean on all four sides , with natural elements, wood and crockery of Porcelain Irabia , in addition to a terrace in the heart of Menéndez Pelayo.
In a neighborhood with dozens of proposals, they thought of creating an alternative, something that, in the end, would add more to the offer of the always appetizing Retiro. Thus, the letter from Can Bonet It is a dance between Mediterranean and Catalan touches . “We are from Lleida and there are things that we have brought from there, such as sausages, snails, cheeses or esqueixada ”, they affirm and continue: “the cuisine here is much simpler than that of Sa Brisa. We continue to use excellent product, grill, traditional dishes...”
Can Bonet has a terrace that overlooks Menéndez Pelayo
The way to start is already a declaration of intent, with an appetizer of bull or botifarra, a basket of Pa Amb Tomàquet , Ibiza salt and Malpartit arbequina oil, made by the Pere family. What then can be found in his letter? of your section 'To get started' open mouth with esqueixada it is mandatory. It is one of the iconic dishes of the house and takes the recipe of the one that used to be prepared in the past to preserve the fish for longer. In Can Bonet they serve fresh cod loin, accompanied with tomato, onion and olives from Aragon . Also purely Catalan They are the gormanta snails with alioli . “We clean and boil them and then cook them in a saucepan with a mixture of herbs de Provence, flour or breadcrumbs and flambé them with cognac. They remain dry and are eaten with alioli”, confesses Esther.
Sausages and pa amb tomàquet from Can Bonet
Another safe bet is charcuterie board , among which, in addition to Bellota loin and sobrassada from Majorca , can be tested white sausage or fuet ; and the shellfish, which can be ordered in portions or as a kind of barbecue with white prawns, rock mussels, cockles and razor clams, all prepared on the grill.
Essential are also the enlisted prawns , who peel and prepare the Josper, to later make them with garlic with their heads. They have a spicy point -addictive-, which gives them the piparra with which they are accompanied. Also the seafood clams, with an onion stew, one of those in which you dip bread and taste like a mother's kitchen.
Prawns ready with garlic and piparra
And to continue? Vegetables from the garden al Josper with romescu or one selection of rice that they prepare individually, that are quite complete and can also be shared, with recipes such as rice with rabbit and snails, that with prawns or a fidueà de rossejat with cuttlefish and squid , which they make with a good base and are served with tempura cuttlefish legs and black aioli. Later, they plan to include in their letter a stew . "In Lleida we prepare it with lobster or lobster, snails and potatoes," they share.
The product they work with is exceptional and can be seen in dishes such as grilled toad with garlic, baked turbot or kid chops with aubergine . Pulling from the Catalan side, there are outstanding dishes. Examples like your version of the bacallà a la llauna , which in Catalonia is usually prepared with black sausage and beans , but here they give a twist to the traditional recipe and serve it in cod loin with chickpeas and sobrassada. Also the artisanal sausage from Cal Miquelet on dried (Santa Pau beans) or the black and white , which they lighten with escalivada.
Bacallà a la llauna with a twist of Can Bonet
Desserts are noteworthy . In addition to more well-known proposals such as a mille-feuille with red fruit cream or a creamy chocolate with mascarpone, orange and almonds , in Can Bonet they have opted for other delicacies that should not be missed. One of them is the gypsy arm with cream . “It is a dessert that is usually eaten on Sundays in Catalonia, at family meals. It is a tradition to go buy dessert and it is usual to order the tortell de nata with puff pastry or the gypsy arm. It is Pere's favorite dessert . My grandmother also prepared it at home”, Esther tells us.
The result is epic, sweet, wonderful. They make it with cream and finish it at the table with a chocolate coating. Other hit are their artisan vanilla, chocolate or coconut ice creams. What is special about them? That they are very good and that they arrive at the table in an ad hoc ice cream cart, with their toppings, so that you can prepare them yourself to taste.
Gypsy arm with cream and chocolate coating from Can Bonet
The wine list comes to reaffirm the entire proposal . In addition to national references, they have a good collection of cavas and wines from Penedés, Montsant or Priorat , with labels like Batea Rebels , which is made with a white Grenache from old vines or Jean Leon wines.
Do you already know which is the next restaurant where you are going to reserve? Can Bonet, of course.
Can Bonet, the essence of Catalan cuisine arrives in Madrid
Address: Av. Menéndez Pelayo, 15 See map
Telephone: 910 464 408
Schedule: From Monday to Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.