Several years ago, world-famous chef Ferran Adria’s restaurant El Bulli was a roaring success. Many chefs downed their tools to rush and learn about his understanding of molecular cuisine. Ferran, an intriguing personality and a gastronomic genius, has long since drawn the curtains on El Bulli, but those who have worked with him or adopted his ways now dominate the restaurant scene in Barcelona.
Ferran’s understanding of molecular cuisine, the école he pioneered, Salvador Dali’s influence on him, and his attempts to adapt the great surrealist style of art to his cuisine. And then, of course, there is his masterpiece, El Bulli, which was named restaurant of the year several times. A week before El Bulli closed its doors for good, I dined there and wrote about my experience. At El Bulli, upward of 60-70 chefs worked with him, but just a few received a wage; that’s because chefs from around the world interned, so to say, just so that they could learn from his unique style. Because Ferran didn’t know a word of English, he only selected applicants who spoke Spanish in the beginning. The selection process continued like this for a while until people advised him to change his approach: “Spanish is your criteria in selecting chefs, but you’re losing brilliant chefs because of it! We’ll handle the translation – just put the Spanish-only prerequisite aside.” That talk changed things, as Ferran subsequently began to accept English-speaking chefs at El Bulli. Just imagine: Important chefs who were famous at home were applying to work alongside Ferran Adria as an assistant at El Bulli. Chefs who were accepted would leave everything behind and work as apprentices for six months. And because they were only apprentices, they might have just spent half a year peeling potatoes! Nevertheless, all the chefs did what-ever it took in exchange for a piece of Ferran’s wisdom. This part of the story is quite familiar to anyone who is fond of tasting dishes from talented chefs in famous restaurants around the world.
The really interesting story, however, began after Ferran closed El Bulli!
In recent times, Ferran’s co-workers and other chefs who have matured at his school have started opening restaurants in Barcelona that reflect his under-standing of cuisine. Some chefs have taken this step on their own, while some have formed teams to open the doors of new restaurants where they work their magic. The only appropriate way to describe what these young chefs have been doing is to say they’ve been “rocking” the city for the past three or four years, having had the chance to combine their passion for cooking with the privilege of being Ferran’s student.
Continuing the greater master’s legacy, these talented chefs have been leading a new trend; some chefs cook exactly like Ferran, while others have interpreted the chef d’école with their own touch. However, they all have one thing in common: the ability to “surprise.” Most of the dishes come in small portions, but Ferran will let you in on a little secret as to why it’s more than fine to have portions that can be devoured in just two bites: “You’ll admire the first bite, try the second and get bored by the third.” With portions as small as this, menus can run as high as 20 or even 40 dishes. With the movement in Barcelona catching my attention, I visited some marvelous restaurants to get a better taste of their dishes. Below, you can read about my experiences at some restaurants, most of which are from Ferran’s école; some of these belong to Ferran’s students.
If you ever find yourself at one of these restaurants, please let me know what you think. Some of the places belonging to “Ferran’s Kids,” as we may call them, are organized like a bar, while others have traditional table settings. Anyway, as you sit at a stool in the former, you receive small portions of food from a man speaking broken English who tells you about the dish in front of you. Some other places, meanwhile, write the ingredients and the recipes on a piece of paper, re-counting the story of a two-bite dish at great length. But whatever they do, all the places always do their job with gusto.
DISFRUTAR
It’s been more than a few years since the opening of Disfrutar, a restaurant belonging to three young, former employees of El Bulli: Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro, and Eduard Xatruch. The trio earned their first Michelin star in no time at all, but arrogance is nowhere to be seen when you take a look at the restaurant. Disfrutar has three different menus with 12, 18, and 25 courses. More than that, the staff (all of whom, incidentally, have a good command of English) are able to rapidly shift gears from meat to fish when informed. There are options to dine at either the table or at the bar, but I’m one of those who prefers the latter so that I’m able to watch as the meals are prepared and even chat with the chefs at times.
I generally find the bar section quite interactive and fun, but, of course, it depends on the restaurant. In my opinion, Disfrutar reflects the Ferran Adria School better than any of its rivals. Like all the restaurants mentioned below, Disfrutar is always full, so I’d advise you to make a reservation ahead of time – even a couple of months ahead of time! But here’s a tip: it’s way easier to find a place during lunchtime. Interestingly, you have to spare three hours to eat because evening service is usually separated into two sessions at Spanish restaurants. The first service begins at around 7 p.m., with the second at around 9.30 p.m.
This being Spain, the land of the late diners, the second service tends to attract a higher demand. Such Spanish tendencies, however, are a boon to those of us who are used to having dinner early, since it ensures that making reservations for 7 p.m. is comparatively easy. Disfrutar boasts a number of marvelous “surprises,” all of which are distinct to Ferran’s école: An almond is not an almond, and an olive is not an olive.
DOS PALILOS
Dos Palillos is a fusion of Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Spanish cuisine that seats just 25 people. Albert Raurich, who worked with Ferran Adria, designed the restaurant with a three-cornered sushi bar, while the fourth corner opens up to the kitchen, where you can observe the preparation of your dish, every step of the way. Meals are prepared at both the bar and the kitchen, although it is mandatory to sit at the bar to eat.
À la carte and other menu choices are available at the restaurant.
So, what does a fusion of Asian and Spanish cuisine produce? For one, dishes with raw meat and fish are cooked rare. Dos Palillos also has an extensive wine list of Spanish and international offerings that are all priced reasonably.
LASARTE
Probably Barcelona’s most expensive restaurant, Lasarte, has little connection to Ferran Adria apart from the fact that they use some of his styles in their dishes. The owner of the place is Martin Berasategui, a chef who also owns a restaurant with three Michelin stars in San Sebastian. As you would expect, Lasarte is influenced by Basque cuisine, and the dishes are as delicious as they are at Berasategui’s restaurant in San Sebastian. The famous chef is not currently at Lasarte – which has two Michelin starts – but he is most certainly the mastermind behind the food. The dishes include fruits and flowers, and even a bit of butter. Berasategui’s restaurant in San Sebastian even has toothbrushes and toothpaste in the bathrooms – a detail which I really liked and a detail that has been replicated by Lasarte. The place, mind you, is expensive, as is the wide-ranging wine menu. Still, if you want to reward yourself or let go for a day, Lasarte is the place to dine. Though the restaurant is huge, Lasarte only has room for 20 people to sit – the result of a decision to provide a comfortable place for diners to chat and create a place with less interaction between the tables.
Ultimately, its snow-white, unwrinkled napkins and ironed and clean tablecloths stand out – not to mention the waiters who are always eager to help whenever you lift your head up from your dish… In short, everything is perfect…
HOJA SANTA
There are two chefs in the kitchen of Hoja Santa: Albert Adrià and Paco Méndez. Hoja Santa is not a frequently visited place in town, meaning it’s easier to find a place during lunchtime.
Nevertheless, the restaurant is pretty crowded at noon on Friday and Saturday. Hoja Santa blends Mexican and Spanish cuisine in a fusion of the former with Ferran Adria’s style, although that doesn’t mean that the dishes are out-of-this world spicy, as you might expect from Mexican cuisine.Still, beans are in abundant supply. Again, the portions are small, while there are also little “surprises.” You can dine either at the bar or at the table.
CINC SENTITS
Number seven on the list is Cinc Sentits. It might not be from the Ferran Adria School, but it operates according to a similar style. Owned by Jordi and Amelia Artal, “Cinc Sentits” means “five senses” – so it’s no surprise that they use senses like smelling and hearing in most of their dishes. Perhaps readers will remember: I mentioned a similar presentation while writing about my experiences at the Fat Duck. At the latter, they create an atmosphere according to what you order. For example, as you’re eating seafood, the establishment’s iPod plays wave sounds as a spray dispenses the freshening smell of the sea. It all means it’s not just your taste but other senses as well that get addressed. The difference at Cinc Sentits, though, is that they create this atmosphere for almost every dish.
MOMENTS
Moments, located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, is a Ferran Adria restaurant. The luxurious restaurant is owned by Ferran’s brother. Moments is a chic, centrally located, and tremendously expensive restaurant. They offer menus of four or five portions. Unsurprisingly, given that it is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Moments has turned itself into a hotel restaurant, in contrast to the other restaurant owned by Ferran’s brother, Tickets, which is more like a tapas bar. Like some of the others on this list, it’s easier to score a place for lunch at Moments.
ABAC
Every dish at Abac packs a surprise. I think chef Jordi Cruz, however, went a bit overboard on the surprise element, as the desire to give customers the unexpected got in the way of taste. Because of that, it’s not at the top of my personal list.
Abac, where all the meals are a theater in itself, is located in a hotel a little outside of the city. Its wine menu, meanwhile, is very broad at a reasonable cost. I might not be that impressed by the dishes, but the theater of it all is worth a look.
PASSADIS DEL PEP
I think you’ll have difficulties finding this restaurant which is hidden behind a narrow “passadis”. Please go there with a good taxi driver who knows the place; ask the driver before. This is a very classical real old time non-fusion Catalan restaurant with white cotton table clothes and waiters as old as the restaurant. Great values in the wine list, maybe because they were bought 20 years ago.
Green peppers fried in olive oil, baby squids, langoustine, all kinds and sizes of shrimps, and other kinds of seafood starters are amazing. Order a bottle of Dom Perignon and go for all of them, skipping the grilled fresh fish if you are full, and finish with a Catalan desert with the last glasses of your Champagne. Buen apetito!
TAPAS 24
Tapas 24 is a tapas bar owned by another chef from the Ferran Adria School, Carles Abellan. Unlike a lot of places on the list, it opens at 9 a.m. and closes at midnight, meaning you can even have breakfast at Tapas 24 (something I certainly enjoy). With a different menu every hour, Tapas 24 allows you to taste crazy dishes that you wouldn’t normally find at a traditional tapas bar, like Russian black caviar with fresh avocado or black Spanish truffle eggs. All these interesting combinations are prepared with the tapas spirit. The biggest plus is that there are places to sit outdoors – where it’s a good idea to eat outdoors under the shadow of an umbrella protecting you from the hot Barcelona sun… If you want to eat indoors, you have to go down a couple of stairs to the bar.
VINITUS
Vinitus is one of the top three tapas places in Barcelona. It’s open from 11:30 to 11:30, with always a line in front of it. If you are one or two people only, you may skip the line if you accept to eat at the food bar; and the bar is even better to see all the food either ready or being prepared. I can survive very happily lunching and dining in these three places only in Barcelona and at very down-to-earth costs. Please leave some appetite for a tapas-sized desert or two.
CIUDAD CONDAL
This place dates back at least 50 years and is very classical in food style. Sit at the bar and watch the tapas prepared. Try the warm dishes more than the cold-ready ones. If you come at peak hours, you don’t have a chance. If you are hungry at midnight, they are open until 1:30 am.