La Roda — Restaurant in Calella

A tourist trap!

I have no idea how this restaurant could get so good ratings. Besides the starters, they have only the tomato bread, mussels and chicken on the menu list, so this is what we ordered. The mussels: They arrived immediately after we placed the order, so they were not made to order but pre-cooked and sat there until a portion was ordered. We were told it would be a huge amount of mussels, but we guess that it was a 500g portion. Having lived in Brussels we know a thing or two about mussels. They came on a plate, not in a deep dish, but that didn't matter because they didn't come in a delicious broth. The food was so peppery that we wondered if they try to cover something. A considerable amount of mussels didn't open, so they were dead before cooking. I took a photo to show how many. A clear sign that the mussels weren't fresh. Funny that the cook didn't take them out before the dish left the kitchen. They were also not too well cleaned. The tomato bread is usually a toasted bread which comes with fresh garlic, fresh tomato and olive oil, which you put yourself on the bread. The one we got was covered with a tomato sauce which tasted like processed food and soaked the bread in a very short time. See photo. The chicken: We love grilled chicken! The skin was indeed crispy, but the chicken was on the small side and also the meat was dry. I would have loved to eat a side dish with it, but the only thing they offered were crisps! No french fries, no patatas bravas or anything else than the bread (see 2.)

Besides the fact that the food was really a disappointment, be aware that the rustique-looking furniture comes with the fact that it is uncomfortable. The benches are very narrow and you can't put the legs under the table.

Just don't go!

PS: To say also something nice, the...

We came to this restaurant two nights in a row. The first night, it was very crowded with a long line at the entrance. I asked someone waiting in line if we needed to stay in the queue or make a reservation, and they said we should just wait. A few minutes later, I realized people had actually put their names on a waiting list either by phone or in person. Since we were tired, we decided to eat somewhere else that night.

But the delicious smell of the chicken being roasted over wood fire stayed with us, so we came back earlier the next evening.

The staff were extremely polite and friendly. Like many others, we ordered the roast chicken with toast brushed with tomato sauce, and white wine.

The chicken, simply marinated with just salt and black pepper (I think), tasted absolutely amazing. Honestly, I couldn’t get enough of it!

Next time we visit Calella, we’ll definitely be coming back to...

La Roda has been cooking rotisserie chickens since the 1960's. They know what they do well and stick to it. Chicken cooked over a wood fire. This is not fine dining. There are limited options for starters, chicken sold by the half portion for main course (no sides) and no option for dessert. Inside tables are rustic and outside tables are basic. Service is friendly but can be quite quick. However, if you are looking for rotisserie chicken, this is the place to go. Very popular, so do be prepared to queue at peak times in summer. Sangria de cava is certainly worth trying too - delicious. Very highly...