Carlitos: A New Star in Torreblanca

Creative dishes, smart setting and a lively atmosphere – by Millie Swift and Johan Caballero.

Carlitos opened a few months ago in the prime corner spot previously occupied by Restaurant Saona in the lively Mercat Torreblanca parking area, that was remarkably unremarkable. And now we are delighted to have Carlitos come to our town, as it brings a fresh, fun and slightly adventurous twist to the traditional Catalan restaurant.

The menu is seasonal, regularly changing, keeping it interesting. We visited on a Friday night and discovered the long list of daily specials including creamy pigs trotters, oxtail terrine and an impressive selection of shellfish, including oysters, scallops and the deliciously sweet and wallet-blowing Palamós prawns.

Dish: Capaccio de Pulpo Gallego sobre espuma de patata

We enjoyed every dish: the croquetas were crispy, the house speciality avocado cannelloni stuffed with salmon arrived looking like a small piece of art and was a pity to eat, but it tasted great. The ensaladilla rusa (potato and veg prawn salad) had a strong flavour, although we had to toss a coin to see who got the prawn. The Galician octopus with paprika on mashed potato was warm and gently smoked thanks to their use of the famous Catalan Josper oven. The steak and chips were perfectly good, especially at only 23€, also finished off in the oven. Desserts were equally fun, imaginatively presented and our chocolate truffles were a delightful way to end the meal.

Dish: Canelon de Aguacate

Sharing is very much the spirit of the place and we would have happily tried more of the kitchen’s creative dishes like the quail eggs in a steamed bao bun, calçots in tempura and mussels in green curry. But for more traditional fare, there is plenty of choice, including patatas bravas, calamares and hamburgers. And maybe for lunch, arroz del senyoret which is basically a paella with all the shellfish thoughtfully peeled for you. Plenty of choices and a kids menu too.

The setting was pleasant, clean, airy, modern, stylish with generously spaced tables that made conversation easy. The staff were efficient, smartly uniformed and helpful, even as the restaurant filled out on a busy Friday night.

We recommend it. The menú del día looks like excellent value at 17€. Our à la carte experience including a glass of wine each and shared dessert, came to 41€ per person. It felt like the sort of place you might choose for an occasion or to impress a date.

Carlitos leaves the impression of a restaurant that knows exactly what it wants to be: fresh, sociable, stylish and just adventurous enough. In a town with no shortage of places to eat, it succeeds in standing out, and we suspect many diners will leave already planning what to order next time.

Address: Avenida de la Torre Blanca 2–8, Local 5

Website: https://grupocarlitos.com/

Opening: The restaurant opened approximately 7 months ago.

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Friday: 13:00 – 00:00
Saturday: 13:00 – 01:00
Sunday: 13:00 – 16:30
Monday: Closed