Suculent

The room is a bistro in the old sense, close-set and warm-lit, with no ambition to pass for a temple of the tasting menu. Outside the door, the Raval carries on being the Raval: scooters, shouting, a street life most restaurants at this level insulate you from and Suculent sensibly does not. The cooking takes a creative Mediterranean line built on good produce, and the seasoning shows real skill, particularly in coaxing depth from humble ingredients. It is robust rather than delicate; a few plates are heartier than they are refined, and the odd one wanted a lighter hand. I enjoyed myself, yet once a year seems about right, frankly, given how this city spoils us. Do check the hours before setting out, as the published ones are thinner than you would expect.