Kristen H.
Yelp
We stopped into La Mar Salada on a Monday at 1pm (right when they open) with a reservation. Situated along a boardwalk-like avenue close to the beach, the restaurant itself is sleek with a Mediterranean-like vibe - white and blue accent pieces adorn a spacious outdoor eating area, though we opted for seating inside, coveting air-conditioning and a lack of mosquitoes. With sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows, bright, light-colored furniture, and minimalist decor, the restaurant's interior lends an upscale ambiance to the space.
Our server was friendly and efficient, speaking fluent English, Spanish, and Catalan. Having reviewed the menu (and other reviews) ahead of time, we placed our order, and received our first appetizers within ten minutes!
First to come out was the "La Nostra Bomba" ("Our Bomb", €4,70), which is a small fried potato croquette with an octopus bolognese and salsa brava (a smoky, spicy tomato sauce). The croquette is perfectly crispy with a tender, rich interior - you can taste the octopus inside, and the smoky sauce on top is perfect with the richness of the filling.
We also ordered the Ventresca de Tonyina (Tuna Belly Salad, €9,80), which is described as "Tomato from the garden with tuna belly, spring onion and old mustard." The tuna belly is rich without being overly oily, and contrasts nicely with the sweet tomatoes and tart mustard. The crouton on top is made of some sort of thinly-sliced bread, lending a nice crunch to the dish. I thought that this dish was well-portioned for the price!
The Tartare de Tonyino (Tuna Tartare, €20ish), off the Chef's Recommendation menu, was served with some of the freshest-tasting tuna I've ever had, with an artful smear of creamy avocado topped with tart mango - this was definitely overpriced for the small portion of tuna we were served, but a truly refreshing dish!
Lastly, we couldn't leave without ordering the famous Paella (€24/portion, minimum two portions) - two large portions of their most well-known dish came out in a sizzling paella pan, generously garnished with crayfish, Barceloneta prawns, and mussels. All of the seafood was perfectly cooked and so fresh - the crayfish and prawns were plump, juicy, and just a bit sweet, and the mussels had a rich, almost smoky flavor. And unlike some other paella we've had, the rice was not an afterthought here - the signature saffron flavor of the paella accented the perfectly al dente rice (neither soupy nor hard in texture), and we loved scraping off the delightfully crunchy bits that gathered at the bottom of the pan (often called soccarat). This is a must-try dish here, and a good portion for the price!
Overall, we enjoyed our meal at La Mar Salada - service was friendly and fast, the food was delicious, and the vibe was excellent. Some of their dishes are overpriced for the portions, though the paella is a great deal - with appetizers, we were able to get away with four people sharing two portions of paella as an entree (though my teenage brother was hungry soon after). I would come here (with a reservation) for a special occasion, and definitely get the paella!