Dos Cielos

[marc at fraiche]

just returned from a little eating trip to Barcelona, and following the advice of Jordi from Cinc Centits(big thanks to you) i cancelled my previous booked reservation to venture up to the hotel Me which houses Dos cielos on the 24th floor,not a great area really and a little off the beaten tourist track, also not one to walk to as we did thinking it may be very pleasant nope i suggest you take a taxi but once inside things do look up and all three dining operations and bar areas look very inviting and pretty cool design wise.

once you arrive on the 24th floor warmly greeted by the staff and taken outside to relax with drinks in some much needed sunlight well I do live in a kitchen,which gives a super panoramic view looking to the ocean, must say the wine/drinks and service staff are very attentive and rather damn good throughout the meal, once inside you are ushered through the open kitchen area with a very nice induction suite from Charvet standing proud in the dining room and then to the dining area, sad as i am i requested to sit in front of the kitchen to watch the lunch service which ran quietly and smoothly with no shortage of staff i must say or the latest equipment,i also learned later that on the 5th floor there is also a prep kitchen which keeps the service kitchen very clean a nice idea if the finances allow.

the food was very strong from start to finish and some dishes superb in balance and textures, only a few small glitches came in the main course the suckling kid was just too salty from the reduced cooking liquor and dessert a little non descript but fresh,on the bread front the pumpkin and apricot was the stand out flavour for me and all of them are the best i have had since Roca and Abac.

I really liked this place and pretty sure they will be gaining a star this year on the meal I ate, though I will eat there again to just confirm it

my tasting menu

king prawns consomme shrimps and seaweeds

oysters,cucumber and wild cresses including oyster leaves

natural grown casserole with mushrooms

(my favourite of the day,beautiful and so balanced

black rice with sea cucumber and conch

cod with Mandioquina cream

suckling kid with duc powder

pre dessert

light fruit based dessert with orange sorbet

petit fours

[marc at fraiche]

bouche of foie gras raviolo with tomato stock and black olive

[marc at fraiche]

the cod dish

suckling kid

stunning flavours in this bowl

[marc at fraiche]

the black rice and sea cucumber dish

oyster, cucumber and leaves including oyster leaf

[marc at fraiche]

dessert with orange

[marc at fraiche]

king prawn consomme, shrimp and seaweeds

[Aidan Brooks]

I applied for a job at Dos Cielos in the New Year. My research and comments from friends in the industry told me that this would be a really good team to work with. Unfortunately, we don't always get our timing right in life - they were on holiday and by the time I received an invitation to come and visit I had already made the commitment to move back to London. So it's not to be, but reading your comments and especially that Jordi Artal had recommended the place to you gives me great confidence in my judgment and that of my friends. I'm sure this will really be a place to watch in the coming months and years and I wish them all the very best.

[marc at fraiche]

they dont seem shy in spending money there Aidan lots of equipment and lots of staff on hand front and back of house with the a new shining gastrovac on display, mind you i would show off my creation too, also ate at Sauc while there and I didnt get it at all really didnt like the food or the atmosphere maybe it was me but i would never choose it over Jordi`s place no way! even though he is a friend i honestly believe he is in a different league.

Edited March 2, 2010 by marc at fraiche (log)

[Ochowie]

I went to Dos Cielos last night and I was very impressed. I walked in and my jaw dropped at the view and I didn't think the food would live up to that. However, the food was excellent as was the service and I will definitely be back. The three dishes that stuck out to me were the Gazpacho with prawns was excellent. Even though it was on the border of being too spicy for me, I couldn't stop eating it. The next dish was the black rice with sea cucumber and I loved the combination of the sea cucumber with the very well cooked rice. I was worried the dish would be to fishy in flavor but it was nothing of the sort. Finally the dish that really blew me away was the salt cooked fish (I believe it was Cod? Will update later). I was amazed by how soft and delicate the fish was and how well it went with the small vegetables that it was served with. Overall my main impression of the restaurant was that everything was incredibly well seasoned and very flavorful. I would go back again and again and I need to make sure not to stay in the ME hotel so my bank account doesn't get depleted too quickly.

[AlexForbes]

Ochowie, I also tried Dos Cielos, and I was also very impressed. What a restaurant! I loved that the twin chefs were both in the kitchen - they even took my order!! - and I loved that all the amazing breads are baked in-house. I went for lunch with two fellow foodies and had the tasting menu, which was faultless from beginning to end. Very interesting wine pairings, too.

The full report with dish-by-dish photos is on my blog (here's the link). Although it's in Portuguese, you can just have a look at the amuses, dishes, cheese cart and breads, and it's pretty clear that the Torres brothers aren't messing about...

I fully recommend Dos Cielos, despite the odd location, in a business district away from the more touristed areas.