anyavon

I think this is good advice in certainly many, probably most and maybe all of the new creative restaurants in Spain. Of course it involves a willingness to eat many different foods and could be a problem for those with allergies or other intolerences. ← Most restaurant will ask you if there are things you don't eat when offering a tasting menu. Most creative restos in Spain work on 2 levels: a la carte menu for regular customers who might want something predictable and simple, and degustation for foodies in which chefs show off what they can really do. Degustation is almost always a better value & the only real way to see what the resto is doing.

I've been to Xesc. Food's really good, neo-traditional. But place is a little depressing, was empty when I was there. Also, it's really out of the way. They have a few rooms upstairs but very pokey. It might be nicer in summer though, I went in November. Les Cols in Ripoll is actually amazing, food is pretty traditional as far as food goes in Spain and the decor just blows your mind. I love the owners, too, they are the sweetest people.

Alikimia is v. good, I'd definitely eat there. The chef, Jordi Vila is in great form. I'd ignore the English translations and just go for the degustation menu, the place is so reasonable you can't go wrong. I wrote about it in Travel+Leisure, in the current June issue.You can search travelandleisure.com under "barcelona". The best casual-avant garde place is MOO at Omm hotel, from the Roca brothers of Celler de Can Roca.