The year 2021 seems like it will leave us with the bar set very high. The Catalan capital, at a more leisurely, Mediterranean, and cautious pace than Madrid's dynamic, will embrace the new year with a growing restaurant sector that already sees the light at the end of the tunnel closer.
Varied and interesting proposals are not lacking, let's look at some.
CASA LUZ Y SAVIA
Chef Tomás Abellán is in luck because he is starring in a double premiere: on the rooftop of the hotel Casa Luz, Abellán offers gastronomy focused on product and its traceability, in a short, uncomplicated, and well-focused menu, with an emphasis on wines selected by sommelier Ximena Arce. At Savia, Abellán and Arce join forces again to show an absolute synergy between liquid and solid, with the menu being an exercise in reflection on the possibilities that vegetables offer in gastronomy. Two proposals that ultimately seek the essence and reconnection of the chef and the diner with the product from a context of sustainability.
LA TEXTIL
This multidisciplinary space, which combines a craft brewery run by master brewer Brian Blazek and a concert hall, hides a gem inside. Under the baton of chef Pablo Lagrange (former chef de partie at Pakta and Tickets and finalist in the San Pellegrino Young Chef Spain and Portugal 2018), a high-level gastronomic proposal is offered that bets on the culinary experience under the vehicle of fire, seasonal product, and circular economy.
All product is utilized at La Textil, nothing becomes waste thanks to the good work of Lagrange who, from an onion, uses even the skin: with it, he makes a powder that adds nuances to smoked butter. Creativity at the service of flavor and consciousness realized from an open kitchen, surrounded by a bar and stools to enjoy both the dishes and the hustle and bustle of the kitchen team.
LA BALA BUSTA
La Bala Busta means "woman who runs her home in a practical and energetic way" in Hebrew. From Israel, from roots and personality comes the new restaurant by Ronin Stern and Rafael Campos (Auto Rosellon), with Mariana Maio directing the kitchen. It is a concept that visually integrates the kitchen with the dining room, like a dining room, which is very cozy and open. Here you can try specialties from Stern's homeland, a lot of the essence of Middle Eastern cuisine and many elaborations filtered by the chef's culinary background, which mixes gastronomic cultures with its own discourse. The challah bread, which they bake daily, is one of the simple delicacies that are enhanced with butter, as well as the pickles that refresh the tasty dishes, whether vegetable or animal protein. A good selection of sulfite-free wines complements the experience.
BAR BAR
Bar Bar arrives in a city that in the last decade has learned to value and recognize Indian gastronomy in both products and dishes. The fact is that the new restaurant by chef Nikhil Mahale, from London's Farzi Cafe, offers a new level for lovers of Indian cuisine. With a traditional approach to flavors and recipes, Mahale opts for gastronomic plating, elevating centuries-old recipes from a good part of India's 28 states with an attractive and striking presentation. From curries to street food dishes from north and south, without missing a good naan bread (for whose preparation in the tandoor oven a single member of the kitchen team is exclusively dedicated). Another success is opening a window to the world of desserts, offering discovery to those who wish to try something sweeter than kulfi.
HONEST GREENS
The chain's fourth restaurant in our city has been installed in Westfield Glòries, with an 80% plant-based proposal that it shares with the 11 restaurants spread between Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. The menu of Honest Greens, which follows seasonal criteria, seeks attractive formulas so that both palate and sight enjoy very tasty cuisine with an adjusted quality-price ratio. For this reason, Honest Greens is an excellent option for those looking to eat tasty, healthy, and quickly.
Although its opening coincided with the beginning of summer, there are other novelties that are on everyone's lips as current news and are excellent proposals to discover this autumn: Salvaje, which occupies the Bellavista del Jardín del Norte premises of the Iglesias and Messi Group with a high-end proposal of fusion Asian food, preceded by the resounding success in Madrid; Saona with a double opening on Aribau street and in La Maquinista shopping center, nationally recognized for its casual Mediterranean cuisine with good value for money; the arrival of Grosso Napoletano on Casanova street, after being recognized as one of the 10 best artisanal pizza chains according to the 50 Best Pizza; Trikini, an ode to the versatility of the bikini if creativity and humor are applied, in Poblenou; Bodega Lito, the reconversion of Bodega 1900 under the direction of maître d' Ángel Geriz with the spirit of maintaining the essence, and even some menu hits; Boro Bar, from the same owners of Elsa & Fred, serving tapas, sandwiches and hamburgers with a playful fusion spirit and La Papa surprises with an organic interior design that reflects a menu of healthy and exotic dishes signed by Agustina Prinsich.
In this review, two anticipated returns located in hotels could not be missed: Bar Veraz, in the Edition with Pedro Tassarolo at the helm of a Mediterranean cuisine that draws from local suppliers and the neighboring Mercat de Santa Caterina, and Virens, Rodrigo de la Calle's arrival at the Almanac with his renowned local and organic cuisine focused on plant protein.
The focus of attention is also directed to projects that will soon see the light, such as Molino de Pez, on Diagonal with Passeig de Gràcia, from Grupo La Ancha, or Tamae Bar, the result of the reunion of two former colleagues and friends from El Bulli, Eugeni de Diego and Albert Raurich with a focus on Asian fast good cuisine for take away, which in turn will have a small tasting bar.
Ruar, which in a few days opens its doors in Paral·lel, promises succulent and surprising sandwiches based on the street food recipes from the main international hubs of street food. Another group that creates original concepts, Pantea Group, is preparing the opening of a healthy bar in Sarrià, with the suggestive name of Bowy. And no less anticipated is the return of El Principal under the name of Gala and the baton of the Isabella's group, in great expansion with its concept of modern and contemporary Italianness.