Monument Hotel reforms and expands the capacity of the Oria restaurant

Monument Hotel is the hotel establishment in Barcelona with the most Michelin stars. Specifically, it has four stars ---something unique in the Spanish hotel sector--- thanks to housing two restaurants that are part of the Olympus of the famous red guide, both led by chef Martín Berasategui. These are Lasarte Barcelona, which has three stars since 2017, and Oria, which has held one star since 2019.

The Cadarso family, owners of the emblematic 5-star grand luxury hotel on Paseo de Gràcia, has decided to start the year undertaking a renovation of the Oria restaurant dining room, convinced of its potential and in recognition of the good work performed by the team led by Berasategui. At the helm of the day-to-day operations in Oria's kitchen is young Bilbao-born chef Xabi Goikoetxea, while the head waiter is Zoltan Nagy, who in the last year has contributed to the revitalization and promotion of the establishment.

The restyling will allow for gaining space and increasing the restaurant's capacity, which will be able to add a dozen more diners. The most significant element of the renovation is the elimination of the peculiar decorative pool that was in the center of the room. New furniture will also be debuted. The bulk of the works have been carried out this last month, coinciding with a few weeks of rest for the venue, which reopens this Tuesday night. The final details of this update of Oria are expected to culminate in March, when a new tasting menu is also expected to be launched.

Currently, Oria offers its clients the Tradición menu (€120) and the Madre Gaia menu (€165). In addition, from Thursday to Saturday, clients can also opt for a midday formula at a price of 85 euros which includes three appetizers, three starters to choose from, four main courses to choose from, and three desserts to choose from.

The Oria renovation is not the only new feature with which the Monument Hotel starts the year. The so-called Chef's Table, one of the most exclusive spaces of the three-Michelin-starred Lasarte restaurant, whose head chef is Paolo Casagrande, has also been renovated. With views of the kitchen and with capacity for only eight diners, from now on the Chef's Table will offer a gastronomic proposal different from that served in the main dining room. The idea is that customers who already know Lasarte's menu or tasting menu can live a "new gastronomic-sensory experience" by tasting a profile of more innovative dishes.

Brunch on the first and third Sunday of the month

Specifically, Paradiso has reinterpreted for Monument's Yummy Sundays a classic cocktail, the Bloody Mary, which on the brunch menu is called Monument Mary. In addition, customers can choose between two more cocktails: Mimosa or a Martini Fiero Tonic. The price of the brunch does not include other types of drinks, only the three cocktails, water, and coffee.

With the Monument Mary, the central hotel strengthens the collaboration it began last year with Paradiso, which every Wednesday, as a pop up and between seven in the evening and one in the morning, offers its innovative cocktails in the hotel bar, located on the ground floor.

The brunch, which is served two Sundays a month since 2018 ---between one and four in the afternoon---, has capacity for 60 diners and it is advisable to book to ensure a spot. Under the supervision of the hotel's executive chef, Gabriele Milani, it includes a varied selection of cold starters, buffet style, with various salads, cold cuts, cheeses, gildas, meat and fish carpaccios, savory tarts, mondaditos, and steak tartar. Hot dishes are served at the table, with the possibility of tasting up to six proposals: mushroom and truffle cream; cod fritters; tuna taco with marmitako foam; creamy squid ink rice; old cow rib with padrón peppers; and an exquisite gratin parmentier with wagyu stew.

The Monument Hotel, located in Casa Enric Batlló, built between 1895 and 1896 by the modernist architect Josep Vilaseca, has 84 rooms and is owned by the Cadarso family, who also own the neighboring Hotel Condes de Barcelona, although their main activity is watchmaking.

The Cadarso Group, currently in the hands of the second and third generation, was founded in 1948 by Antonio Cadarso, who started in the world of watch and jewelry distribution, creating brands such as Radiant and importing prestigious firms such as Patek Philippe. Currently, the group's main company is Geresa, which was born in 1974 to import brands from the Japanese Seiko group. Today it also markets Police, Guess, Radiant and Adidas watches, among other brands. Another of the Cadarso Group companies is Tous Watches, a joint venture with Tous to manufacture watches for the Manresa-based jewelry brand. This company also markets Victorinox Swiss Army watches.