Casa Mari y Rufo

AUTÉNTICO bar/​restaurante, al lado del mercado de Santa Caterina.
Todo el pescado fresco y súper bien cocinado. El jamón está también muy rico acompañado de pan con tomate.
El sitio no es nada glamuroso, pero vamos que justamente el sitio y la familia que lo lleva, lo hacen especial! Comes bien y con «permiso» tienes espectáculo incluido! Tienen una manera de trabajar, que sólo la entienden entre ellos!
Hay que ir.

Si te apetece una comida informal en un lugar singular y darte un homenaje de pescado y marisco fresco, sin duda este es el sitio. El local es pequeño e incluso al principio incómodo. Pero eso cambia a partir de la primera botella de vino. La proximidad entre las mesas hace que fácilmente interactúes con el resto de comensales, creando a veces un ambiente muy divertido.

What they lack in flashing lights they make up for in flavor.
Quality food served properly by cool people.

Loud place and only spanish is spoken but if you want sensational seafood where the locals eat, then this is your place! Order any seafood and you will be happy.

Venir a este «restaurante» es un deporte de riesgo… Nada que envidiar al barranquismo si te sumerges en la aventura de bajar al baño! El comedor es de la época del Pleistoceno, aunque ahora hay aire acondicionado y no sales asfixiado del local… Las baldosas se salen de feas y la carta rezuma restos orgánicos inclasificables… Pero es así de toda la vida! Si cambiase no sería Mary y Rufo.
Eso sí… Si quieres comer el mejor marisco y pescado del barrio, tienes que ir; las frituras son de las mejores que he probado y dependiendo de la temporada tienes espandenyes o entrecot de Kobe. O como hoy, un ceviche de rape y gamba fresquísimo para hacerle la ola!
Y si tienes suerte y han hecho arroz con leche, ti-​e-​nes que comerlo!
En fin, un sitio de los que ya quedan pocos, llevado por toda la família y con cocina de mercado de calidad

When you look up definition for hole in the wall restaurant, no better place than Casa Mari y Rufo comes to mind ! Unpretentious, charming, authentic and simply more of these needed today !
We had a late lunch here in late October 2013 and despite the chaos, I assure you these folks know what they are doing. Food is simply divine and very affordable.
We waited a good amount of time for our tables, but we were well taken care of with plenty of wine. Once seated, Mari (lady controlling everything) was very gracious and offered us drinks on the house. Food is sublime. I got greedy, as I usually do when I get excited in a restaurant, and so ordered a HUGE fried seafood platter ! oh dear, how simply freaking amazing it was.
What appears to be chaos as you wait for your table and once seated, let me assure you these folks know what they are doing. And they are very charming and funny at it !
Highly recommended !!!

En este bar-​restaurante situado en uno de los laterales del mercado de Sta. Caterina llamado «Casa Mari i Rufo», he pasado una de las más divertidas sobremesas de mi vida. El lugar es de lo más pintoresco, pero la familia que gestiona el local lo es aún más. Daría para escribir un libro la cantidad de anécdotas que allí viví.
Aparte de eso, la comida es estupenda, casera, muy de mercado y de mar. Allí probé por primera vez las espardeñas a la plancha, quién no sepa lo que es este bichejo que lo busque en google :-D Yo solo digo que está riquísimo!
Muchas ganas de volver a Barna para ir a Casa Mari i Rufo.

Al principio cuando entras en el local, llama la atención que tengan la cocina en la entrada, pero en ese momento percibes la alta calidad de los productos que utilizan para cocinar (en su mayoría pescado, y marisco). Cuando entras en el comedor, siempre lleno, te das cuenta de que la «comida de mercado» por la que todo el mundo habla de este lugar, hace de este restaurante uno de los más concurridos de la zona. Muy buena comida, exquisitos pescados, e inmejorable marisco. Lo recomiendo sin lugar a dudas.

Cuina de mercat

We took a bike tour and the guide suggested this place and l’academie for seafood. One is very fancy and formal, this one is literally a small, local place. There were dirty dishes piled up on the counter… But don’t be frightened. The seafood was fresh and excellent. It’s family run by a couple, and the son was very friendly and joked around with us in English. We had mussels, clams, and razor clams cooked in butter. Plus, grilled shrimp. Not much to say other than it was excellent. It’s a noisy, small place, but it was packed at lunchtime with old, salty locals that were all giving the son a good hazing in fun, and then what seemed like arguing/​joking with the mother. Go, enjoy the food!

I really fancied some good fish when I was in Barcelona. This is not such an easy thing in this city because there are loads of restaurants and many of them are just a trap for tourists, either because they look really fancy and they’re insanely expensive or because they’re cheap but the food is terrible. There’s a third option, which is the one that worked for me most of the times in Spain: looking for restaurant that look cheap where the food is great (in other cities of Spain they’re also not expensive, it’s not the case in Barcelona). This restaurant belongs to this category and it was the best experience I had during my trip in Barcelona. This is a family run business and they are truly nice and friendly not because they want to trick you. They don’t really speak English but they make you understand what the menu is about oh by the way there’s no menu, the waiter is the menu. :) My suggestion would be take a mixed dish, and then eventually order something you really liked from that. The fish is always fresh, which is quite easy for them since the Mercado Sta. Caterina is directly in front of it. One last thing: ask for the prices. Dinner here wasn’t cheap, but considering the quality of the food honest. The only thing that surprised me was the price of a mixed grilled plate, which was a bit too high for me, also with respect to the other dishes we had. Nothing TOO disappointing, but still to be kept in mind.

Well, after a week in France I didn’t figure on a small almost hole in the wall in BCN totally blowing all those great French meals away… but that’s what happened. The front of the restaurant is the kitchen and prep area with a small bar. Dining room sits in the back with about 10 tables. Do not be fooled by the décor as it’s nothing fancy at all– this place is about the fresh market ingredients and GREAT FOOD. It’s a family business; one brother spoke English with us and made some suggestions while his bro’ cooked it up. Started with the most tender, fresh calamari I’ve ever had, followed by whole, succulent shrimp in garlic, olive oil, and salt… do not miss out on tasting the shrimp brains as they taste just like the ocean! Finished with the special of the day, get this… Fries topped with two sunny side up eggs, sauteed foie gras, truffles shaved tableside, and balsamic vinegar. The chef came out to toss the plate and serve us, instructing to mop up all the delicious drippings with bread. It did not disappoint. Absolutely the highest quality ingredients and a fun, inviting atmosphere, no waiting on a Friday night at 10:00…and no other tourists. The chef topped it all off by theatrically preparing his special gin and tonic in front of a transfixed dining room. This is just a great experience that everyone should try if her in Barcelona. EUR 70 including a bottle of wine; not cheap but servings were huge and the two of us left stuffed.

El restaurante Casa Mari y Rufo es un local pequeño de comidas caseras y muy ricas situado justo al lado del Mercat de Santa Caterina (el techo más espectacular de Barcelona, firmado por la prestigiosa arquitecta italiana Benedetta Tagliabue). Comer en el Mari y Rufo significa tres cosas: probar unos platos caseros deliciosos y muy honestos, salir con cierto olorcillo a frito (el local es pequeño, y es un pequeño peaje por una buena experiencia gastronómica) y presenciar como regalo de la casa el espectáculo que ofrecen a diario el matrimonio que regenta el restaurante y su peculiar hijo, que ejerce de camarero. Sus discusiones parecen propias de un vodevil de Escenas de Matrimonio y a veces crees que se trata de una cámara oculta. Es tronchante y encima sales más que satisfecho y pagando un precio más que justo. ¿No te atreves?