Al kostat — Restaurant in Barcelona

I walked by a busy restaurant with lots of sidewalk seating and a group of people waiting just outside the door. I looked at my map and realized i had walked by al kostat, but didnt see it. There is barely a sign. The people, who i thought were waiting for the sidewalk restaurant, had disappeared. Then i found the door hidden between what i thought were two entrances to the same sidewalk restaurant (so al kostats door didnt register as being a different place when i first walked by) and realized they must have also had 8:00pm reservations and were let inside. The door was locked when i walked back to it. Just inside this door, you could see a very dark foyer. Was this really the right place? It seems closed? I pushed and pulled the door, i looked through the window, the security guard for the busy restaurant was giving me funny looks. While i panic texted my friend who recommended this restaurant, asking her how to get in, i saw someone push a doorbell. Ahha! After she went inside, i looked closer and saw a button for alkostat. I rang it. Some moments later someone said something through the doorbell intercom that was too fuzzy to understand, but i heard the door buzz, so i went in. I slowly climbed the darkened staircase, and found a door that said ALKIMIA alkostat… i guess this is the right place? I walk through the door into an empty hallway, not sure if i should go left or right. The left side looked empty so i went right, didnt see any employees but did see a few people sat down at tables. I eventually caught someones eye and they sat me down, by myself, in the table in line with the hallway, directly in the center of the restaurant, like i had a spot light on me “this lady is by herself! Look everyone!” Is what it felt like. Its my own fault i didnt ask to sit somewhere else. The meal was fine. Then when i left, i pushed and pulled on the front door and it didnt open. It was very dark in the foyer so i couldnt see if there was a latch or a handle to twist… two guys hanging out smoking on the opposite side of the door tried vaguely to help, and then just watched me struggle. I noticed a sign that said push, but no indication of what or where to push. I was so confused that i thought something might happen if i push on the piece of paper that said “push”… out of the corner of my eye, i saw a matching piece of paper to the far left of the door, with a button that looks like those talking dog buttons, does not look like a door opening button. But i pushed it and the door buzzed and i pushed and pulled the left door closest to the button, still stuck. I tried the right door, cant remember if it was a push or a pull but i for sure got it wrong before i got it right. When i finally escaped, I said to the smoking guys “there was a button!” And they looked at me like i was an alien, so i said “un butón!” But their expression didnt change. I feel very special that out of all these reviews i skimmed, i am the only one who could not figure...

Without doubt the worst restaurant I’ve experienced in years and I have dined at some of the best Michelin star restaurants. The arrogance of the staff and chef were breathtaking. The wine list was ridiculously long so we asked advice on it. We thought we were getting an organic dry white wine but what came out was an unfiltered orange wine. I questioned the fact it had sediment in it and was told it’s natural. The food was average at best and we muddled along with it until the paella came out and the scampi/prawn was raw and still had the digestive tract in it. At that point I complained but no apology was made. We offered to pay for what we had eaten but they insisted that it was acceptable to leave the digestive tract in it so we had to pay for it. I remarked that this was supposed to be a top rated restaurant in the Michelin guide but the product was falling short, the head waitress explained that Al Kostat does not have the Michelin star!! My husband asked whether the digestive tract might be left in in the Michelin star side but she failed to grasp the question. Ultimately, we were unhappy with the food, we were polite and discreet when complaining but to no avail. The chef did not come out and no apology was given. Avoid this place, we were shocked because the reviews were mostly positive but if you dig deep enough the truth is there. Don’t waste your money, there are many nicer places to go. No doubt the restaurant will say we were in the wrong but honestly we have no reason to complain just for...

Tenia moltes ganes de provar aquest restaurant i per fi ho vaig poder fer en companyia de dos molt bons amics.

La cuina d'en Jordi Vilà es coneguda per tot amant del bon menjar i s'havia de provar.

Accés original i poc habitual per un restaurant: una escala de veïns. Si no ho saps és possible que et costi una mica trobar-ho, si més no hi ha un petit rètol a la porta.

Un cop a dalt (és un principal), i rebuts pel personal del restaurant, trobarem un ampli pis dividit en dues parts clarament diferenciades. Una, reservada per a actes i àpats particulars i l'altra també dividida en dues parts, per una banda l'Alkimia (amb * Michelin), i per l'altra AlKostat.

La separació és mínima, i des de cadascuna de les parts, es pot veure perfectament l'altra.

No més de vuit taules a cada restaurant i la diferència més visual entre ambdós, són les estovalles de les taules de l'Alkimia, que no tenen AlKostat.

Carta dividida en set apartats:

-"Platillos i Tapes", on trobaren des de croquetes, bunyols d'anguila fumada o calamars romana fins a niguiris de calamar o ventresca de tonyina entre d'altres.

-"Els Clàssics", amb brandada de bacallà, steak tartar, callos i cap i pota, peus de porc, pollastre...

-"Brasa", amb escalivada, cargols, dos tipus de butifarra, roger amb olivada, el secret d'en Moisès (tall de vaca) i alguna opció més.

-"Les tres Pastes Catalanes", macarrons, fideus i duet de canelons.

-"Arrossos", paella de rogers a la brasa, arròs de nyores, safrà i cuetes de escamarlans i de pollastre i flor de carbassó farcida.

-"Els Efímers", bacallà a la llauna, 'raviolot' de llamàntol i gambeta, kokotxes de lluç al pil pil, el mar i muntanya (lletons rostits i ventresca de tonyina), entre d'altres.

-"Escudella de Mar", és un plat únic (38€), on entra una sopa de peix, pilota de llagostí, butifarra de tonyina, gamba, sípia, musclo, peix de roca, kokotxa de lluç, escamarlà, espardenyes... patata, pastanaga, fonoll, mongeta del ganxet...

Carta de vins extensíssima que comparteixen ambdós restaurants.

Carta de postres, amb una decena de opcions, com la crema catalana, el flam amb nata i gelat de vainilla (mini pijama clàssic), coca de llardons, bunyols al moment amb crema de vainilla, pastís d'ametlla, crema de xocolata torrada i gelat d'amaretto, xocolata 100%, formatge Salers, entre d'altres.

Nosaltres vàrem tastar com a inici, les croquetes de pollastre amb mantega d'anxova i cabdell, els calamars a la romana i els bunyols d'anguila fumada. Els tres plats estaven molt bé, però em quedo amb els calamars, punt perfecte tant per dintre com l'arrebossat sense cap excés d'oli. Els bunyols d'anguila molt suaus i amb un gust diferent al que normalment estem acostumats.

Com a plats principals: paella de rogers a la brasa, lletons rostits i ventresca de tonyina i el secret d'en Moisès (tall de vaca amb patates fregides). Tots tres al seu punt. Jo em quedo amb l'arròs, però molt probablement, els meus companys no estarien d'acord.

De postres vàrem demanar els bunyols al moment amb crema de vainilla (exquisits, amb una crema ultra suau, gens empalagosa), i un pastís d'ametlla, crema de xocolata torrada i gelat d'amaretto (gran combinació de sabors).

Temps entre plats, correctes.

El preu final en consonància amb la qualitat i categoria del local, però a un preu que no es dispara. Relació qualitat-preu molt recomanable.

Local acollidor seguis on seguis per las dimensions reduides que li donen un aire més intim, taules amb bona separació, iluminación correcta, decoració agradable, música a un volum adequat per poder mantenir una conversa sense haver d'aixecar la veu...

Servei perfecte en tot moment.

Lavabos impecables, com no podía ser d'una altra manera, però s'ha de dir.

Com a crítica constructiva, estaría bé que ampliessin l'oferta de cervesa 0,0 a més d'una opció (torrada per exemple), més tenint com a veïns a Cerveses Moritz, que en fa una de molt bona.

Resumint, si voleu menjar molt bé a un preu raonable, aquest lloc l'heu de tenir en compte.

Nosaltres segur...