Molino de Pez

The restaurant group, Familia La Ancha, has opened their new eatery in Barcelona, Molino de Pez. It is located halfway between the Eixample and Gràcia districts in ground floor premises in Seventy Barcelona (Còrsega 346), owned by Núñez i Navarro.

After the successes of Fismuler and Armando, the trio of chefs, Nino Redruello, Patxi Zumarraga and Jaime Santianes (ex-El Bulli) aim to strengthen the Familia La Ancha project in the Catalan capital, offering diners in Barcelona the chance to eat traditional dishes and to share, more like in a traditional eatery.

The premises have a seven metre high ceiling and are considered an urban baserri. They were designed by Nacho Redruello’s “Arquitectura Invisible” studio, which also designed both Fismuler restaurants (Madrid and Barcelona).

The room has 2 floors and can seat up to 140 people. It invites you to enjoy and feel at home with its end-to-end open kitchen. Fire is the main focal point for the entire eatery and represents one of Molino de Pez’ characteristic features.

A setting with natural materials, wood, stone, plaster, and steel, with delicately arranged and created natural features, as if it was a Basque baserri, a palloza (traditional circular thatched house), or a Catalan masía. The foyer has a bar and a long table with a hidden piano from which live music adds to the sensory experience.

Molino de Pez’ gastronomic offering aims to delight the public with traditional cooking and flavours that never go out of fashion and bring back memories of every neighbourhood cooking pot, stew, and emotional family ties and history in the detail. Traditional dishes with a contemporary twist.

Offerings such as sea bass and potato salad (a tribute to Nino’s father), lentil stew with a knuckle of ham, meatballs, Russian salad, Madrid style tripe dishes, tortilla stewed with clams or grilled hake tail and aged beef steak are some of the approximately 60 dishes on a menu that changes every day, depending on the ingredients available in the market. Desserts that warm the soul and are hard to find in new restaurants, such as curd with honey and walnuts, warm babá with cream, or the already legendary in Barcelona, Fismuler cheesecake with cream cheese, Idiazábal cheese, and blue cheese. Molino de Pez has an extensive wine list, as well as a good selection of classic cocktails to complete the experience.

One of the aims behind Molino de Pez is for diners to enjoy their food, even satisfying both their body and mind, and to enjoy the content of the dishes without other distractions. This involves applying a “hosting with a smile” approach, a concept whereby the room staff make you feel right at home.

Waiting staff that almost glide around the table, sharing portions to everyone sat at the table, and who ask you something wonderful that you never hear anywhere else any more: “Would you like a bit more?”. This is part of the “hosting” approach, a hallmark of the Familia La Ancha DNA, and used in all of their establishments.