New opening in the high-end gastronomic segment in Barcelona. After the worst of the pandemic was left behind and once important economic drivers of activity such as the trade fair and congress sector have begun to recover, the new Intercontinental Hotel has decided to light the stoves of its high-level gastronomic proposal, the Quirat restaurant.
With access from Avinguda Rius i Taulet, Quirat is led by chef Víctor Torres, who was one of the youngest chefs in Spain to achieve, in 2018, a Michelin star for the Les Magnòlies restaurant, located in Arbúcies (Girona). Trained at the Hofmann hospitality school in Barcelona, Torres had previously worked at the Mugaritz, Michel Bras (France) and Fäviken (Sweden) restaurants.
Now he arrives in the Catalan capital to complete the offer of the Intercontinental, which opened its doors at the end of 2021 after the comprehensive renovation of the old Crowne Plaza Hotel. This investment carried out by the British hotel group IHG allowed Barcelona to once again have an establishment under the Intercontinental brand, which is a reference for many international travelers, adding, in addition, another five-star hotel to the city's offer.
Quirat will open from this week every night from Tuesday to Saturday with a culinary proposal based on local products and in a dining room that offers a "unique and sophisticated" atmosphere aimed at both hotel guests and the public in Barcelona. "After so many months we are very happy to finally open the doors of Quirat, a project that is a great challenge for me and in which we have worked so hard. We want Quirat to become a gastronomic reference in the city and that is why, both my team and I, come with great desire to bring to Barcelona the cuisine that I have been making in Les Magnòlies, based on the excellence of the product and the purity of flavors," explains Víctor Torres excitedly.
In its initial menu, Quirat offers proposals such as the creamy rice with free-range chicken and sea cucumbers; semi-cured market fish with tomato water and citrus fruits; free-range egg with tear peas, black sausage and cod tripe; or white asparagus with hake kokotxas al pil pil.
For the general manager of InterContinental Barcelona, Enrique Escofet, with the opening of Quirat the hotel "reaches cruising speed", with most of its facilities and services open and operating at full capacity.