Barcelona’s Eixample has a new restaurant to watch, Mineral, opened by sommelier Cristina Losada and chef Oliver Peña on Carrer Mallorca. Just a month after opening, it is already fully booked for dinner from Thursday to Monday.
Losada, who was director at Enigma, and Peña, who previously earned a Michelin star for Teatro Kitchen Bar, have put their own savings into the project. They are running it without backing from a large corporate group or outside investors, and want Mineral to become a reference point in the city, alongside places such as Gresca.
The kitchen team includes Franco Ferranti, Heyi Feng and Xavi Solé, with Jordi Figueras front of house. Mineral sits close to Mercat del Ninot, and also sources produce from Mercat de la Concepció, Can Fisas and Menuts Rosa. Bread comes daily from El Taller del Pa in Sants, collected by Peña himself.
Peña describes the food as local cuisine with techniques from around the world. Dishes mentioned in the source include mackerel with Iberian vinaigrette and hanging tomatoes, tomato salad, quail served grilled and escabeche-style, tendons and tongue, plus an Araucana fried egg and strawberries for dessert. The average spend is about €60 per person, excluding wine.
The dining room has 18 seats at the bar, where guests can watch the open kitchen, and another 12 in a more intimate room. Peña’s brother David, a blacksmith, designed the grill, while the romesco sauce comes from his mother, Loren. A photo of Marc, one of the couple’s adopted cats, also hangs on the wall.
Losada has built the wine list, which is described as extensive and modern, with Catalan and Spanish bottles, plus Champagnes. The name Mineral links to both founders’ backgrounds, Peña’s grandfather sold coal in Rubí, and Losada comes from a mining region in Asturias. For more Barcelona food coverage, see our Community and Sport pages.
