I eat everything. It’s part of my identity; a guy who loves, knows and has studied food, and who lives and travels to savour every delicious bite possible. For me, ‘gorging’ has often been synonymous with ‘eating’ over the years in Barcelona, so it makes perfect sense that at some point my body and mind would push back, begging for a break in the nearly constant intake of cheese and pork. With that in mind, I recently made a resolution to train myself to enjoy vegetarian, and in some cases, vegan meals, and to limit my daily meat intake. With that in mind, I was delighted to discover the organic, vegetable-centric menu at Buenaventura Café.
Who knows how long this dedication to a diversified diet will last, but I never thought I would have enjoyed vegan tacos as much as I did here. Munching away on the crunchy and colourful courgette, kale, pickled onion and quinoa tacos, presented beautifully with little dishes of vegan almond ‘cheese’, pico de gallo and guacamole, I almost didn’t miss my usual pork and pineapple tacos al pastor...well, almost.
Buenaventura Café, run by chef and founder Albert Ventura, offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, quiches, curries, tapas and more, the majority of which are vegetarian or vegan, with gluten-free options available. There are also dishes with chicken, salmon and cured ham—reflecting Buenaventura’s ‘organic flexitarianism’ philosophy.
For example, the diverse menu includes a classic eggs benedict, as well as a vegan version. I was dying to know the composition of the vegan eggs benedict, so we flagged down the waiter, who described a dish of tofu and almond cream sauce, which he swore is a cracking alternative—we passed. The patatas bravas however were absolutely delicious and we needed no convincing; tender chunks of rusty orange boniato, served with vegan alioli and a spicy brava sauce made a welcome adaptation.
An array of vegan desserts and some seriously loud wallpaper greet you upon entering Buenaventura Café. From behind the cafe counter they serve up smoothies, smoothie bowls and cold-pressed juices, as well as beer, wine, tea and coffee (with your choice of regular, oat, almond, soy, hazelnut or coconut milk). The kitchen works with as much local produce as possible, and the attractive weekday menu offers a starter, plate of the day, drink and dessert for €10.50—an affordable way to give vegan a go and get some more veggies in your life.
Buenaventura Café. Trafalgar 50. T. 93 541 7924.