In 2014, three big names in gastronomy (Chef Jordi Vilà, sommelier Miquel Pérez, and restaurateur Ignasi López), founded Disfrutar, currently a 2*-Michelin restaurant, in Barcelona. Chef Jordi Vilà, who previously worked at El Bulli, carries that restaurant’s legacy with him in the innovative and imaginative dishes he serves at Disfrutar.

In June 2022, that same trio opened a sister restaurant, Compartir, in Barcelona, and we decided to give it a taste. There is very little online about Compartir Barcelona, but I think it will soon be either Bib Gourmand or earn a star.

The cuisine at Compartir Barcelona can be described as modern Catalan, combining traditional flavors and locally-sourced ingredients with creative presentations and techniques. The name, “Compartir,” translates to “to share,” and this ethos is central to the dining experience at the restaurant, where guests are encouraged to savor a variety of small plates, tapas-style, and experience a diverse range of flavors and textures in one meal.

Expect dishes that pay homage to Catalonia's culinary heritage, featuring fresh seafood, artisanal charcuterie, seasonal vegetables, and other regional specialties. Let’s get into it.

Ambience

We were the first guests in at 1pm on a Thursday, and the restaurant, with it’s floor to ceiling glass windows is beautiful from the moment you approach. The restaurant’s ambiance is contemporary and inviting, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The furniture and decorations are elegant yet relaxed, bathed in warm light and beautiful light fixtures. It’s the perfect backdrop for a memorable meal with family and friends or a special occasion.

The Menu

It was hard to find details on the menu online, so I wanted to share them here. I don’t know if they have a tasting menu, but we didn’t see one and they didn’t mention it when serving us.

While I was reading the menu, it felt like it wanted to be fusion, but it did not come across in the dishes at all, so don’t expect fusion food.

Drinks

We had had a lot of alcohol already in Barcelona (either a cocktail bar or a carafe of Sangria every night), so we decided to lay off the alcohol for this meal. Instead, we ordered Schweppes we had never heard of: tonic & matcha, and an orange & lychee.

I preferred the orange & lychee, and it was a delightful drink to pair with the meal.

Food

We wanted to try the whole menu, so we got 2 oysters, 4 starters, bread, 2 mains, and 2 drinks. We had eaten late the night before (in classic Barcelona style), and were too full for dessert, unfortunately. If we hadn’t been, we would have loved to tried the creme brulee foam.

Tomato Crisp

This was their welcome starter, and it reminded me distinctly of Alma in Lisbon. It was a delightful snack, crisp and savory, like an elevated chip.

Garlic oyster

The waiter recommended chewing the black garlic first, then having the oyster in its garlic sauce all in one bite. It was a strange way to eat an oyster, brought out with the shell still on, but it was tasty. Not the best oyster I’ve ever had, but it was good. (14/20)

Grilled oyster with suquet

M doesn’t like oysters, so the waitress recommended a hot oyster with suquet sauce as a way to try it without getting the quintessential seabrine umami of a traditional oyster. He thought it was fine, but still chased it with some matcha tonic. (14/20)

Rustic Bread (half regular, half tomato)

The bread itself was very good, with a solid crust, spongy center, and no traces of sourness. The tomato bread (as we found it always is), was a bit soggy. It was nice of the waitress to ask if we wanted it half/half, which of course we sprung for because we like to try everything, and to bring it out at the beginning of the meal, so that we could use it to sponge up sauces throughout our courses. The regular bread was a 14/20, the tomato bread a 12/20.

“Ready to eat” crab with avocado and river trout roe

I love every ingredient in this dish, but put together, it was far too rich — you could taste the fat sitting on your tongue — and it filled me up almost immediately. The flavors themselves are good, but one portion is definitely enough for 2-3 people. M doesn’t like avocado so he couldn’t help out, and we ended up not finishing half this dip, which was a shame. (14/20)

I think the crisps in the previous photo came with this dish (it was a bit unclear if it was for this or the tuna cannelloni below), but those were delicious.

Tuna cannelloni

This was the first dish that really bifurcated M’s and my opinion on this restaurant. M loved this dish, rating it a 17/20, and I thought the olive flavors overwhelmed, giving it a 13/20. I will say, every bite of this dish could taste totally different depending on what you scooped from the plate, so that was interesting, but the flavor profile overall wasn’t my favorite.

Cod fritters in honey sauce

This dish was super playful and fun, but the honey foam, once scooped on and in your mouth, was a low key choking hazard. Definitely be careful eating this one.

It was also really nice of them to offer to give us a half portion of this dish, as it usually comes with 8 pieces, and the waitress knew it would be too much food for us. (15/20)

Croquettes of Iberian ham with tomato veil

These were so beautifully presented, I would order them again just to see the tray. The croquettes smelled delightful, and were a proper crunchy exterior and melted interior, but had a very strong cheese flavor. I preferred the croquettes we had at Ciutat Comtal, but M, who likes punchier flavors and stronger cheeses, loved them. (17/20 for M, 15/20 for me)

Catalan-style scallops with chicken juice and potato confit

M: “It was as good as a dish could get without blowing me away” (18/20)

Me: The dish was quite good, but not stunning. The scallops were cut in half to be approximately the same thickness as the potatoes, which was beautiful in presentation, but removed the beautiful chew perfectly seared scallops have. The potatoes also couldn’t decide if they wanted to be boiled or crispy, which was a weird in between to remain in. The flavors were incredible, though, and always love to see some real green on a dish. (16/20)

Longline hake with suquet puree, saffron alloli and “picada”

Unfortunately, this fish came out lukewarm, but we didn’t want to send it back because it was well cooked and we were afraid they would overcook it in reheating. The sauce was delicious, but the repetition of the suquet felt a bit lazy, as it was used over the fish, over the mashed potato side, and in the oyster at the beginning.

The fish was very good, but there were bones in the filets, which felt like an oversight. (would have been 15/20, but served cold and with bones, so 13/20).

Service

The waiters here were friendly and great at helping you decide what you should and how much you need to order (eg. helping with our oyster choice and reducing our fritters to a half portion). They also changed our plates and utensils after every course, and kept our table clean.

I did feel a little bit rushed, especially as more diners came in and the restaurant began to fill, but M thought they were just being attentive, so maybe it was just me. We were in and out in about 1.5 hours.

Bathroom

The bathroom is quite nice and contemporary: the seat and sink are one unit, which I’d never seen before.

Final Thoughts

Compartir is a the perfect restaurant for a really nice date if you’re in town, with its beautiful ambience and solid food. It feels like they are gunning for a star — I wouldn’t be surprised if they get one soon.

I found it funny how much more M liked the food than I did, but that’s probably because I don’t love Spanish/Catalan/Mediterranean flavors, and he does. He also likes stronger, bolder flavors, and this restaurant definitely delivers that.

We paid 123,05€, or $135.63, which is a lot in Barcelona, but not terrible, given how much we ate/full we left. To conclude, we’d say food was 15/20, ambience was 16/20, service was 14/20, and value for money was 14/20. Overall, 14/20.

Sharing a Lunch at Compartir // Barcelona, Spain