Barcelona Restaurant Recommendations

[bourdain]

The new book is a mammoth--and I mean MAMMOTH--volume chronicling three years of recipe development for El Bulli. You can watch, from year to year--in pictures and in obsessively organized and detailed notes, exactly how each dish originated and evolved. It's..well..it has to be seen to be believed. A beautiful and intimidating object..can't stop looking at it. Said by author to be available in US in English six months. Even though it costs over 200 Euros a pop, the book is a best-seller in Spain.

[Jason Perlow]

dang. That sounds like serious food porn.

[cabrales]

In the January/February 2003 edition of the AmEx magazine Departures, Arthur Lubow describes certain of the "newer generation" chefs around Barcelona. The article is entitled "Barcelona: Way Beyond Tapas". Note I have not sampled the cuisine of any of the younger chefs featured. After an hommage to Adria, Lubow describes:

-- Akimia is in Barcelona's Eixample district. Among the dishes described is a "fried egg" composed of cauliflower cream with candied lemon and caramelized onion flavors. The interior is egg-yolk ice cream and sevruga. The chef is Jordi Vila. Address: 79 Carrer Industria; 207-61-15 (unclear what numbers to dial before this).

-- At Hisop, the chefs are Oriol Ivern and Guillem Pla. 9 Passatge Marimon. 241-32-33.

-- At Santa Maria restaurant in Barcelona (not to be confused with Chef Santamaria of three-starred Con Fabes close to Barcelona), the chef is Paco Guzman. 17 Carrer Comerc 315-12-27.

--> Also in the El Born district is Comerc 24 (recently opened by El Bulli disciple Carles Abellan). Comerc 24 is recommended by Adra. "Carles Abellan surely understands our spirit . . . He was here nine years, and we have talked often in the kitchen. I think that Comerc 24 is very nice because it is accessible to all the customers. It's fun", Adria noted. Abellan noted, "I don't want to be super creative, I want to be medium creative."

Indicative dishes are asparagus with mayonnaise foam; sardines marinated in balsamic or fried in parmesan; onions tempura with soy-foam dip. Prices $40 for festival menu of tapas; average price also $40. 24 Carrer Comerc. 319-21-02.

--> Espai Sucre is very close to Comerc 24. It was opened by Jordi Butron, whom F Adria's brother (A Adria and pastry chef at El Bulli) considers to "make the best desserts in Spain".

"Cold tea soup with spiced team ice cream and surrounded by pureed and minced tropical fruits and fine-chopped macadamia nuts"; "peppered milk with a yellow citrus cream, slivered Granny Smith apples, toffee, and a few spicy arugula leaves"; "tea cream, a black sesame wafer, a pool of unsweened yoghurt, a coffee-and-chocolate cake, sweet grapes, and a scoop of ice cream". Five course menu for $30. Three-course meal for $20. Savory dishes $9-11. 53 Carrer Princesa, 268-16-30.

[anil]

.....  Note I have not sampled the cuisine of any of the younger chefs featured. After an hommage to Adria, Lubow describes:

Surprisingly, Sucre and Commerc 24 are getting similar press in Nov/Dec edition of National Geographic Traveller also... courtsey Adria too

[Tonyfinch]

I think the Tallia Mar restaurant, overlooking the Marina, has a connection with Adria as well. This restaurant has the advantage of being one of few that's open on Sunday evenings, although I don't know about the Christmas/New Year period.

[Bux]

I've been a francophile for well over three decades and during that time, never quite fully content untless we had an up and coming trip to France in line. My preference for French food over other forms of western cuisine was no secret. In the last year or two I've found myself traveling in France and thinking of meals I've had in northern Spain--Catalonia above all. Last spring we planned a short week in Catalonia which was turned into a long week by courtesy of a general strike which closed the airports and cancelled flights for a couple of days and made reservations hard to get for a few more. No one likes to have their travel plans upset like that, but I was almost surprised by how much I relished the chance to spend a few extra days in Barcelona. After a week of eating well it should not have been a surprise however. We ate well at every Michelin star point and at untouted local restaurants and bars. If not every meal was an outstanding success, we still had better luck on the average than in France and ate well at every price point. Adria is, if not the best chef in the region, certainly the most amazing.

[cabrales]

Espai Sucre and Comerc 24 are included in an article in The Observer from this summer:

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,...4434473,00.html

[peterpumkino]

One dish that I could not get enough of were those litle anguilas cooked in oil and garlic and looking for all the world like one-eyed noodles.

I went to an unbelievable restaurant in Barcelona that served these eels. I can't remember the name but you go down Las Ramblas to the end, turn left, and there's a small doorway on the Piazza on the left. Go through it and you walk into the restaurant. Talk about hole in the wall!! But great food and I had a 1973 Rioja there which was, for me, the best wine I have ever drank! They have a great set meal where the food just comes and comes - you don't have to order anything! In fact I spotted the eels on another table and I really thought it was pasta - until I noticed the eye! My friends were a bit squeamish but, like you Jaybee, I couldn't get enough of them.

[anil]

.....

I went to an unbelievable restaurant in Barcelona that served these eels. ....

Maya ??

[peterpumkino]

Sorry Anul, I just don't remember the name - but I could go again as it's definately through a dingy doorway on a piazza left of Las Ramblas - not far from Sette Porte (or something like that!) on opposite side of course.

[Wilfrid]

You got me thinking there, Peter. More or less opposite Set Portes, on the north side of Passeig Isabel de Gracia? In other words, the side away from the water? Was the doorway actually on that street, or was it on one of the side streets that leads back up into the Barri Gotic? You said piazza: there are one or two little squares just off this street - are we talking about one of those? This requires investigation.

I found a superb version of that little eel dish at Ca d'Isidre in the Barri Xines too.

If I could, I would move to Barcelona tomorrow and live there for the rest of my life. Without hesitation. I am only worried all these fancy new restaurants will spoil it.

Edited December 18, 2002 by Wilfrid (log)

[cabrales]

Wilfrid -- While I would not choose to live in Spain, if you liked Barcelona, have you considered visiting San Sebastian? The concentration of gastronomic restaurants and tapas venues is high there too.

[Wilfrid]

This is my problem, Cabby - I would love to spend more time in the Basque country or regions of Spain beyond Catalonia, but all time spent outside Barcelona seems time wasted. I think it may be the same with you and France - whenever you go to Europe, isn't it hard to go to somewhere other than France?

[jaybee]

I went to an unbelievable restaurant in Barcelona that served these eels. I can't remember the name but you go down Las Ramblas to the end, turn left, and there's a small doorway on the Piazza on the left. Go through it and you walk into the restaurant. Talk about hole in the wall!! But great food and I had a 1973 Rioja there which was, for me, the best wine I have ever drank! They have a great set meal where the food just comes and comes - you don't have to order anything! In fact I spotted the eels on another table and I really thought it was pasta - until I noticed the eye! My friends were a bit squeamish but, like you Jaybee, I couldn't get enough of them.

I ate this dish in a small place just off the Ramblas main way, and also at a small place in the old city, decorated with bullfighter pictures and stuff. It was located on a narrow side street just a couple of blocks walking away from the cathedral (toward the water). The door opened right onto the street. We were advised not to walk at night even one block from the restaurant for fear of being robbed, so we had a taxi take us to and from the door.

[cabrales]

This is my problem, Cabby - I would love to spend more time in the Basque country or regions of Spain beyond Catalonia, but all time spent outside Barcelona seems time wasted.  I think it may be the same with you and France - whenever you go to Europe, isn't it hard to go to somewhere other than France?

Yes, I do not go to Europe without stopping in France. However, you could go to Barcelona AND to San Sebastian -- Arzak is an outstanding restaurant, and the tapas places are abundant too. I appreciate you might have limited time to allocate, but San Sebastian is worth the journey.

[Wilfrid]

Cabby - I believe you.

Everyone else - and this includes me - we should try harder at writing down names and addresses in Barcelona. The Barri Gotic is a maze. Believe me, I had trouble putting together my Barcelona report back in February because I hadn't been obsesive about these details.

[Steve Klc]

And provide links to interesting work, especially visual:

http://press.elbulli.com/scripts/fitxa.php...id_article=1657

Cab--here's a nice puff piece on Arzak and Adria which still manages to inform:

http://press.elbulli.com/scripts/fitxa.php...id_article=1610

[peterpumkino]

You got me thinking there, Peter.  More or less opposite Set Portes, on the north side of Passeig Isabel de Gracia?  In other words, the side away from the water?  Was the doorway actually on that street, or was it on one of the side streets that leads back up into the Barri Gotic?  You said piazza: there are one or two little squares just off this street - are we talking about one of those?  This requires investigation.

Okay, imagine walking out of the restaurant - you would walk directly onto a piazza, if you kept walking you would walk into the water! Alternatively if you kept walking across the piazza but turned north you would see Set Porte on your right and if you turned south (left) you would come to the end of Las Ramblas where the big column is.

You are so right, we should all remember the names of these 'finds' but this was before Egullet and the 2 bottles of '73 Rioja didn't help my memory either!

And, much as I LOVE Italy, I really agree that Barcelona takes some beating - could it be the best city in the World? Don't forget I am taking everything into consideration here: eating, drinking, weather, lifestyle, beaches etc (and there's even skiing nearby), only thing that's a bit negative is accessability but that will change (and could ruin the city?) when the TGV goes to Barcelona and the AVA come from Madrid. Maybe this would be a good question on a different track - after all Gulletiers are always interested in good living!

[peterpumkino]

So sorry:

I meant left (north) is Set Porte and right (south) is the end of Las Ramblas.

[Zeb A]

Below are some selections from our recent trip to Spain. We spent the first three nights in Barcelona. Most of this was written by my wife. The restaurant in El Born, Abac, was really excellent.

Friday, May 18, 2001

. . .

We returned to the hotel for a shower before dinner at Restaurante Neichel. We arrived at the restaurant at 9:30 and were basically the first ones there. While sipping on cava (Spanish sparkling wine), we opted for the tasting menu and corresponding wines (all Spanish). I couldn’t possible do justice:

· Something on a large spoon – can’t say what it was but there was caviar so it couldn’t be all bad

· Pate with smoked duck

· Seafood salad which included a long, clam-textured specimen (“I don’t know how to say in English,” the waiter said when we asked what it was)

· Squid ink rice (risotto-like) with seafood

· Red mullet

· Filet of beef

· Six Cheeses (Spanish)

· Anise Custard

· Orange flan and Chocolate Wafers

· Coffee with assorted petit fours, truffles and candied olives

Quite frankly, I don’t remember the end of the night. At 1:30, we headed back to the hotel, stuffed and drunk. Barcelona is good.

Saturday, May 19, 2001

. . .

We finally found Xacoa, which was a neat place right out of Chocolat (the movie). We got croissants, coffee and juice. Unfortunately, the waitress was much less than friendly, but it was no big deal.

After this much needed sustenance, we went in search of fun. The day was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, so we decided to do mucho strolling. Of course, first stop was more food! We found a little Basque (where we would later be heading) tapas joint and grabbed a few munchies—cheese on bread with anchovies on top and ham on bread with olive oil—yummy!

. . .

More walking—basically, all over the Barri Gothic, El Born, the Ramblas, the waterfront, etc. Another tapas joint—this one was clearly very local, “We cheat tourists and drunks,” the sign read. A bunch of old men sat watching and laughing at Ray Liotta and Whoopi Goldberg in a Spanish dubbed Corrina, Corrina. The bartender slices some ham off a leg of a pig hanging behind the bar and heats up some incredible tasty mushrooms in the microwave (how did they have hot tapas before microwaves?).

. . .

It is dangerous to nap when you are a little jet lagged. Luckily, dinner is so late, it is hard to miss. We slept until 9:00, but our dinner reservations were for 10:00. El Born is the most hip part of Barcelona – you feel cooler just for being there. We had quick drink at Solera before heading to Abac for dinner. They pegged us for Americans when we walked in the door to the minimalist decorated restaurant and said without apology “We don’t have English menus.” While we could make out about half of the menu items, we again opted for the tasting menu, along with a bottle of yummy Rioja. This was one of the best meals I’ve ever had and the service was by far the best of anywhere I’ve been. The staff attempted to let us in on what we were eating, but there was only so much they could do. From what we could gather, we had eleven (yes, eleven) courses:

· Cauliflower and tomato consommé with a baby shrimp

· Stuffed anchovy

· Scallop with ?? sauce and fried ??

· Calamari stuffed calamari

· Tuna with Broccoli Cream

· Turbot

· Pigeon with ?? sauce

· Cheese

· Chocolate with Peanut Butter Ice Cream

· Chocolates

· Cookies and bars

. . .

Sunday, May 20, 2001

. . . We order two beers and make the mistake of 1) looking like tourists and 2) answering the question “grande” or “pequena?” by emphatically insisting “grande!,” only to be served the largest (and most expensive) beers in Barcelona. People were actually pointing and laughing at our beers, which I could not raise with one hand.

. . .

Afterwards, we are starving and step into a bar that, while in the tourist area, is decidedly local. Fueled by the enormous beer I have had, I speak the most fluent Spanish of our trip thus far and order us mussels, croquettes and ham – all of which are extremely good. We have not quite had enough and pop into another bar (German/Czechoslovakian? – Pilsner Urquell on draught) for some German sausages and Italian cheese – random.

. . .

There is a lot that is closed on Sundays. We chose the restaurant we were going to (Botufumeiro—Galician seafood) in large part because it was open on Sundays. In fact, it is one of the few restaurants that is always open for the most part – from 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. It is basically an old, established restaurant brimming with seafood. At 9:30, the restaurant is actually crowded – a change from our past two nights. Although the menu tries to give English options, it is difficult to tell where one area ends and another begins and just how much you are supposed to order. Nonetheless, Zeb orders us a yummy bottle of white wine and we get oysters, fried calamari (nothing like in the U.S.), paella and hake (a white fish). For dessert, we ordered Irish coffees that were reminiscent of our beers on Las Ramblas in size. At 12:15, we felt we were getting back to the hotel at a very early hour and had a nightcap at the hotel bar.

[peterpumkino]

That was a great post Zeb. My thanks to you and your wife.

[helenas]

This is the article in the "Departures" (http://www.departures.com/ep/ep_0103_barcelona.html)

[Steve Klc]

Thank you for posting that link Helena, I wondered if it was online. Unfortunately what you don't get a sense of online are all the beautiful pictures, stylishly shot, as representative of the cooking as the text.

My favorite line from the piece, the one Cab quoted above from Abellan at Comerc 24: "I don't want to be super creative; I want to be medium-creative."

Second favorite: "Catalans have almost as many words for squid as the Eskimos do for snow."

[tan319]

I found the Espai Sucre site and it's pretty cool. There are some recipes there also.

Just hit www.espaisucre.com

[Allura]

I found the Espai Sucre site and it's pretty cool. There are some recipes there also.

Just hit www.espaisucre.com

It looks very interesting, what I can puzzle out (almost no Spanish language ability; took French in high school, and that's mostly lost). But what's with the ant? I mean, it sorta makes me think the place is going to be dirty...?