Nobody ever doubted that Barcelona was a food-lover’s haven…gnoshing reaches new levels amid the sea of tapas joints, dive bars and fine dining.
Recently, however, Barcelona is making a mark in the Michelin world, where the city boasts 23 starred restaurants compared to Madrid’s total of eight star-winners. We’re beginning a series on Barcelona’s Michelin-starred restaurants to celebrate the city’s culinary growth. Today’s entry is an overview. Over the next few months, we’ll interview chefs from restaurants on the list.
If you’re headed here in the future, contact us to create a tailor-made Barcelona bike tour which includes a stop at any one of the restaurants on this list. Enjoy!
The Big Four: Barcelona’s Quartet of Two-Star Michelin Restaurants
Enoteca
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| Photo courtesty of TripAdvisor via Enoteca |
Enoteca is Catalan chef Paco Perez’ Mediterranean masterpiece located in the ground floor of Barcelona’s Ritz-Carlton Arts Hotel. The menu features plenty of fish, as well as a wine list of more than 500 choices. Enoteca is Perez’ third Michelin restaurant, following Miramar and 5-Cinco. Hungry for a visit to Enoteca? Click here for the restaurant’s Michelin-starred menu.
ABaC
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| Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor via ABaC |
ABaC, located in the ABaC Hotel in Barcelona’s Zona Alta, is the brainchild of 36-year-old Catalan chef Jordi Cruz. The avant-garde wizard won his first Michelin star at 24 years old, the youngest chef in Spain and the second youngest chef in the world to accomplish the feat. Want the full ABaC experience? Try the Grand ABaC set menu, which features 15 different dishes from Cruz’s creative kitchen. Click here to peruse the dishes that won this restaurant its Michelin stars.
Lasarte
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| Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor via Lasarte |
Lasarte is one of several world-renowned restaurants started by Basque chefs. Martin Berasategui opened Lasarte in 2006 within Hotel Condes. These days, chef de cuisine Paolo Casagrande runs the kitchen while manager Joan Carles Ibañez oversees operations. According to Berasategui,”My dishes … are a symbiosis between the aromas and flavours of my home region and those that are typical of this region.” Lasarte offers an a la carte menu as well as two tasting menus. Click here to see the menus that can coax two stars out the a Michelin restaurant reviewer. Get in while you can- Lasarate is closed for renovations from August 3 to November 3.
Moments
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| Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor via Moments |
Moments has the distinction of being Barcelona’s only two-star Michelin restaurant headed by a Catalan female chef: Carme Ruscadella, winner of seven Michelin stars in Spain and Japan. She’s the only female chef in the world with such a prolific Michelin profile. Ruscadella’s son Raul Balam teams up with her to create modern Catalan cuisine steeped in creativity and artistry. Click here for to see the Michelin-starred restaurant’s current tasting menu, which features a tasting menu that includes monkfish stew and a dessert of flowers.
Up and Coming: One-Star Michelin Restaurants in Barcelona
Alkimia (Reviews)- Catalan cuisine created by a two-person team of chefs.
L’Angle (Reviews) – Chef Jordi Cruz’s (ABaC) second restaurant in Barcelona.
Caelis (Reviews) – Opened in 2010, Caelis is chef Romain Fornell’s first star.
Cinc Sentits (Reviews) – Condé Nast included Cinc in its “80 Hottest Restaurants in the World” list.
Comerç 24 (Reviews) – Creative, quality Asian cuisine by Carles Abellan.
41 Degrees (Reviews) – Set menu of 40+ delicious appetizers in the vein of the legendary “El Bulli”.
Dos Cielos (Reviews) – Run by two chefs who spent time in three-star Michelin restaurants.
Dos Palillos (Reviews) – Asian cuisine in an informal setting.
Gaig (Reviews) – Barcelona native Carles Gaig heads to La Boqueria market for his ingredients.
Hisop (Reviews) – Contemporary Catalan cuisine with tasting menu plus wine pairings for less than 100€.
Hofmann (Reviews) – Mediterranean roots with Catalan influence in Barcelona’s uptown.
Koy Shunka (Reviews) – Chef Hideki Matsuhisa heads Barcelona’s premier Japanese restaurant.
Manairó (Reviews) – Named after a mythical creature from the Pyrenees, Catalan cuisine dominates.
Nectari (Reviews) – Mediterranean cuisine mixing innovation and tradition.
Neichel (Reviews) – French master Jean Louis Neichel emphasizes fresh, light Mediterranean cuisine.
Roca Moo (Reviews) – In the family of El Celler de Can Roca, regarded as the best restaurant in the world.
Sauc (Reviews) – Traditional Catalan cuisine, reinterpreted.
Tickets (Reviews) – An Adriá restaurant, reservations must be made two months in advance.
Via Veneto (Reviews) – The grandfather of Barcelona cuisine at nearly 50 years old; Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Richard Nixon and Woody Allen paid visits to its dining room.
Have you had the privilege of dining at one of these restaurants? Did it live up to your expectations? Leave a comment about your experience!
