Els Quatre Gats opened in 1897, L’Auca opened just a few months ago and, my, what a difference a century makes. It’s not austere exactly, but it does have that faintly echoey Eixample mood about it; the red, the black, the formal maitre’d and staff bustling about somewhat nervously and occasionally getting it wrong. If you’re complimented on the food, smile graciously; don’t say, “I know” and stalk off.

So far so familiar. ‘Un Nuevo Concepto en la Cocina Tradicional Catalana’ is something we’ve seen a lot of in the past couple of years: traditional Catalan dishes given a modern twist and set in something like a designer atmosphere. At L’Auca the food is contemporary certainly, but it’s also unfussy and the portions are huge.

The wine list is short and snappy, much of it familiar, and ranges between €16 and €22 a bottle, which seems fair. Our visit coincided with a general menu change, and so after our first two choices weren’t available we ended up with Nuestro 2006 from Ribero del Duero (€21.50), a reliable red that does well with most food. With it came a small mountain of arbequina olives, and good crusty bread to nibble on.

Whatever you do, don’t go overboard on the nibbles, because it’s the celebration of real food at L’Auca that makes it shine. We begin with ensalada de tomate del payés, cebolla tierna y sardinas en escabeche, a simple dish of two fist-sized beef tomatoes cut in half, and topped with four fat, juicy pickled sardines, zingy with vinegar, balanced with sweet onions confit and crunchy raw ones, and drizzled with a bright parsley oil to bring it all together. Nicely done.

We also have a cazuela de patatas, setas y hierbas gratinadas con queso curado de oveja de los Pirineos. A two-man terracotta dish filled to the brim with wafer thin potatoes cooked down in a rich stock studded with meaty wild mushrooms and sprigs of fresh thyme. Over the top there’s melted sheep’s cheese and a whole fresh egg just cooked enough to let the golden yolk run into the viscous brown casserole. It was a new dish for me, big on flavour despite the frugal ingredients, and a true hallmark of Catalan country cooking.