Whilst I would hate to be one of those women who tries to emulate and strive to live like the four females in ‘Sex and the City’, this Saturday morning’s brunch made for almost a mirror image of the many breakfast scenes in the HBO show, including the colourful conversation. Myself and three friends met in Marmalade in Raval for a catch up and a ‘set us up for the day’ brunch, something more than a cortado and pastry eaten quickly before work. Brunch is a difficult thing to find in this city, but Marmalade offers their menu between 11am and 4pm every Saturday and Sunday, so no rush to get out of bed to enjoy it either. For those looking for healthier options there are fruit smoothies, including a soy option and fresh fruit crunch, for those who prefer to leave healthy choices to the 9-5 working week then the tortillas, fry-up or three versions of eggs benedict (classic, with salmon or spinach) may be more suitable. There’s even a breakfast burger if you’re that way inclined.
We all went for one egg selection or another and raised eyebrows from the bartender when we asked them to be served with a bloody mary on the side, obviously and rather surprisingly, not a usual request for him at 11am on a Saturday morning.
The bloody mary was punchy and moreish, the olives were delicious , especially when dipped in the spicy tomato juice and the lime wedge added a citric edge, although it lacked the stick of celery of a classic bloody mary.
The poached eggs were delightful and runny, I have to stop myself gobbling down runny eggs too quickly in an attempt to enjoy them before they solidify and I rapidly lose interest, and the hollandaise was rich but with the required tang of vinegar. The eggs sat on crispy, not overly salty bacon and slices of untoasted baguette, the traditional muffin not being an easy thing to procure here. The cubed, fried potatoes on the side were lovely and crispy on the outside but unfortunately the uneven size pieces meant that some of the larger ones were underdone, the only let down of the dish. I would also love to know the reasoning behind the inappropriate and unnecessary orange and kiwi slice garnish.
Marmalade is a dark bar with no outdoor space, we sat near the door to make the most of the sunshine after this week’s terrible rain, but worth bearing in mind, might be just what you’re looking for after a heavy night but if it’s soaking up some sun with the paper before carrying on with your day you might fancy somewhere else. Marmalade is also easy on the pocket, most dishes are around the 7-8 euro mark, meaning what you’ve saved on breakfast you can enjoy spending in the wonderful vintage shops on nearby Riera Baixa, unfortunately this week I was dragged to Ikea instead.
Marmalade
Riera Alta 4-6, Raval, No smoking. http://www.marmaladebarcelona.com
