Barcelona Restaurant Recommendations

[luizhorta]

I think you could add Sauc [Passatge Pellicer] and Hisop [Passatge Marimon] that are good value for lunch menues [ 29 euros with wine the first, 45 euros but with a bigger tasting menu the second].

Silly and Bux (and all contributing members).

I thank you so very much for your input and insight.  I'm sure I will have a memorable experience being in Barcelona itself and environs that the food could only be an added plus!

I will definitely give a report when I return.  But, for now, this is what I have planned (where I have reservations):

Friday dinner (tonight): Ca L'Isidre

Saturday lunch: Gaig (couldn't get in any other night).

Saturday dinner:?  (something simpler/lighter) and Espai Sucre

Sunday lunch: Either C. Fabes or L'Esguard

Sunday dinner?: (something simple/light, or not at all depending on lunch).

Monday lunch:? Probably graze through La Boqueria?

Monday dinner: Abac.

Thanks all - hopefully, someone will cancel at El Bulli on a whim for Sunday (the last night of this year's El Bulli season) night and I'll be able to squeeze in - if so, I'll let y'all know!

Ciao.

U.E.

←

[Corinna Dunne]

I'm a bit late to this thread, bu perhaps Espai Coch at Can Fabes might be an option. It has a more limited menu and lower prices, but comes from the same kitchen, so must represent excellent value. It has had some good reviews on this forum.

[ulterior epicure]

To all:

Initial update: Ca l'Isidre was a miserable disaster of a meal. Gaig, on the otherhand, as others on this site have described great experiences, was 'transcendent!'

For tomorrow I think I´ve decided to go to Can Fabes and abandon my reservations at Abac... anyone object?

U.E.

[Bux]

To all:

Initial update: Ca l'Isidre was a miserable disaster of a meal.  Gaig, on the otherhand, as others on this site have described great experiences, was 'transcendent!' 

For tomorrow I think I´ve decided to go to Can Fabes and abandon my reservations at Abac... anyone object?

U.E.

←

I haven't been to Ca L'Isidre in years, but I'm surprised if not shocked. I'm curious what went wrong, although with "miserable disaster," I might ask if anything went right.

I have no objections to your going to Can Fabes over Abac. I liked Abac, but Can Fabes was in another league. Again, it was some time ago.

[tjdnewyork]

Spent about six weeks in Barcelona back in March and covered almost everywhere, I think. Now I'm back in town for a couple of weeks. I've been following the postings but haven't seen much about any really new, good places in Barcelona, opened in the last six months or so. I'm staying in a new hotel called Grand Hotel Central, which has a restaurant called Actual, from Ramon Friexa, which I wil try tonight and report back on. Other places that might be of interest are the bar/restaurant attached to the new market of Santa Katarina, will try it soon and report.

Wondering if anyone can let me know about new places worth trying out. Thanks in advance.

[Silly Disciple]

A few places which have been sounding around lately are Manairo, Andaira, Cuore and Osmosis.

I've only been to Manairo and Andaira so far.

Manairo: chef Jordi Herrera, instructor at CETT cooking school, cooks meat in a "nail barbeque", and is also known to steam cigalas from the inside out, using something described as vapor needle, which I'm told he will be presenting in Madrid Fusion). The meal was good, interesting, but a bit expensive and I'm not sure I would go back. The usual Adria tricks are present (spherification, nitro powders, etc), but not always justified. If this is what pushes your buttons, then go for it. Close to Arc de Triomf.

Andaira: Apparently this restaurant and its chef Carl Borg were very successful in Menorca, and has recently moved to Barcelona. Conceptually interesting dishes, heavy use of sous vide, but when we were there the service was a disaster (at its highest point, one waitress walked away/was fired right in the middle of service) and the execution suffered in consequence. But I've heard a conflicting report, so I might give it another chance. In Barceloneta.

Cuore was recently very positively reviewed in La Vanguardia's Cinc a Taula.

Osmosis was recommended to me initially by an instructor at Hofmann cooking school, and later on someone else talked positively about it as well. Apparently it belongs to a former Hofmann student, but unfortunately I can't add much more about it. Somewhere in the Eixample. I can't seem to find info about it on google, so spelling might be wrong.

[luizhorta]

I suppose you are talking about Coure, that means Copper in catalan (and also the act of cooking, the catalans correct me please...) and is in Passatge Marimon just in front of another good restaurant called Hisop, both very close to Diagonal Avenue. In fact I've tried to eat there twice 2 weeks ago, but it was always full for lunch and I have no reservation done. In the second attempt the Maitre d' was so unpolite that I've decided not to return, he had the "attitude" as if one person daring to ask for a table without a reservation was something to be punished with a gaol term... but the menu seemed interesting. In the 2 failed attempts at Coure I've eaten at Hisop and Sauc, both very good and with a lunch menu around 30 euros. One day, walking Arribau street found Apat, a place some friends had recommend me (not to be counfonded with Abac, Pellicer's place) and had a very nice meal for 14 euros! The second dish, an artichoke and black sausage rice was pretty good, the place is unfortunately awful, all black and grey in a 70s fashion, you expect Barbarella to enter at any moment, but the food is ok, not a big restaurant, just a place around the corner with a decent lunchtime meal if you happen to be around.

Edited December 11, 2005 by luizhorta (log)

[Silly Disciple]

I suppose you are talking about Coure, that means Copper in catalan (and also the act of cooking, the catalans correct me please...) and is in Passatge Marimon just in front of another good restaurant called Hisop, both very close to Diagonal Avenue.

←

Yup, that's what I meant, thanks for the correction. Hisop is indeed a very good restaurant and one of the best values in town.

[Judith Gebhart]

How about Ovic? It's location is not far from Cinq Sentis. It is a promising Barcelona luncheon and maybe dinner location. We have yet to report our Barcelona Fall stay which included this modern, fairly new Barcelona restaurant.

If anyone has tried this tiny, seemingly new spot it would be welcome to hear about their experience. Our one time luncheon must be left to our more comprehensive report which is forthcoming. We found the food enjoyable and noteworthy. Any reports? Judith Gebhart

[Judith Gebhart]

How about Ovic? It's location is not far from Cinq Sentis. It is a promising Barcelona luncheon and maybe dinner location. We have yet to report our Barcelona Fall stay which included this modern, fairly new Barcelona restaurant.

If anyone has tried this tiny, seemingly new spot it would be welcome to hear about their experience. Our one time luncheon must be left to our more comprehensive report which is forthcoming. We found the food enjoyable and noteworthy. Any reports? Judith Gebhart

←

We are headed to Barcelona late January, 2006. We are eager to sample Berasetgui's latest venu on the P. de Gracia which apparently opened in December, 2005 or in January, 2006.

We did not try Luiz's Barcelona find: Coure (Copper) restaurant. It too sounds like another choice in the unending newest culinary finds in this marvelous city. For those interested, we will be forthcoming in our report of this fine Basque chef's jump into the Barcelona restaurant scene. Judith Gebhart

[Adam Balic]

Los Caracoles - you know I have been trying to work out the identity of this restaurant for nearly ten years. A few days before Christmas '96 I was recovering in Barcelona from pneumonia caught a week previously on a train full of Basques, somewhere between Bordeaux and Lisbon.

To be very honest I have very little memory of the meal, other then a sense of excitement at the energy of the place, the chickens turning on spits and my first taste of snails (A snail and rice dish). Although, I have now eaten snails many times and I now know the species of snail I ate that night, I remember then thinking that this was "exactly why I traveled 18,000 km to backpack in Europe during the middle of winter - eating snails and rice. How exotic, how European"

Last week I caught part of an old Keith Floyd program where he was cooking in the kitchen of this restuarant, so I was able to identify it. I am very glad to have been able to solve this minor life mystery.

[Pranian man]

Anyone got any more recent info on Colibri? I can hardly find anything on it re type of restaurant (eg formal/informal), menu (rustic/nuevo), prices etc. Shoud I choose there or Hisop?

Already booked in at Cinc Sentits and plan to follow Silly Disciples essential top 10

[The Viking]

Regarding Colibri:

I haven't been there since Robert quit and opened his new (and to me highly recommended place) Gamvik at Balmes 165. Much of the same style of cooking, but some dishes even better executed, particularly the risoto with ceps (when in season) and tuna tartare.

As for Hisop: Haven't been there, but give us feedback if you go!

[Pranian man]

Thanks Viking. Can you tell me anything else about Gamvik as regards prices/booking/formality and barrio?

[Silly Disciple]

Colibri moved to a new, much bigger location, somewhere in the Right Eixample (Eixample Dreta), north of Av. Diagonal.

I haven't been to its new location yet, and neither have I been to Gamvik, but I've heard one or two really good reviews for Colibri and not so great things about Gamvik. Then again, I haven't been to either yet.

Colibri will set you back 60-80 euros. At it's former location, it was one of the great restaurants in the city.

found the address:

Colibri

Carrer de Casanova, 212

93.443.23.06

[Judith Gebhart]

Colibri moved to a new, much bigger location, somewhere in the Right Eixample (Eixample Dreta), north of Av. Diagonal.

I haven't been to its new location yet, and neither have I been to Gamvik, but I've heard one or two really good reviews for Colibri and not so great things about Gamvik. Then again, I haven't been to either yet.

Colibri will set you back 60-80 euros. At it's former location, it was one of the great restaurants in the city.

found the address:

Colibri

Carrer de Casanova, 212

93.443.23.06

←

Silly: Why do you not promote Hisop? Colibri is not as marvelous as Hisop. I have some more expensive interesting BCN locations to report. Hisop is an enduring value and exciting menu. I would agitate to visit Hisop. Judith Gebhart

[Silly Disciple]

Silly: Why do you not promote Hisop? Colibri is not as marvelous as Hisop. I have some more expensive interesting BCN locations to report. Hisop is an enduring value and exciting menu. I would agitate to visit Hisop. Judith Gebhart

←

Judith, if you look elsewhere on this forum and even on my "top 10" on this thread, you'll see that I'm quite a fan of Hisop, and usually recommend it as one of the best value options in the city (now closely challenged by accross-the-street newcomer Coure).

However the question asked was about Colibri, and later Gamvik.

[LainaAS]

Based on earlier posts, I'm sure you all still feel that El Celler de Can Roca is the one of the best restuarants in Spain. Can anyone give me a rough idea of the cost of a meal for two at Can Roca? And is it a series of set menus, or does one order a la carte?

Also, should I make reservations now for a meal at Cinq Sentits during the second week of May? And can you give me an average cost of a meal there, too?

By the way, you guys are the BEST at helping a girl plan her vacation! I've already booked a dinner at Arzak. And I'm planning to eat tapas and pintxos until I can't think straight. And I'm sooooo looking forward to spending time in la Boqueria.

Thanks!

[Corinna Dunne]

El Cellar de Can Roca offers both a la carte and a fixed price menu; and from what I've read in other posts, chef Joan Roca is also happy to select a surprise menu on request. Last year, we paid €67 per person for the tasting menu, so I'd imagine that it has gone up slightly this year. There is some great value on the extensive wine list and we paid €29 for a wine pairing. This restaurant offers exceptional value for money and the food is incredible. Be sure to make a reservation in good time, but do it by phone as they don't appear to respond to the email address on the website. Check out this thread for more detail.

[nhconner]

Any reccomendations on a great place to dine on a Sunday? I cant seem to find any recs that are open for dinner.

Thanks,

Nate

[Silly Disciple]

Any reccomendations on a great place to dine on a Sunday?  I cant seem to find any recs that are open for dinner. 

Thanks,

Nate

←

on the higher end, some of the restaurants in the hotels may be open. Then on the not so high end I like Paco Meralgo on Sundays, which is good but not great, and as a low end option you could go for the traditional El Meson David, a galician tavern in the Raval.

[molto e]

Try Moo, the Roca brothers place

[Judith Gebhart]

That would be sad indeed if Abac has slipped. That last year has  so far produced the best meal I have ever had in Barcelona and I have eaten well there. I was under the impression at least here on eGullet, that if anyplace has slippe it was Alkimia and not Abac. I  had an excellent meal there two years ago, but can't personally offer anything more recent than that .

I will have to seek out the chocolates of Enric Rovira next time I am in Barcelona.

If one were able to get a lunch reservation and go to Can Roca, that would probably be the better thing to do. I do, however, love Montserrat. It is such a beautiful spot and so representaative of Catalunya, that I have a hard time arguing against it. Of course, being that we are all food obsessed that would be the downside as I don't believe there is anything special to eat right there. A fun alternative might be to take a picnic lunch there. Either way one can't go wrong.

←

Dear Doc: I am responding only to the immense talents of Enric Rovira who has become an indisputable chocolate talent in BCN. FOr those interested he is located in a spot difficult to locate, but with some determination his outlet can be located at Sant Geroni, 17 in Barcelona. His website is www.enricoroviera.com

This chocolaitier is exceptional and deserves your attention. He has many wonderful chocolate offerings in Barcelona. Judith Gebhart

[Silly Disciple]

Judith, the correct url for Enric Rovira's website is http://www.enricrovira.com/.

[LycheeLover]

I recently returned from a trip to Spain and I highly recommend Cal Pep, Pinxto (at the enrtrance to the Boqueria market) and Abac (which was very expensive but well worth it...get the baby goat...)