Suquet de l'Almirall
Quim Marqués
Quim Marqués’s passion for cooking has been handed down through his family: 16 years ago he took over from his parents at the former El Suquet de l'Almirall in Barceloneta. After having worked in several kitchens, he decided to drop anchor in the port of Barcelona. He moved the establishment to its current home 15 years ago as part of a solid project based on quality in seafood cuisine and produce. Right from day one he has shared dreams and work with Manel Marqués and a highly motivated team ready to take this culinary excellence forward. Lots of restaurants, lots of friends, books, radio programmes, travelling, television... but what really counts is growing and always being passionate about the product, simplicity and daily work.
Curriculum Vitae
A fourth generation chef and member of the first class from the Barcelona Hotel and Catering School, Quim Marqués runs his family restaurant in Barceloneta, producing cuisine with the flavour of the sea at El Suquet de l’Almirall. A finalist in culinary competitions such as the Spanish Chefs Championship (Bocuse d’Or) and the Pierre Taittinger World Championship, he has previously worked in the top restaurants El Racó d’en Freixa (Barcelona), El Bulli (Roses), Casa Fermín (Oviedo), La Cuisine des Anges (Belgium), el Nostromo (Barcelona) and Lola (Barcelona). He contributes to trade journals and has talked about cooking on the radio programmes “De Boca en Boca” with Jordi Estadella, and “Versió Rac1” with Toni Clapés.
He is the author of ¿Qué comemos hoy? La cuina de la Barceloneta, Cuina de mar and co-author of Menja bé, viu millor and Recetas para enamorar, seducir y amar.
He has exported Barceloneta’s cuisine to cities around the world including New York, Washington, Frankfurt, Moscow and San Francisco.
The Building
The restaurant is sited in a former shipyard, Drassanes Cardona, where we have respected the volumes of a typical early 20th century Barceloneta workshop and preserved the structure that was used at the time. Interestingly enough, replicas of Columbus' caravels (Santa María, La Pinta and La Niña) were once built in this shipyard. The restaurant is comfortable and welcoming with a warm atmosphere and features maritime motifs and lots of knick-knacks and paintings that give it its unique character. It can seat 40 diners and also has a fabulous terrace for another 24 people, overlooking the promenade and the Port Vell.
It is just 200 metres from the beach and 100 metres from a car park. The premises are adapted for disabled people and are air conditioned.
The Barceloneta
This old fishing neighbourhood is now a landmark district in Barcelona with its distinctive character, open to the sea and featuring some intriguing grid architecture. It is like a miniature city, the "little Barcelona", which stands on the small peninsula designed by the Marquis of Mines in the mid-17th century.
Heavily influenced by the culture of the fishermen in the 1950s who had come from many parts of the Mediterranean, it has become the place to find authentic seafood cuisine in its numerous restaurants. It also has some excellent accommodation with the opening over recent years of some of the city’s finest and most modern hotels. The sun and the good weather mean that a stroll through its streets around the Port Vell down to the beach is a great way of visiting what is today one of the most delightful places in Barcelona.
Philosophy
Our cooking philosophy is simple: we make seafood dishes in the port of Barcelona. Every day we buy all the sea produce we use from the Barcelona fish market just 100 metres away.
We only use organically produced vegetables, milk, eggs and other foodstuffs. In addition to our menu, which we change twice a year, we also have a blackboard where every day we offer the best in seasonal fresh food. We seek to deliver unrivalled quality with utmost respect for the product. The best way to enjoy a meal in our restaurant is to choose one of the suggestions on the blackboard and follow it with an excellent fish or rice dish. All our desserts are handmade, simple, traditional and fresh. Our signature dishes, which we have been making for more than 15 years, are cod fritters, turbot with vegetables and ham, arròs de barca (seafood rice in broth), meatballs with squid and shrimp, sardine flatbread, Barceloneta prawns, apple tatin, and our new star dish, Paella DO Barceloneta. Our service is always friendly, courteous and approachable.
The wine cellar
Not everyone knows that we also have a basement split into two sections which can be joined together if required. One is our wine cellar with a capacity for 12-14 people, a French oak table surrounded by wine racks. It is a warm and private place, with air conditioning and wines at the right temperature, and it is ideal for small family or business gatherings. We have a wine list featuring some 200 references; all of our wines come from Spain and none cost more than €50, served in Riedel glasses.
Piano
The other part of our basement is a large area that can accommodate up to 40 people. We call it the Piano because it features a piano dating from 1900. It is a completely open plan room for groups, parties, business lunches and celebrations. As it is the basement of an old shipyard, it also contains some architectural gems from different periods including walls over 200 years old, wrought iron columns, beams designed by Eiffel and a wonderful wall made of stones quarried on Montjuïc hill.
Contact
Passeig Joan de Borbó, 65.Barcelona, 08003
Phone: 93 221 62 33
Time tables: Tuesday to Saturday from 13:30 to 16:30 and from 21:00 to 23:30, Sunday from 13:30 to 16:30
E-mail: reservas@suquetdelalmirall.com
