Seriously sexy Japanese dining
Price Approx. €30 - €40
Nearest Metro: Passeig de Gracia
Robata Sushi & Grill
Enric Granados, 55
+34 937 826 000
www.robata.es
Go for: the spicy tuna roll | yaki soba | homemade carrot cake | the beautifully designed interior
Good for: date night | both large/small groups | drinks & sharing | something special
Need to know: Day | Night | Terrace | Takes Reservations | Family Friendly
Despite its central location on Calle Enric Granados, Robata is surprisingly hard to find.
The only signage is incredibly discreet, in the oh-so-trendy manner of a top London or New York restaurant, forcing you to be “in the know” to come and eat here.
Sticking my nose two feet from the brushed black glass to ensure I am in the right place, I get a sense of what sort of place this will be, before I step inside.
And I’m not wrong.
Robata is chic, modern and dark. Really, really dark.
Our group is led through a series of different rooms, taking a journey through Japan as we do.
From a Japanese market, via a leafy green patio, we arrive at a typical Japanese gastro-pub, the kind of place you’d go for after-work drinks in Tokyo.
Each space has it’s own identity and ambience, meaning that families, kids and couples can all dine alongside our rather more raucous girl group.
Whether it’s sushi, grilled meats or yaki soba that floats your boat, the menu is pretty diverse, with lots of non-raw options too meaning that it’s also child / fussy folk - friendly.
Our group of ten order a couple of combination platters of sushi, sashimi and nigiri to share plus a couple of Tiraditos (a €15 Japanese/Peruvian fusion dish).
It’s all wonderful. Not cheap, no, but this is seriously sexy, high quality sushi.
I’m therefore expecting some similarly refined, swanky puddings to appear, so am guiltily pleasured by the totally incongruous options of Americana style carrot, chocolate and cheesecake, plus key lime pie, duh.
It’s these that really make me love Robata, giving some soul to the perfectly made-up face of the restaurant, especially when I find out that all of the recipes are childhood faves of head chef and owner Fabiola.
There are a few places to get good Japanese food in Barcelona, but none that I’ve eaten at so far that also give you the ‘top restaurant’ vibe that Robata offers.
In other words, it’s a place that makes me feel cooler and more worldly than I really am… so I probably should go back soon...
