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Spain
El Bulli
By now most food-lovers have heard of Ferran Adria and his restaurant, El Bulli, located along a winding road far from the nearest big city. Adria has been described as an innovator, a mad scientist and an alchemist, and his cuisine pushes the envelope, defying categorization. The restaurant is closed for half the year, during which time Adria and his chefs experiment with techniques and ingredients. And foam? Yes, Adria is the godfather of foam.
El Bulli, Cala Montjoi S/N 17480 Roses (Girona) Spain, 972150457, www.elbulli.com
Arzak
It’s hard to believe that the charming, diminutive Elena Arzak is in line to take over her father’s restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, but one taste of her food and you’ll understand why. The family restaurant, presided over by José Maria Arzak, is a Spanish jewel, a place where tradition and innovation happily commingle. Arzak has received international recognition in large part because of its commitment to creative cuisine with traditional roots. In addition to the kitchen where meals are prepared, there’s a second kitchen at Arzak devoted to exploration and creation. Here, using ingredients from their “flavor lab” (which boasts some 1,000-plus foods), the Arzak chefs experiment with new dishes and flavor pairings. The fruits of their innovation might include a sublime dish of squid ink ravioli, the “pasta” on the ravioli a delicate gelatin that dissolves the moment a server pours over the hot fish broth, creating a soup enriched by the essence of squid. There’s nothing gimmicky or tiresome about these innovations, thankfully, because they are all so successful. With one foot in the past and the other firmly planted in the future, the Arzak family offers unmatched, uncharted cuisine.
Arzak, Avda. Alcalde Jose Elosegui, 273 20015 San Sebastian, 943 278 465, www.arzak.es
El Raco de Can Fabes
Can Fabes is located forty-five minutes from Barcelona in the sleepy Catalan town of Sant Celoni. The menu, while not as wildly innovative as other top Spanish restaurants, offers a solid tutorial in Mediterranean—and Catalan—food. Offerings like pheasant consommé, goat with sage and rabbit with slow-cooked quince sound straightforward and rustic, but in the hands of expert chef Santi Santamaria they become dishes of renown.
El Raco de Can Fabes, Sant Joan, 6, 08470 de Sant Celoni, Barcelona, 00 34 938 672 851, www.canfabes.com
Cal Pep
At Cal Pep, an exciting, crowded tapas bar in Barcelona, leave the decision-making to the waiters. Small plates are prepared to order using whatever is in season: tiny, deep-fried eels, grilled langostines, simple fried artichokes, and made-to-order tortillas studded with cubes of chorizo and smeared with garlicky aioli. At Cal Pep there isn’t any fancy Limoges, and you won’t see any tuxedo-clad waiters. What you will get, though, is a genuine taste of Barcelona.
Cal Pep, 8 Plaza de Olles, Barcelona, 34 93 310 79 61, www.calpep.com
Mugaritz
Mugaritz chef Adoni Aduriz has been referred to as the “future of Spanish cooking.” Part-chef, part molecular gastronomist, Adurizs’ signature dish is foie gras—he went so far as to study at a liver clinic for two years to gain a better understanding of the organ—and his unusual creations are bold, challenging and inspired. While Mugaritz cofounds some diners, others happily consider him a culinary philosopher at the top of his game.
Mugaritz, Otzazulueta baserria, Aldura aldea 20 zk., Errenteria 20100, 943 522 455, www.mugaritz.com
Sant Pau
Carme Ruscalleda’s gorgeous Catalan restaurant, Sant Pau, is a short train ride from the center of Barcelona, within view of the ocean. Her food is at once both modern and classic—her inspired renditions of Spanish regional classics (salt cod, pimenton de pardon, and langostines all star on the menu) are refreshing and highlight Ruscalleda’s technical and creative skills. Now, having won the hearts and stomachs of Spaniards, Ruscalleda is off to conquer another audience with the opening of Sant Pau in Tokyo.
Sant Pau, c/o Nou, 10, 08395 Sant Pol de Mar, Barcelona, 34 93 760 06 62, www.ruscalleda.com
Les Set Portes
The specialty of Les Set Portes is paella; they offer eight varieties, including a black rice version colored by squid ink. The menu also highlights mussels, cod and cuttlefish, all served in the sweet, warm dining room with its delightful black-and-white checkered floor. Diners in the know save room for the rich crema catalan and cubes of chewy torron, a nougat candy made with local honey and almonds.
Les Set Portes, Passeig Isabel II, 14, Barcelona, 93 319 29 50
By now most food-lovers have heard of Ferran Adria and his restaurant, El Bulli, located along a winding road far from the nearest big city. Adria has been described as an innovator, a mad scientist and an alchemist, and his cuisine pushes the envelope, defying categorization. The restaurant is closed for half the year, during which time Adria and his chefs experiment with techniques and ingredients. And foam? Yes, Adria is the godfather of foam.
El Bulli, Cala Montjoi S/N 17480 Roses (Girona) Spain, 972150457, www.elbulli.com
Arzak
It’s hard to believe that the charming, diminutive Elena Arzak is in line to take over her father’s restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, but one taste of her food and you’ll understand why. The family restaurant, presided over by José Maria Arzak, is a Spanish jewel, a place where tradition and innovation happily commingle. Arzak has received international recognition in large part because of its commitment to creative cuisine with traditional roots. In addition to the kitchen where meals are prepared, there’s a second kitchen at Arzak devoted to exploration and creation. Here, using ingredients from their “flavor lab” (which boasts some 1,000-plus foods), the Arzak chefs experiment with new dishes and flavor pairings. The fruits of their innovation might include a sublime dish of squid ink ravioli, the “pasta” on the ravioli a delicate gelatin that dissolves the moment a server pours over the hot fish broth, creating a soup enriched by the essence of squid. There’s nothing gimmicky or tiresome about these innovations, thankfully, because they are all so successful. With one foot in the past and the other firmly planted in the future, the Arzak family offers unmatched, uncharted cuisine.
Arzak, Avda. Alcalde Jose Elosegui, 273 20015 San Sebastian, 943 278 465, www.arzak.es
El Raco de Can Fabes
Can Fabes is located forty-five minutes from Barcelona in the sleepy Catalan town of Sant Celoni. The menu, while not as wildly innovative as other top Spanish restaurants, offers a solid tutorial in Mediterranean—and Catalan—food. Offerings like pheasant consommé, goat with sage and rabbit with slow-cooked quince sound straightforward and rustic, but in the hands of expert chef Santi Santamaria they become dishes of renown.
El Raco de Can Fabes, Sant Joan, 6, 08470 de Sant Celoni, Barcelona, 00 34 938 672 851, www.canfabes.com
Cal Pep
At Cal Pep, an exciting, crowded tapas bar in Barcelona, leave the decision-making to the waiters. Small plates are prepared to order using whatever is in season: tiny, deep-fried eels, grilled langostines, simple fried artichokes, and made-to-order tortillas studded with cubes of chorizo and smeared with garlicky aioli. At Cal Pep there isn’t any fancy Limoges, and you won’t see any tuxedo-clad waiters. What you will get, though, is a genuine taste of Barcelona.
Cal Pep, 8 Plaza de Olles, Barcelona, 34 93 310 79 61, www.calpep.com
Mugaritz
Mugaritz chef Adoni Aduriz has been referred to as the “future of Spanish cooking.” Part-chef, part molecular gastronomist, Adurizs’ signature dish is foie gras—he went so far as to study at a liver clinic for two years to gain a better understanding of the organ—and his unusual creations are bold, challenging and inspired. While Mugaritz cofounds some diners, others happily consider him a culinary philosopher at the top of his game.
Mugaritz, Otzazulueta baserria, Aldura aldea 20 zk., Errenteria 20100, 943 522 455, www.mugaritz.com
Sant Pau
Carme Ruscalleda’s gorgeous Catalan restaurant, Sant Pau, is a short train ride from the center of Barcelona, within view of the ocean. Her food is at once both modern and classic—her inspired renditions of Spanish regional classics (salt cod, pimenton de pardon, and langostines all star on the menu) are refreshing and highlight Ruscalleda’s technical and creative skills. Now, having won the hearts and stomachs of Spaniards, Ruscalleda is off to conquer another audience with the opening of Sant Pau in Tokyo.
Sant Pau, c/o Nou, 10, 08395 Sant Pol de Mar, Barcelona, 34 93 760 06 62, www.ruscalleda.com
Les Set Portes
The specialty of Les Set Portes is paella; they offer eight varieties, including a black rice version colored by squid ink. The menu also highlights mussels, cod and cuttlefish, all served in the sweet, warm dining room with its delightful black-and-white checkered floor. Diners in the know save room for the rich crema catalan and cubes of chewy torron, a nougat candy made with local honey and almonds.
Les Set Portes, Passeig Isabel II, 14, Barcelona, 93 319 29 50
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barcelona
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Spain
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