The perfect balance of creativity and taste
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| Coca pizza with truffle |
Disfrutar has not been on my to-visit list since it launched back in 2014. It is now the highest in demand fine dining restaurant in Barcelona, booking a table is not easy unless you plan well in advance. It is currently a 2 stars Michelin restaurant and ranked no4 in the latest World 50 Best guide, many consider it to be the next restaurant to award the prestigious 3 Michelin stars in Spain. Disfrutar offers 2 choices of the tasting menu with both showcased over 20 dishes. The classic menu has a range of iconic dishes from the early days while the festival menu is its 'current' menu, showcasing the best peak ingredients and the restaurant's latest concepts. I opted for the festival menu as I am interested to see what the chefs are trying to do aim toward the 3 stars level.
Quirky Catalan gastronomy
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| Peas with baby octopus |
Alkimia by chef Jordi Vilà has been around for a while in Barcelona since 2002. He has relocated the restaurant back in 2016 with a new concept in mind, with an avant-garde approach both in its cooking and decor. The restaurant is split into two spaces, with a small dining room that has only 6 tables facing an open kitchen for fining dining and serves only a tasting menu, which landed itself a Michelin star, and a more casual space at the back that serve sharing dishes in a la carte format. I have booked in for the 12-course tasting menu experience, interested to see what Jordi is capable of as he is a highly regarded chef in Barcelona.
A winning modern Tapas bar
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| Grilled red prawns |
Without a doubt, a trip to Barcelona cant be complete without a tapas experience, having eaten a good number of classic, traditional tapas bars in the past, I was searching for a modern venue that has a bit of creative input while mixing in international flavours. Located near the popular tourist hotspot La Rambla, Bar Canete is a highly popular tapa bar for both the locals as well as travelers. it is a very lively place with an open kitchen, where diners can pick to sit by the bar or opt for a more traditional table setting. The menu is big, what caught my eyes is that the chef likes to mix fish and meat ingredients into the same dish, which is somewhat unusual.
Lively Catalan seafood bar
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| Open prawn omelet |
The Catalan region has a stunning seacoast facing the Mediterranean Sea, and its Costa Brava seafront is responsible for some of the finest seafood you can get. Much of the seafood you can find in Barcelona would come from the Med and when seafood is fresh, usually the best method to enjoy is the simple, classic way, and that is what Paco Meralgo is all about. The seafood tapas bar serves a wide range of seafood dishes, usually in either raw form, grilled, or deep-fried. All the seating are bar stalls style and the best place to sit is without a doubt the bar counter facing the opening kitchen where you can see the chefs in action.
