Casa Martelo

Great little place for a meal. Food was really good, very fresh. The staff (and patrons) are friendly.

Casa Martelo was close enough to our hotel and didn’t have a siesta break. We had our first dinner in Barcelona here. The menu is quite extensive with tapas, plates, paellas and pastas. The staff is friendly and speak English and of course English menus are available.
I wanted some paella; unfortunately here they have a two person minimum order for it and list the price per order, but we decided to go for it. We also ordered some Iberian ham, patas bravas and tomato bread. Our waitress was trying to upsell us on the premium one but I went with the normal lesser price one. Patas Bravas, delicious, it’s all about the aioli sauce! The grilled tomato bread was so good as well. The bread had garlic rubbed on it and tomato lightly rubbed on it as well with a ton of flavor. The ham was the perfect amount of salty and sweet and melted in our mouths. Finally the paella came in a huge paella pan. One of the waitresses served all of it on two plates for us. I wish she had just left it to some of the rice could get crunchy. They had different variations of paella, but we went with the meat and seafood. There were lots of shrimp, chicken, clams, shrimp. I didn’t notice any saffron flavor. The rice itself was fine, but I didn’t like how there were bones in the dish (loose from the chicken and attached). The clams tasted a bit fishy, so I ended up just eating the shrimp and some of the chicken. The portions were huge, but again, I thought it was ridiculous that they required a two person minimum, which makes me think we should’ve went to some other small restaurants that advertised paella for $ 9 – 10 Euro for probably an individual portion. Was not much of a fan of the paella, and typically when I’ve had it back home, I stick more to the meat version.
I did tell hubby that I read somewhere that tourists drink sangria and eat paella. When in Spain though! Now we know next time to just skip paella. Casa Martelo’s prices are a bit more for everything — tapas, paella and dishes, but if you’re in the area and looking for a solid tapas spot, Casa Martelo isn’t a bad choice, there’s just better options around, but you may also have to wait for them to re-​open from the day break, as opposed to Casa Martelo staying open throughout the day.

This place is fantástico. Rapid service, excellent tapas, great bar seen, and tasty desserts (postres). My hotel recommended this tapas bar and I am extremely glad I came here. I’m staying in Barcelona for a couple more nights so may have to come back at least one more time. The bar tenders are very friendly and they speak English which helps with my broken español. LOL. Be sure to order their grilled langostinos and their shrimp with garlic. Very tasty! Pair it with some vino tinto and you should be set.

Casa Martelo, restaurante descubierto el 6 de septiembre año pasado (2014) al pisar por primera vez Barcelona, recomendado por el Hotel Abba Sants (a unos metros más arriba de la misma Calle Numància. Acabábamos de llegar, y pedimos en recepción recomendación de algún sitio en el cual se pudiera comer bien, y la chica sin dudarlo nos dijo: mira, tenéis en ésta misma calle varios sitios para tomar algo, pero os recomiendo Casa Martelo, ya que se come bien y no es caro.
Allá que nos fuimos, y muy amablemente nos atendieron!
Fueron honestos el personal del restaurante, aunque más que honestos, yo diría buena gente, ya que hay algunos «listillos» que si te ven que eres nueva por allí y no conoces mucho… Te dan recomendaciones para luego pegarte un clave de narices. Pero como ya os digo, pedimos consejo a los camareros, y en ese momento no queríamos una mariscada ni nada así especial por el estilo, ya que íbamos cansadas y queríamos algo «común», que estuviese bueno y rápido de hacer para no esperar mucho.
El chico nos recomendó un combinado de patas y huevo frito, medallones de solomillo (muy tierno y con muy buen sabor) y una ración de ensalada considerable!
Tanto a mi madre como a mí nos gusto mucho, estaba muy bueno todo.
Mientras esperábamos, el chico nos ofreció unas «tostas» de pan con tomate, típicas de Barcelona.
No sabíamos lo que era, la verdad, pensábamos que era otra cosa distinta a lo que nos dijeron, y cuando nos la sirvieron, eran dos rodajas de pan tostado (en el momento) con tomate rallado por encima. Y la verdad que estaban muy buenas.
(Ahora veréis la foto que os adjunto de la comida).
En resumen, no fue caro. Los combinados (platos grandes, de esos que no te quedas con hambre), las tostas de pan (grandes también) y las bebidas (una cerveza y una fanta), 20 ó 22 € fueron. ¡Qué a «10 €» por cabeza no está mal y más si comes bien y buen servicio!
Así que yo lo recomiendo y mucho! Porque independientemente de la comida, el camarero fue amable y simpático, y estuvo atento en todo momento de nosotras dos por si todo estaba bien y/​ó nos faltaba algo. ¡Y eso se agradece!
Gracias a la chica de recepción del Hotel Abba por recomendárnoslo. En septiembre volvemos a Barcelona, y sin duda volveremos a ir!
Calidad de comida, servicio del personal y al local (que me gustó mucho la distribución de mesas que tienen dentro, y la poca decoración que vi ya que no me dio tiempo a observar mucho), en general, les doy un 10!

The tapas and paella were excellent and so was the desert. I had one of the best irish coffee there and I also tried a local beer (1906 Red Vintage La Colorada) and that was one of the best beers I ever had.
The service was also excellent and the place was nice and clean.

I am giving it three stars because the staff here was friendly and they explained and helped you with what you wanted to eat. The options were plenty, the drinks were okay I have had better drinks elsewhere. It is a bit pricey for the food so I would look around pick a less trendy yet local joint and save some money for the same food.

Tenía el tiempo justísimo para comer antes de coger el AVE en la estación de Sants y no me apetecía un bocadillo de esos ya preparados de la estación. Unilocal recomendaba este restaurante muy cercano y tengo que darle las gracias a Unilocal.
Me comí unos canelones de rape y langostinos de primero y unos flamenquines con ensalada de segundo con café y postre por 12 euros. No puede decir que fuese delicatesssen, pero estaba todo bien rico.
Además, mi principal preocupación es que me atendieran rápido para no perder el tren y después de pedírselo fueron más rápidos que el rayo. Vamos, que me dio tiempo a fumarme un cigarrito tranquilamente con el café.
Con las prisas ni siquiera llegué a entrar al local, así que no sé ni como está decorado, pero tiene terraza, que en cuanto empieza el buen tiempo, me basta y me sobra.

Excelente como siempre. La limpieza del local se hace notar desde el primer momento. La atención y la calidad de los productos excelente

A trendy bar-​café with cosmopolitan business-​chic.
We had been walking for twenty minutes late at night, on the prowl for late-​night decaf, possibly beer (eventually we decided we would settle for mere potato chips, but no late night Macs in that section of Barcelona apparently). After walking past a dozen banks and a few small Mom and Pops bars with obvious regulars, we came upon Casa Martelo. It appeared like a strange oasis in a desert of closed shops and darkened windows. Businessmen and nicely dressed women sat in the small outdoor patio and ordered fancy dishes from the smartly dressed staff. Quite a surprise!
Atmosphere–
The décor is business-​chic café. Not as pretentious as a lounge but still impeccably arranged and clean. With silent sliding glass doors and gleaming golden wood floors and a 20 foot ceiling, it was hard not to be a little impressed at first glance. The bar glimmered with a wall of backlit liquor. Warm wood tables for two were completed with matching chairs. The outdoor seating was half-​enclosed on the side facing the street, creating a cozy spot for people watching and enjoying your café con leche or a brew. The classy cosmopolitan vibe means you can take your family but not feel out of place with your friends. Five or six wee tables outside underneath umbrellas and about the same inside, with a few larger tables buried near the back. The bar had stationary stools for approximately ten.
Food–
We opted for coffee and some lighter fare, considering it was near midnight and we were jet lagged. First off, the menu was in 5 languages and nicely designed. Much appreciated as a tourista. Secondly, the waiter was extremely helpful and took us by the hand, explaining the food at the bar, which was displayed behind glass. We were still getting used to the idea of having the food in a classy cafeteria style, in trays behind glass where we could see it. We wanted something traditional and he helped us out by pointing out common dishes. The potato omelette was fat and delicious, not too salty or greasy. The potato was rich and thick, the egg not too chewy or soft. The tomato-​rubbed bread came with the oil on the side, which was much appreciated.
The cuttlefish came chopped into bite sized peices, which was again much appreciated, as we were too darn tired and stupid to cut it up effectively ourselves. It was warm and simple, olive oil, garlic and minimal salt, laced with the good toasted taste of the grill. The whole thing was simple and delicious.
The coffee was gorgeously decorated with a chocolate drizzle in the foam. The coffee was nice and strong. By the time I got to the bottom of it, it was a tad too milky for my taste, but it was decent while it lasted.
Service–
Our server was fantastic. He was very helpful and friendly. He spoke impeccable English and put up with our terrible Spanish. He shared some travelling stories from New York and guessed correctly that wed come in just two nights ago. The first night, he said, you come in an take it easy and sleep. The next day you go 100 per cent and drive yourself into the bloody ground, which is why we looked like wed been hit by a truck. He was very informative and his chatty, down to earth attitude helped make my evening.
Convenience–
Located a bit out of the city core proper, away from La Rambla, but a great spot if youre in the neighborhood. Our hostel was near Badal station, and the resto was a 15 or 20 minute walk away.
Overall, we had a great experience and wed be happy to recommend it to others. A classy joint for the classy night owl out on the prowl for some good food late at night. The big windows would make it a great sunny breakfast spot as well. It isnt cramped or tiny and isnt a big tourist trap. To my uneduated Canadian sensibilities, the food seemed good quality and could be a great breather from the bustle of the city.

Cerca de Sants existe un restaurante de confianza, en el que uno siempre acierta y que además hace horario continuado desde las 7.30 de la mañana hasta bien entrada la noche, con lo que una no debe preocuparse a qué hora le llega el tren. Casa Martelo es un local elegante, con mucha madera y muy bien cuidado en el que ofrecen una carta de tapas amplísima (tanto en barra como en mesas) y un menú diario muy variado a buen precio, que incluso permite hacer un chuletón por un presupuesto asumible (lo probé un día y repetiré seguro). La relación calidad-​precio es seguramente la mejor de la zona y es que el barrio está plagado de lugares de comida rápida que resultan caros para el servicio que ofrecen.

Diría yo que es el mejor restaurante de la zona y no sería una afirmación harto exagerada. Para empezar la decoración del lugar demuestra clase y buen gusto, sin dejar de lado la clásica tradición de los restaurantes españoles de dejar a la vista del cliente los mejores jamones y vinos, para que se vayan haciendo una idea de lo que pueden disfrutar. El servicio es muy atento y profesional, y lo mejor de todo es que tienen unos menús de una calidad increíble a precios populares. Yo comí de primero una fideuá con sepia y all i olí casero para chuparse los dedos, de segundo un carpaccio de ternera al parmesano con aceite de trufa, y de postre una tartaleta de chocolate para morirse. Y el precio 10.20! Tomen nota, por favor un sitio muy recomendable. Eso sí, el menú lo tienen de 13 a 16h, pero la cocina está abierta de 8 a 1:30.

Si estás en la estación de Sants, es la hora de comer y te quieres evitar pagar un pastón por un mini-​bocadillo y una caña en la misma estación, Casa Martelo está muy cerca y te ofrece un menú asequible y con unos platos bastante ricos. Suele llenarse bastante, cosa que es señal de que el sitio es bueno.