Streetlife: Carrer de Cornet i Mas
This often overlooked pedestrian street boasts restaurants and boutiques with varied histories.
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Can Pau
Having stood in the same spot for more than 50 years, Can Pau is the pride and joy of owner Javier Soler Bono, who inherited it from his father, Pau Soler Vendrell, in 2010. The bar is run by a team of four, including Javier’s son, and decorated with family photos, gifts from customers and sketches done by Javier himself. “Everything has stayed very similar to how it was when it was opened,” he said, “but the area has changed a lot—our building was even knocked down and rebuilt in 1992.” Sticking to tradition, Can Pau serves typical Catalan bar snacks and a basic menú del día, alongside vermouth, beer and wine from the region.
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Gouthier
The demand for seafood in Sarrià is high, and this stylish restaurant provides some of the best fresh oysters in the area. Owners Silvia Perpiñá and Ricardo Alabart established the oyster bar in 2004—the first of its kind in the city. The 13 different varieties of briny bivalve are sourced from France, Ireland and Spain, depending on the season, and come simply with lemon or marinated in flavoured oil, such as mojito and gin and tonic.
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La Carbonera Espai d'Art
An artist’s studio and exhibition space in one, La Carbonera is located in a former charcoal kiln. The converted space is brightly lit, spacious and decorated with art from the current residents: a sculptor, a painter and a graphic designer. The next exhibition, from May 11th to 13th, will pay homage to artist Manuel Almendrós Sánchez and is organised by resident artist Katja Schmidt-Garve.
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Le Ciel de Sarrià
A small corner bistro, Le Ciel de Sarrià is known for its dedication to the freshest seafood. It offers tapas, main dishes and tasting menus made, as owner Carlos Claverie puts it, “with a bit of originality”. House specialities include exquisite fish and meat tartares, simply prepared seafood and Catalan judías with mixed shellfish. Le Ciel de Sarrià was the ex-hotelier’s first restaurant, but he has since opened a new branch in Sant Cugat del Vallès to take the city-chic vibe outside the neighbourhood.
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Scraphouse Sarrià
Lose yourself in bountiful crafting supplies at Scraphouse Sarrià. A franchise of the Scraphouse chain, which started in Barcelona in 2007, the open-plan room is lined with tiled walls that hark back to the space’s former use as a bakery. The back of the store is dominated by a large work table where owner Julia Rodriguez holds workshops, crafting afternoons and parties. In June 2018, Rodriguez will move her huge collection of buttons, ribbons, paper and cards to a new space 50 metres away, just off Carrer de Cornet i Mas.
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Xarcuteries Margarit
Established in 1945, the same family, now in its third generation of owners, still runs this chain of delis. Describing itself as ‘100 percent Sarrià’, it has six branches around the neighbourhood, including one in Mercat de Sarrià. The packed shop on Carrer de Cornet i Mas is filled with sleek, white counters boasting homemade salamis, hamburgers and sausages, made using modern technology to perfect recipes passed down through the decades. It also offers a range of speciality cheeses and gourmet ingredients sourced from across the country.