Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tickets/41°
Av.Paral.lel164,nophone,onlinereservationsonlyon
es.bcn50.org
; Poble
the star-studded helm of pastry-chef supremo Albert Adrià, his
El Bulli
-famed brother Fer-
ran Adrià and the Iglesias brothers of the renowned
Rías de Galicia
seafood restaurant. It's
divided into half-a-dozen quirky seating areas that make a play on fairground and theatrical
themes, and the terrifically inventive dishes (€5-20 each, expect to spend €70) mix impec-
cably sourced ingredients with the flights of fancy expected from the Adrià brothers. With
only a hundred covers a night, and online reservations taken up to three months in advance,
you can't guarantee a table, though you can also try for a seat at
41°
(or
41 Grados
, ie 41
Degrees), the adjacent and very sleek cocktail and oyster bar where more
outré
snacks and
canapés are served.
Tickets Tues-Fri 7-11pm, Sat 1-3.30pm & 7-10.30pm; 41° Tues-Sat
7.30pm-2am (snacks until 10.30pm); closed 3 weeks in Aug.
WHAT'S COOKING?
The man behind the reimagining of modern cuisine - the foams, the essences, the vapours,
the taste explosions, the deconstructed, laboratory-tested dishes - is Catalan chef
Ferran
Adrià
, whose world-famous, triple-Michelin-starred restaurant
El Bulli
(
elbulli.com
),
on the Costa Brava, set the benchmark for creative contemporary cooking.
ElBulli
closed
as a restaurant in 2011 - with plans underway to turn it into a cookery foundation and
“centre for creativity” - though Adrià and his brother Albert already have a high-profile
presenceontheBarcelonadiningscenewiththeirnew-wavetapasbar,
Tickets
.Meanwhile,
the Adrià effect has spawned a generation of regional chefs - many of them alumni of the
ElBulli
kitchens - who have helped put contemporary Spanish cuisine on the map. Talents
like Jordi Vilà, Carles Abellan, Ramón Freixa and Fermí Puig are cooking right now in
Barcelona, so it's time to brush up on your chemistry and educate your tastebuds.
RESTAURANTS
Bella Napoli
c/de Margarit 14 934 425 056; Poble Sec;
map
.
Authentic Neapolitan
pizzeria, right down to the cheery waiters and cheesy pop music. The pizzas - the best in
the city - come straight from the depths of a beehive-shaped oven, or there's a big range of
pastas, risotti and veal scaloppine, with almost everything priced between €9 and €15.
Daily
1.30-4.30pm & 8.30pm-midnight.
La Bodegueta
c/de Blai 47 934 420 846,
labodeguetabcn.com
;
Poble Sec;
map
.
A
true Catalan taverna with food like mother used to make - a relaxed Sunday lunch here
brings local families out in force. It's a good-natured, red-check-tablecloth-and-barrels kind
of place, specializing in
torrades
(cold cuts on toasted country bread), salads and grills (most
dishes €7-16) - the excellent grilled veg platter is a good place to start.
Daily 1-4pm &
8pm-midnight.
