From field to table: a 'slow' guide to eating Barcelona

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he movement is clear: to protect an authentic way of life against a world homogenized by the fast lane. Or, to land the concept, promote local foods instead of global brands. And since speed does not always imply progress, more and more cities are joining a movement that protects raw materials and the traditions and recipes of the territory, that catalogs flavors that have been abandoned along the way and that advocates for the slow pace as one of life's greatest pleasures. There is no need to explain much more if we talk, for example, about cities like Barcelona which, a standard-bearer of the slow food movement, preaches by example, strictly fulfilling its commitment. This is demonstrated in foodie corners like the famous Flax & Kale.

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Flax & Kale is many things, but above all it is a paradise of healthy eating where it is shown that healthy cooking can also be fun. Under a clear and marketing-savvy motto, "eat better, be happier, live longer", Flax & Kale prides itself on being the first flexitarian restaurant in Spain. If you are a clueless foodie, you still won't know what it means, but the concept is quite simple.

Here all dishes are designed with not only gastronomic pleasure in mind, but also their nutritional value. 80% of their gastronomic offer is plant-based and the remaining 20% are recipes that include oily fish. Meat, here, is not to be smelled, but rather a whole dictionary of the most slow terms, such as superfoods, cold-pressed juices, biodynamic and healthy. Among the dishes on their menu, healthy options such as the salmon mini burgers or the vegetarian red curry stand out, although this is just the beginning, as between their breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus, the gastronomic offer is truly complete.

Very healthy, very tasty, and with an aesthetic as attractive as its dishes, Flax & Kale has much to thank for the path that Teresa Carles, the alma mater of the business and the woman behind this whole slow life philosophy, has been paving for it since 1979: "we want to help with our small grain of sand so that day by day people eat better." The vast majority of the products of this vegetarian restaurant, which is an institution in Barcelona, are local and organic. Piquillos with tuna and eggplant brandade, coca de recapte or its black rice make up a menu as simple as it is sincere that strictly complies with the slow philosophy, not only in its dishes, but also in its way of life.

To value seasonal vegetables, local meats, fish brought daily from the market and 100% artisan desserts. This is the mantra of The Greenhouse restaurant, where its dishes are made with local, fresh and healthy ingredients, including heirloom vegetables, a concept of "relic" vegetables, which recover the flavors of the past. Ebro Delta rice, spider crab and vanilla, red prawn tartare, radishes, crème fraîche and vinaigrette from its head or the tasty white asparagus, pine nuts and egg yolk are some of the creations with which Australian chef Damien Bolger shines in a display of his mastery of the concept that has led him to champion the slow movement in Barcelona. And although the menu is now smaller, and the location has changed to the lobby of the Pulitzer hotel, nothing has changed in the philosophy of this restaurant that will soon reopen its doors.

A solid commitment to sustainability also implies the practice of clean agriculture that protects food biodiversity that enriches the gastronomic heritage of the regions. And by preaching by example, we now sneak into one of the most versatile spaces in the center of Barcelona. Woki Organic is many things in one, but above all it is an organic restaurant within a market where you can buy and eat organic products. Its gastronomic offer is non-stop, being as wide as it is nutritious, with an uninterrupted kitchen with pasta, hamburgers, woks, salads and even vegan food.

Seasonal and local

Very honest, and also very green, is the next stop on this tour of the slow temples of our city. Honest Greens, which was the flagship of relaxed and proximity trends in Madrid, has taken some time to open a branch in Barcelona, although it is undoubtedly making up for lost time. The philosophy of this place located in the very heart of the city could not be clearer, nor more honest: "our food is real; always seasonal, fresh, unprocessed and without additives, preservatives or added sugars. We like to eat local and responsibly produced food, which means we support farmers, local producers and artisans who use sustainable methods," they explain from the restaurant. A place where they strive to offer everyone the possibility of eating well, feeling good and living their best life. With manifestos like this, who isn't willing to take life, and food, with a little more calm?

We support farmers, local producers and artisans who use sustainable methods