Ed U.
Yelp
Glop. It's not a name that inspires a culinary fantasy meal. It's the sound of a scoop of oatmeal hitting the steel plate as you move down the chow line at San Quentin as you plan your clandestine break with your cellmate Bubba. It also happens to be the name of a popular taverna in Barcelona's boho-friendly/old world Gràcia neighborhood that happens to serve a most delicious pan of paella. Everyone will tell the first-time Catalonia visitor to go to 7 Portes in Barceloneta for paella, which was indeed quite good but also catered more to the tourist trade with the higher prices to match (review: http://bit.ly/2zgMAJe). Glop definitely feels more like a neighborhood place that serves more home style cooking across a broad range of Catalan dishes you would likely find at Sunday supper in a nearby family kitchen.
Jamie W. and I happened upon this place before taking the upward hike to the Bunkers del Carmel and Park Güell, so we needed some sustenance. Besides we had been behaving fairly well on our diet regimen during our vacation and felt we deserved something rib-sticking and old-fashioned like paella unfiltered and packed with flavor. Before that though, we felt we should start with a salad and chose the modestly priced 6€ Ensalada de la Casa "El Glop", a ridiculously generous and tasty "house salad" full of ingredients both expected (spinach, tomatoes, carrots, red cabbage, corn kernels) and unexpected (tuna, pickles, hard-boiled eggs) - definitely a meal in itself with the requisite dousing of oil and vinegar (photo: http://bit.ly/2iVXgXH). We followed this with a heaping plate of grilled vegetables, the 7.90€ Variado de Verduras a la Brasa con Romesco.
On a big family-style platter, it was a straightforward presentation of asparagus, tomato and potato halves, red peppers, and olives alongside slices of zucchini, eggplant, and onion with a nice Romesco dipping sauce (photo: http://bit.ly/2zfMW30). Very simple execution and completely satisfying. And we couldn't leave without having some Torrades, two slices of rustic country bread grilled and accompanied by couple of unpeeled garlic cloves and a trio of small tomatoes (photo: http://bit.ly/2A0Vhof). We peeled the garlic, rubbed it on the bread and chopped up the tomato (photo: http://bit.ly/2xRnGMT). Just perfect, probably because we haven't allowed ourselves to have bread for months but also because it was a can't-miss combo for just 1.20€ a slice. Finally, the main event arrived, the 15.55€ Paella de Pescado y Marisco (photo: http://bit.ly/2h7Q36v).
It was quite an abundant serving of seafood paella in a well-worn pan unlike the politely modest portions to be found at 7 Portes. A quartet of gigantic prawns, a quartet of huge mussels, a quarter of clams, and luxuriantly soupy bomba rice mixed full of chicken pieces and chopped vegetables It was such a robust production that it required the veteran waiter to deftly scoop up heaping portion to Jamie and me (photo: http://bit.ly/2z9ri0H). There was no room for dessert (photo: http://bit.ly/2gYOrb9) since we had a mountain to climb. OK, not quite a mountain, more like an urban mound. In the meantime, the place got packed in a mater of ten minutes, all looking as ravenous as we felt before we gorged ourselves. The calories were well worth it as I doubt if we had a more authentic meal on the entire trip.
FOOD - 5 stars...home style paella the way we wanted it full of seafood
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...casual, friendly spot with checkered tablecloths
SERVICE - 4.5 stars...friendly and attentive staff who have been at it for a long time...and the waiter complimented me on my Catalonian accent...seriously
TOTAL - 5 stars...try 7 Portes if you must but come here if you want the real thing