The gastronomic season has again arrived with new features in restaurants of Barcelona. Long-awaited openings, original business models and new concepts all are already scheduled on the agenda for autumn 2014.
The gastronomic world, just like schools or businesses, also starts its working year in September. Some novelties have already been seen but the last few months of the year are sure to be full of surprises.
New destinations
The El Cercle (C. Arcs, 5) restaurant is being brought into the Real Círculo Artístico de Barcelona (an artistic and cultural institution in Barcelona) by Albert Ventura, an expert chef who triumphed at the helm of el Coure restaurant and now has his sights set on joining one of the most admired institutions in Barcelona.
Another chef, Sergi de Meia, is boldly stepping into the role of restauranteur in Barcelona by opening his own entirely Catalan restaurant with entirely local ingredients. The restaurant of the same name, Sergi de Meià (C. Aribau, 106) follows in the footsteps of the successful Mónvínic and Gresca. Promising signs indeed.
Two of the old guard on Barcelona’s culinary scene are coming to Sant Gervasi with a mountain of excellent offerings. These are the chef Francesc Chicón and the patissier Sergio Musso with their restaurant, Eclèctic (C. Sagués, 16). The establishment brings together classicism and modernism, nouvelle cuisine with avant-garde cooking and tradition with creativity.
Another which stands out is Oaxaca (Pla de Palau, 19) which, with Joan Bagur and Iñaki Lz. de Viñaspre at the helm, tries its hand with traditional Mexican food together with mezcal.
Big names
Fine dining is increasingly leaning towards a “neighbourhood” concept. This is a trend which has triumphed in 2014.
Albert Adria is at the forefront of a new project with Niño Viejo (Avda Mistral, 54), a taco restaurant with a very casual feel which will be perfectly complemented by the great Mexican restaurant, the Hoja Santa, which is soon to be opened.
Another celebrity chef bringing his offerings to the table is Paco Perez with his restaurant Double (P de Gracia, 116), just at the bottom of L’Eggs. His style is entirely different, with a menu of food from around the world, accompanied by a musical performance.
In addition, in just a few days the arrival of Ángel León in Barcelona will be made official. Having already successfully led Aponiente, his new challenge will be to manage the kitchen of the Hotel Mandarín Oriental, for both the restaurant and room service. He’ll do so in tandem with Moments, which maintains its two Michelin stars under the leadership of Carme Ruscalleda. It’s a glorious combination.
Three of the heirs to the memorable elBulli (Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas) will also take part in Barcelona’s new gastronomic ventures thanks to the success of Compartir (Cadaqués).
But for all that, the greatest of all these projects is that of Carles Tejedor. His pioneering plans will occupy an area of 4,000m2 accessed from the C. Pau Claris and the Pg de Gracia. This is the El Nacional, a gastronomic market which can hold 770 people and serves up highly attractive offerings.
Novel concepts
Reinvent yourself or perish. That’s arguably the number one rule of gastronomy. Different ways of serving food, two quite unique gastro-pubs and two “Meat Bars” are all new options.
Some have opted for a different table layout, such as Room Chef in the restaurant Iki Barcelona (C. Aribau, 174). This is a round table with a private view of a true gastronomic spectacle, during which the chef prepares the very best seafood for an exclusive group of diners.
Mercès One (Avda Diagonal, 541) offers an even more exclusive touch, reserving the entire space for anyone who requests it. This is the best way to enjoy an intimate and unmatched evening.
An alternative is La Taverna del Suculent (Rambla del Raval, 39), a fried fish shop with recipes served in a cone, such as marinated anchovies, muffins in their own style and fish in beurre noir. Here the Simoes brothers are reinventing themselves after the success of Suculent.
Meanwhile, the new renovations of La Taverna del Clínic (C. Rosselló, 155) bring back its informal, open and multifunctional feel. This is a location which is sure to evolve and grow.
The two best bars in Barcelona for carnivores are Pork (C. Consolat de Mar, 15) by Oriol Rovira, unsurprisingly specialisists in that meat, and Bardeni (C. Valencia, 454) by Dani Lechuga.
The gastronomic universe, traditional cuisine and new culinary ventures all combine in this city so that you can enjoy the best restaurants in Barcelona.
