One is assumed to be the older and more accomplished brother, even if the second has also turned out to be a prodigal son. Besta was the first step in the alliance of talents and territories that marked chefs Carles Ramon and Manu Núñez, a true audacity in pandemic times, and which at the beginning of 2025 underwent a renovation and reopening with a more refined offering. In the case of Batea, opened in 2022, the Catalan-Galician alliance of marine flavors became somewhat more playful and "rustic," as they described that 'spin off' that continued to move between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. But in practice, creativity, technique, and spark remain, even if the product is somewhat more affordable, in this revolution of formal seafood restaurants. In this second round, they partnered with Marta Morales, also front-of-house manager and sommelier.
Both deserve to share the chronicle and applause, even if the dishes mentioned here do not appear at a given moment on their menus, since the season marks the continuous evolution of their menus, which always add surprises in the selection of ingredients of the moment, and also in the magic of the recipes.
Although from disparate backgrounds and interests, the kitchens and adventures crossed the destinies of both chefs. Carles Ramon left his Sociology career to give free rein to his interest in cooking, and trained at the CETT (UB) School of Hospitality and Tourism in Barcelona. Of a nomadic nature, he worked in London as head chef at the BTK Brindisa Tapas Kitchen restaurant, and years later he would return with the same group to Barcelona, with La Bellvitja, inspired by medieval Catalan cuisine; other restaurants in the Catalan capital followed, and later, in A Coruña. His love for the sea and little-known fish, as well as sustainability in the pantry, are one of the hallmarks that would align him with Núñez.
Manuse trained in Santiago de Compostela and gained experience in kitchens such as El Amparo (Madrid) or Casa Solla (Pontevedra), until making the leap to restaurants in England, Germany, or Luxembourg. Without forgetting his time as a contestant on Top Chef 2017, and the acclaimed Arume in Barcelona's Raval. Then he delved again into foreign settings, and in Sweden he worked at Gastrologik (2 Michelin stars) and Ekstedt (1 star), among others. The coming and going of both is relevant, because although the pantry of the Catalan and Galician coast are the foundations of their common proposal, the traveling influences brighten the architecture of their dishes.
Besta, the firstborn
Integrating traditions and flavors from both regions was the starting point, but in their new stage, which began this year,Besta 2.0 has reduced the number of diners to just 24and has implemented the happy experience chef's table,that allows close monitoring of the culinary work and finish.The environment is now more zen, with wood, iron, black marble and the necessary stillness for the dish to take all the attention but the liturgy to be comfortable. And the simpler formula, a nine-course menu for 72 euros and a twelve-course menu for 95 euros, plus drinks. We tried the long one, in an experience that seems to be moving steadily towards a Michelin star.
Although the sea provides most of the ammunition, they also precisely manage vegetable synergies. In the first course of the menu, it is already evident: Galician razor clams with codium seaweed foam, crispy potato, and pickled sea fennel.
By land and sea
The anchovy in vinegar and Sherry wine, with cured anchovy tartar in salt underneath, and parsley and lemon juice, also raises the pulse. That day it was followed by smoked white palometa (oily fish), served on a nasturtium leaf, pickled radish, and galangal, a type of ginger but more floral. It is eaten like a taco with your hands.The technique emerges in the grilled zucchini flower stuffed with squid tartare seasoned with a stew of its entrails. The alchemy achieves the texture of raw squid and the flavor of traditional squid. It is finished with an onion glaze and a pickled patitón zucchini variant (flat like a small squash).
One of the most memorable dishes of that lineup was the Galician mollusk dish, with scallop, carneiro (a type of giant cockle), almejón (lluenta in Catalonia), a sauce of fermented palm trees, seaweed, and jalapeño. It results in a unique mini ceviche with mollusks.
The season always adds elements from the garden of the moment. As were that day the asparagus, used to the last centimeter, since they even make a sorbet with the fibrous part that propels the noble cooked part. It is finished with grated bottarga, a julienne of fermented white asparagus, and around it a gel of wild salmon roe.
From rice to cocochas
Next, a delicious creamy arugula rice with pistachios and rossinyols was the throne on which to display the Barcelona red shrimp, which the diner records in memory.The menu, with more seafood than before, added a confited Galician skate, accompanied by bone marrow sauce, with mizuna leaf, mustard seed, and seasoned green asparagus.
Without letting the bar drop, came the hake kokotxas, which are accompanied underneath by a wild garlic emulsion. And as a finishing touch and display of culinary microsurgery, a tasty scorpionfish arrived. They served it grilled, and finished with "Catalan elements", as Carles summarized: suquet, fried garlic, chopped almond, saffron emulsion, ñora emulsion.
The sweet ending takes the view to Galicia but with a new version of the Santiago cake, which uses wosun, a lettuce with a Chinese root planted in Valencia and with a flavor similar to green almond. It integrates a frozen almond foam, wosun filling, fermented almond, and an egg yolk gel. It is finished with marzipan sorbet and the cross of Santiago, to identify the root of the invention.
A second dessert, as a counterpoint, was the fermented sheep cream ice cream, with strawberry cake –dehydrated strawberries, strawberry gel, raspberry crumble, raspberry caramel…– and, so that the palate does not fall asleep, some homemade garum pearls (ferment with anchovy spine and vinegar).
The pairing is recommended ---with an excellent selection of wines that would require another chronicle--- to enhance the nuances of each dish.
Batea, good second parts
Located on the ground floor of the Avenida Palace hotel ---next to Paseo de Gràcia---, Batea is a somewhat more informal and cheerful space, with a somewhat baroque vintage style. The interior design combines marble tables, French tea room lamps, and wicker chairs, enveloping an open kitchen with neon touches.With its dishes, it plays at renewing the concept of a conventional seafood restaurant, with creativity and without elitism. Seasonality once again sets the tone, and sometimes little-known products appear on the scene, indicating a deep knowledge of marine fauna and its flavors. The execution is supposed to be more minimalist in this more affordable restaurant, although some dishes hide many hours sharpening the proposal.
Here, à la carte small dishes are chosen, short and changing, where there is more room for improvisation depending on the ingredients provided by both coasts. The overall experience also involves delving into Marta Morales' cocktail bar, which is very vegetal and also draws on the season.
Dishes range from 5 euros for an oyster or a croquette to 25 euros for a surf and turf rice (except for lobster). Meats also make an intentional appearance. Precisely, we start the immersion from zero to a hundred: with its natural Oyster with a fermented jalapeño sauce and a herb oil.
One of the hits is the cold seafood platter, served on several levels, with razor clams on top with a mustard leaf and pea emulsion. Below, the clam, with a nasturtium leaf emulsion and rice balls. On the other hand, the monkfish salpicon with ikura or salmon roe. For a small supplement, it is offered with caviar.
Scallop sashimi, a small jewel, with a fennel and dill emulsion, a gel made with chardonnay vinegar and some flax crisps. The opposite, due to its robustness and nerve, is a house classic, the squid croquettes, this time topped with a little picanha.
The subtlety returned with the little peas in green sauce, with braised mitake mushrooms, clams, and a little cured egg yolk. And we also tried the juicy grilled octopus with celeriac puree and green asparagus, one of the most essential.
Red meat emerges in various dishes with joy, such as in the smoked beef tartare with a creamy calçots sauce, a little romescu and spicy touches. The menu adds more incentives to repeat the visit, at a meritorious quality-price ratio.