Swad-The Indian Restaurant is a cute little restaurant near the Glories section of Barcelona, Spain.
I arrived right at opening time this Sunday evening and was the first to enter the restaurant. Because I am a serious restaurant reviewer I always try and get good pictures and video for my reviews. No one was in the restaurant so I asked if I could take some video and the girl behind the counter said that I "could not take any video, only photos" which I thought was strange as no one was there, and the restaurant looked pristine and perfect. That seemed very strange, especially for a business that could only benefit from other people seeing the inside.
I ordered a starter of dal and garlic and cheese naan bread that I specifically asked to come out before my main course of biryani shrimp. They obviously wanted to get my out of the restaurant quickly, so they brought everything out at the same time. The apology felt insincere.
The dal, which is lentil beans basically, was very tasty in a rich dark sauce. It went well with the garlic and cheese naan. The shrimp biryani was just ok. You had to get to the bottom of the small bowl to get more to the flavorful part.
For dessert I ordered the rice pudding. It was really good with what I think was pistachio crumbs on top.
The meal was descent, but the service and the feeling I got from the staff left me with a strange feeling that detracted from the meal. I felt like an unwelcome visitor! I would have rated the food with 4 stars but when I factor the service that I got, unfortunately I have to rate this restaurant with 3 stars.
Although I am in Barcelona frequently, I will not go back to this restaurant. read more