Comerç

In the Raval neighbourhood since 1890 as Antiga Fonda Navarro and since 1940 as Ca l’Estevet, this restaurant is also known as ‘La Mariona’ in reference to the daughter of the then-owner (it changed hands in 2010) who served diners with wit and panache. It is a touchstone of quality and Catalan cuisine which foregrounds tradition and good products while bringing together neighbourhood folks and celebrities. And the semiprivate table in the back is still there, which, they say, prominent figures during the era of the GaucheDivine’ would ‘wrest or commandeer’. Its star dishes include escudella soup; the very popular escargot with salt, pepper and thyme; traditional cannelloni; pasta au gratin; crispy-fried brains; Lluçanès duck in orange sauce; meatballs with cuttlefish and prawns; and fricandeau, all of which have earned it a loyal following.