The Suquet Simmerer

Pau Soler

Pau grew up over his family's stall at the Mercat de la Barceloneta, where the unsold catch at the end of the day became the best suquet of the week. He spent years on the fish-stew station of a port-side comedor, learning that a great seafood stew is built, not boiled — a saffron broth, a potato that drinks it in, a picada stirred through at the last minute. He cooks the slow-simmered side of the Catalan coast: suquet de peix, zarzuela, mussels and clams opened in their own steam.

Catalan SeafoodMediterraneanSpanish Coastal

Voice · unhurried, salt-cured, precise, coastal, quietly reverent

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Pau's favorites.

40 MIN

Steamed Clams with Dry Vermouth and Pumpkin Seed Picada

Briny clams steamed open in dry vermouth, finished with a Catalan-style pumpkin seed and garlic picada that adds nutty depth and texture to the bright, saline broth.

40 MIN

Crispy Shrimp Tapa with Almond Flour and Saffron

Golden shrimp with a nutty almond-saffron crust, served alongside a bright saffron-lemon aioli. The crust shatters to reveal plump, briny shrimp inside.

1470 MIN

Salt Cod Tartare with Radish and Saffron

Desalted salt cod diced fine, bound in a saffron-garlic aioli, served over crisp radish rounds with a whisper of lemon and fresh parsley — coastal Catalonia on a plate.

50 MIN

Crispy Cod Cakes with Saffron and Garlic Aioli

Golden cod cakes bound with potato and herbs, served over a saffron-kissed garlic aioli that ties the briny sea to the warm Catalan coast.

60 MIN

Pinto Bean and Clam Tapa with Saffron Broth

A coastal tapa where tender pinto beans absorb a saffron-stained broth as clams open atop them, finished with a rough almond-garlic picada stirred through at the last moment. Briny, deeply savory, and quietly reverent of the sea.

45 MIN

Butternut Squash and Shrimp Tapa with Smoked Paprika

Caramelized butternut squash cubes crowned with plump, smoked-paprika-seared shrimp, finished with a bright lemon-herb drizzle. A coastal tapas plate that honors the sea without hiding it.

35 MIN

Saffron and Lemon Panna Cotta with Almond Crumble

A silky Catalan-inspired panna cotta stained with saffron and brightened with lemon, served with a buttery almond crumble for texture. The seafood chef turns his saffron mastery toward dessert with quiet reverence.

55 MIN

Saffron Almond Olive Oil Cake

A fragrant Mediterranean cake enriched with golden saffron, crunchy almonds, and fruity olive oil — the kind of simple, honest baking that Catalonia does best.

75 MIN

Fennel Seed and Honey Biscotti with Almonds

Twice-baked Italian-style biscuits infused with aromatic fennel seed and bound with honey, studded with toasted almonds for crunch. A quietly fragrant sweet with Catalan coastal soul.

80 MIN

Clams with Sofrito and Fresh Parsley

Briny clams steamed open in a slow-cooked tomato and garlic sofrito, finished with a scatter of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon. The sofrito is built patiently, then the clams open in their own time, releasing their brine into the aromatic base.

25 MIN

Scallops Seared with Garlic and Parsley

Plump sea scallops seared to a golden crust, finished with a garlicky butter, a scattering of fresh parsley, and a clean squeeze of lemon. Simple, precise, coastal.

45 MIN

Garlic Shrimp with Saffron Potato

Suquet-style shrimp and potato in a saffron-stained broth with a garlic-almond picada, finished with lemon and parsley.

25 MIN

Mussels Steamed with Saffron and White Wine

Briny mussels opened in their own steam, perfumed with saffron and finished with a squeeze of lemon. A quiet reverent dish that lets the sea speak.

60 MIN

Cod Stewed with Tomatoes and White Beans

A Catalonian-inspired white bean stew with tender cod in a saffron-stained tomato broth, finished with a rustic almond picada and bright lemon.

45 MIN

Sardines with White Beans and Garlic

Briny sardines nestled atop creamy white beans perfumed with garlic and a bright hit of lemon — a coastal Mediterranean preparations Pau learned at the Barceloneta market, where the day-boat catch met the humble bean pot.

80 MIN

White Beans Braised with Mussels and Tomatoes

An unhurried Catalan coastal braise where creamy white beans absorb the briny liquor of opened mussels and the sweet acidity of tomatoes. A dish that rewards patience — beans slow-cooked until they drink the sea.

55 MIN

Shrimp Braised with Saffron Broth and Potato

Briny shrimp braised in a saffron-stained broth with tender potato, finished with a fragrant almond-garlic picada and bright lemon. The Suquet Simmerer's coastal comfort in a cassola.

30 MIN

Clams Steamed with Saffron and Lemon

Briny clams opened in their own steam, infused with saffron and brightened with lemon — a coastal classic done with quiet reverence.

45 MIN

Grilled Sardines with Garlic Sofrito and Peppers

Sardines grilled to perfection, their rich flavor balanced by a bright garlic sofrito spiked with sweet bell peppers. A coastal classic that honors the fish without hiding it.

45 MIN

Cloïsses i Musclos amb Picada d'Ametlla

Clams and mussels opened in their own steam, finished with a traditional Catalan almond-garlic picada stirred through the briny broth. Briny, saffron-warmed, quietly reverent of the sea.

55 MIN

Gambes i Cloïsses Suquet amb Patata

A coastal Catalan suquet of briny clams and shrimp simmered in a saffron-stained broth with soft potatoes, finished with a traditional almond-garlic picada.

60 MIN

Bacallà Suquet de la Barceloneta

A traditional Catalan salt cod stew from the Barceloneta fish market — a saffron-stained broth with potato, mussels, clams and a hand-ground almond-garlic picada stirred through at the last moment.

55 MIN

Lobster Cazuela Finished with Almond Picada

Lobster simmered in a saffron-and-tomato base built patient with garlic and olive oil, then the picada — almond and garlic pounded together — stirred through at the last moment to thicken the broth and round every edge. The picada does not overpower; it resolves. This is the stall's best night, put in a cazuela.

65 MIN

Octopus and Chickpea Salad, Smoked Paprika

Tender octopus and chickpeas dressed with smoked paprika, olive oil, and lemon — the paprika coloring the oil deep rust before it coats everything evenly. Parsley cut through it with something fresh and green. Served at room temperature, the flavors having had time to settle into each other without instruction.

45 MIN

Seared Scallops on Saffron Sofregit

Yellow onion cooked slow in olive oil until it barely holds its shape, tomato added and reduced until the sofregit deepens, saffron stirred through to stain the whole base amber. The scallops go on top, seared just long enough to crust without losing their sweetness. A foundation that earns its place beneath.

45 MIN

Saffron Mussels in Garlic-Tomato Broth

Mussels dropped into a pan of garlic, tomato, and saffron-warmed olive oil, the lid on until every shell has opened in its own steam. The broth they release darkens the sofregit into something worth spooning on its own. Parsley, torn not chopped, goes in last — the only moment of haste in the whole dish.

25 MIN

Gambas al Ajillo with Smoked Paprika

Shrimp into hot olive oil with plenty of garlic and smoked paprika, the whole thing over high heat until the edges curl and the oil is brick-red and fragrant. Parsley scattered over, the pan brought straight to the table still sizzling. Everything you need, nothing else.

45 MIN

Salmon over Saffron Chickpeas and Spinach

Chickpeas warmed through with garlic and saffron until the broth turns amber, then spinach wilted into the pot in the final minutes — the salmon rests on top, its rendered fat seeping down into a bed that is already patient and fragrant. A coastal spirit in a pan that never sees the sea.

27 MIN

Grilled Sardines, Lemon and Parsley

Sardines onto a hot grill, the skin blistering before the flesh has a chance to dry out — a few minutes at most, then off. Garlic-rubbed, dressed with olive oil and lemon, parsley laid across the top. The sea flavor is already there; the cook's job is not to bury it.

80 MIN

Octopus a la Plancha with Smoked-Paprika Potatoes

Boiled octopus pressed against a screaming-hot plancha until the edges char and tighten, served over potato smashed gently and dressed with smoked paprika and olive oil. The paprika-stained oil pools beneath everything. Parsley over the top — its brightness against the rust is not decorative, it is necessary.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

codmusselclampotatosaffrongarlicolive-oilparsley

Favorite tools

DutchOvenMortarAndPestleLadleChefKnife

Reaches for

codmusselclamshrimppotatotomatogarlicsaffronparsleyolive-oilbell-pepper

Steers clear of

barbecue-sauceketchupheavy-creamsoy-sauce

Flavor Profile

The Loves

a saffron-stained seafood brothpotato that has drunk the stockbriny clams and musselsan almond-garlic picada stirred throughclean lemon acidity

The Defaults

a sofregit-and-saffron broth basea picada to thicken at the endletting shellfish open in their own steampotato simmered soft in the stock

The Avoids

a boiled-grey overcooked stewmasking the sea flavor with creamunder-salted brothrubbery shellfish