“The miracle of existing, the instinct of searching,
the fortune of finding, the pleasure of meeting”

Joan Manuel Serrat, a friend of Passadís del Pep

The history of a corridor

In order to get to Passadís you will have to go Pla de Palau, a square that, in 16th Century Barcelona, became the only gateway for everything that came into the city by sea.

Around that time Pla de Palau became known as the main square for commerce in Barcelona, because it was here where all the fresh produce from overseas was sold. 400 years later, in 1979, Joan Manubens pieced the spirit of the square back together and decided to set up a restaurant without a menu and exclusively devoted to the fresh produce that reaches the port of Barcelona everyday. But at that point Joan was only starting in the gastronomy world, so his first chef would have to be his own mother, the sublime cook, Señora Pilar.

Joan then only had to think of name for the restaurant and decided to call it Passadís del Pep (Pep’s Corridor, in Catalan) to pay homage to his brother Josep, who was the one who encouraged him and helped him at the beginning of this adventure.

Then, our meals cost 125 pesetas. Ever since then, and perennially observed by Barcelona’s Roman city walls, thousands of diners and friends have eaten at Passadís and they have helped us become one of the most emblematic Mediterranean cuisine restaurants in the city.