Mercado Central

Ceviche specialists

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  Barcelona foodies will be familiar with the location Mercado Central already, it occupies the same space as Mano Rota and honours its Peruvian cuisine. The interior is defined by its stripped back finishes, with exposed brick and timber combined with comfortable upholstered seating. Pride of place is given to the bar seating where diners get the chance to peer into the kitchen and watch the dishes being prepared before their very eyes.  

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  One of the Mercado Central ceviches is the "carretillero" ceviche, a typical ceviche from Peruvian markets. It's a different take on the traditional ceviche, inspired by the street vendors and market stalls of Peru. It features fried squid and onions cut in a unique way. While the squid is often fried days in advance, here everything is prepared fresh at the ceviche bar.

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  The menu features dishes with deeply rooted connections to Peru, such as Causa, (layers of mashed potatoes between savoury fillings) which, according to legend, originated around the time of the War of the Pacific or the War of Independence, when humble stews of potatoes, chili peppers, and vegetables were cooked to raise funds "for the cause," as they said. The Prawn cocktail, a very international dish, is presented here with a Peruvian twist: a splash of pisco in the pink sauce instead of brandy. Another dish that reflects the cultural fusion that has shaped the history of Peruvian and world cuisine is Arroz con mariscos, a kind of paella reinterpreted with long-grain northern rice, coriander, and squash, using traditional Peruvian cooking techniques. Another must-try item on the menu is Aeropuerto chijaukay, an emblematic dish typical of Peruvian food markets. It's a combination of chaufa rice and stir-fried noodles, served alongside classic crispy chijaukay chicken. The meal concludes with a dish that speaks of integration and context: Seco de rape (monkfish stew). A traditional Peruvian stew prepared here with monkfish, a fish very common in Barcelona's cuisine and markets.

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  Pablo Ortega, Mercado Central owner and chef

   

  Mercado Central is more than just a restaurant; it aims to address a very current sociological and cultural context: it speaks of genuine integration, the kind that exists in markets, where generations, cultures, and trades coexist. “The project is based on a very clear manifesto: we are immigrants, driven, courageous people, people who cross the oceans and work from day one. Like the people who work in the markets, who start their day at four in the morning, buy fish at the dock side, and build their lives through hard work,” says Pablo.

• Mercado Central
• C/ de la Creu dels Molers, 4
• 08004 Barcelona
• T. +34 686 15 15 33