“Molecular gastronomy" , “deconstructivist cooking”, “Nouvelle cuisine”.. Since the 90’s Catalonia is the land of a new school of cuisine.
Inspired by the limitless creativity of Ferran Adrià, the idea of this cuisine was, as the Chef of El Bulli was used to described it: “provide unexpected contrasts of flavor, temperature and texture. Nothing is what it seems. The idea is to provoke, surprise and delight the diner…. And to have an experience."
Today this “Nouvelle cuisine” is still alive and strong in Barcelona.
Few chefs, like Jordi Vilà, Carles Abella, are still inspired by the “Texturas” invented by Ferran Adrià..
Others, like Sergi Arola, Romain Fornell, Jordi Artal, Albert Raurich are going others directions more oriented fusion of culture like Mediterranean and Far East cuisine with new techniques…
They all reinvent daily the way we eat…
A true journey in Modern Gastronomy!
This is our selection of top Nouvelle Cuisine restaurants, to discover while you stay in Barcelona!
Minimalist environment and fusion cuisine. The Cinc Sentits (Five Senses) is one of the nicest tables in Barcelona. The chef Jordi Artal is really talented, and elaborates creative dishes far from traditional flavors but with incredible tastes.
We think of his FOIE GRAS "COCA" (thin pastry crust, balsamic-glazed leeks, burnt-sugar shell, and chives), the IBERIAN SUCKLING PIG (crisp and succulent, with apple in two textures and "ratafía"), the LAMB SADDLE (hazelnut couscous, licorice, and espresso reduction), or the GALICIAN VEAL CHEEK (foie gras and bacon "migas", parsnip purée, and summer truffle glaze)…to be brief…
It's beautiful and very, very good. Make reservations well in advance!!!
Dos Palillos or when traditional spanish tapas get inspired by delicate savors of Asia…
Albert Raurich has been working at El Bulli from 1997 to 2007 where he was head chief for the last 6 years of his journey with Ferran Adrià … That is to say that he knows quite well about cuisine inspiration and innovation…
At Dos Palillos the chef decided to get his inspiration from the far east cuisine, that is mostly from Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam. And what an inspiration!!
Imagine Asian savors married with Spanish traditional tapas and products like seafoods, fish, fresh vegetables of the market, prown, tuna, meat…
Imagine now tempura, raw dishes, woked dishes, steamed dishes, grilled dishes..
Albert Raurich’s tapas are pure creativity and grace..
We loved fresh seaweed sunomono with molluscs, Japanese burger, meat Gyoza,Cantonese style Iberian pork, prawn steamed dumpling..
Two degustation menus at 55 and 75€ but they prefer to say one hour and half menu or two hours menu..
Address :
C/ Elisabets, 9 Opening hours :
Tuesday to saturday - Close sundays and mondays // On tuesdays and wednesdays: open from 7:30p.m. to 11:30p.m. // On thursdays, fridays and saturdays: open from 1:30p.m. to 3:30p.m. and from 7:30p.m. to 11:30p.m. Phone :
933 040 513 Metro/Bus :
Pl. Catalunya
A rare experiment at Spoonik Cooking Services where two chefs Jon Giraldo and Jaime Lieberman receive you in their house, their dining room and their kitchen...
A total immersion in their universe combining sophisticated and coloured low-temperature cooking with arty design and ambient.
The menu (120€ by person wine included) changes every week but systematically proposes 8 dishes and their wines. We had Jerusalem artichoke purée with orange reduction, an egg with truffle cooked at 64°C, a wonderful turbot with sweet chestnuts and mushrooms to finsish with marvellous deserts.
This house is also a kind of art gallery where your dinner will be transformed into artistic experiment with for exempal few musical surprises. It is necessary to request invitation on their website, await their answer to have a date and their address which is in the district of Lesseps.
In the brand new and beautiful Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the table on everyone’s lips is with no doubt: Moments.
The Chef Carme Ruscalleda and her son Raül Balam are revisiting Catalan recipes and even inventing the first anti-aging menu of Barcelona.. On the Catalan side of the menu you will discover totally renewed classical dishes like Arroz caldoso de gamba con picada de pescador (rice dish with broth) - Fricandó (veal stew) and suquet (fish stew) - Shrimp Tartar- Seabass with fig chutney and hibiscus salt - Veal Cheeks with turnip vegetable ravioli and red fruits..
A delight and lot of imagination!!
But even more visionary and trendy: a “anti-aging” menu where the food chosen by Carme Ruscalleda and Dr. Manuel Sanchez - head of the Anti-aging Unit Clinic Planas- , specialist in the anti-age treatments, conceal only the most miraculous properties to preserve an “iron constitution”. In this menu, mini pizza pies with artichokes and the Joselito ham, or macaroni with buckwheat accompanied by scallops and vegetables… a great idea!
A very chic venue already awarded by 2 Michelin Stars in 2013..
Located at the ground floor of superb and very design Omm hotel ,restaurant RocaMoo, from now on advised by the Roca brothers (El Celler de Can Roca in Girona), is a contemporary wonder.
The Chef Felip Llufriu takes as a starting point the traditional Mediterranean food to carry out purified, modern and very personal interpretations of them. Roger Visuà, recently crowned better sommelier of Europe (wine cellarmaster), proposes for each dish, a glass of wine in agreement.
Very beautiful cellar.
Prices more than reasonable for such a level of esthetics and feelings. As this hotel is very “hype” have an eye at the foyer cocktail bar, one of the hottest places around for a pre-dinner drink.
Jordi Vilà the Chef of Alkimia (alchemy in English) is part of the young guard of the New Catalan cuisine along with Chefs from Comerç 24 and Santa Maria. A new wave initiated several years ago by Ferran Adrià with the success which one knows.
Hidden in the Raval this restaurant with minimalist decoration offers imaginative and very colored food, in only one word: astonishing!
To discover the creativity of Jordi Vilà, who takes traditional dishes from the region keeping the soul of the classics but giving them a modern edge, we can only advise you to choose one of the two tasting menus (65 and 84€).
This will be the best way to enjoy this dish called “Dentro de Mar” or “the ocean and its shells”, a very iodized composition bathing in an amazing blue bubble or the very graphic “seabass with ink of cuttlefish and coconut milk”. Unforgettable desserts and very beautiful chart of the wines.
A major Chef… We like very, very much Alkimia. Do not forget to book!!
To discover the work of Martin Berasategui but at low-cost. Not to hesitate to make a jump at the “popular” restaurant of the great Basque chef: the Loidi...
Every week a new menu at 37€ and a” Martin’s menu ” at 57€ ,which you can discover on their website.
Potatoe and black sausage millefeuilles with egg, Tuna belly tartar with grated lime and herbs oil, Tuna with yakisoba and tuna peel, Small cuttlefish beach sautée with garlic, parsley and reduced ink, Fricandeau… Broadly delicious… A very beautiful summary of the talent of Martin Berasategui.
Address :
Mallorca, 248 Opening hours :
From 1pm to 3:30pm and from 8pm to 11pm. Closed on sunday night. Phone :
00 93 492 92 92 Metro/Bus :
Metro: L3/L5 Diagonal or Passeig de Gràcia
In the building where was born Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, only a gourmet restaurant could find its place. Today Arume would certainly be the canteen of the great writer if he was still alive..
The place is small but exudes good mood, youth and creativity. Arume means flavor in Galician. The galician chef Manuel Núñez (who won the -Tapa del Año 2014) knows what he is talking about when he cleverly mixes ingredients and textures. Its cuisine mades the junction between Galicia and Catalonia but also between tradition and new gastronomy: wakame, grass mousse or green mousse accompany octopus, carpaccio, meat and great paellas... Remarkable!
A gastro tapas restaurant at small price! This is the fairly unique positioning of Bitxarracu gastrobar ..
And the surprises do not stop at this challenge, Bitxarracu is firstly a very nice spacious room, a tapas carte from € 3 to € 8.50 and finally two menus at € 15 and € 20 (for two people minimum but with homemade bread and a glass of wine). A real challenge when you discover the quality of food made by a Michelin starred chef Victor Quintilla for his other restaurant in Barcelona: Lluerna. Discover for example: Hamburguesa de magret de pato y pistachos -parmentier de mostaza, Coca con sardina ahumada y berenjena, Bacalao confitado con pil pil de romesco and outstanding desserts like the Espuma de crema catalana..
Not surprisingly it is best to book on their site ..
Address :
Carrer de València, 212, Opening hours :
Non stop from 1pm to 11:30 pm // Closed on Sunday and Monday Phone :
+34 93 114 84 44 Metro/Bus :
Passeig de Gràcia
Excellent quality-price ratio for this rather recent restaurant, Nectari, which comes very close to high gastronomy in all simplicity!
Jordi Esteve,its young chef does not miss indeed imagination to reinvent a very beautiful Mediterranean cuisine.
Cream of potatoes with cod sorbet and butifarra, crawfish risotto with wasabi, cicadas of the sea with spinach emulsion, turbot in crust and many others fishes of the Catalan coast. A delight!!
Whether you are looking for a family or a business stay or just for a weekend, we have selected for you the best hotels in the city to choose from. All categories at all prices. But also the bargains according to your travel dates. Have a good stay!
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if you go to barcelona - miam(19 Sep 2012 - 08:45)
of course you should try nouvelle cuisine restaurants.. it's the city for
loved lately dos paililos
Bravo per questa selezione di ristoranti "nuova cucina" - Salvatore P(12 Dec 2011 - 12:45)
Bravo per questa selezione di ristoranti nouvelle cuisine. Si viene effettivamente a Barcellona per questa cucina così innovativa.
belle sélection en effet - miam(8 Dec 2011 - 18:30)
C'est quand même cool Barcelone et cette nouvelle cuisine!!! d'autant qu'on s'éloigne de la cuisine moléculaire pour garder le meilleur de toutes ces années de recherches.. Bravo à tous ces chefs!
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4 comments
test deux - Larry Kriv (27 Mar 2013 - 11:58)
test deux
if you go to barcelona - miam (19 Sep 2012 - 08:45)
of course you should try nouvelle cuisine restaurants.. it's the city for
loved lately dos paililos
Bravo per questa selezione di ristoranti "nuova cucina" - Salvatore P (12 Dec 2011 - 12:45)
Bravo per questa selezione di ristoranti nouvelle cuisine. Si viene effettivamente a Barcellona per questa cucina così innovativa.
belle sélection en effet - miam (8 Dec 2011 - 18:30)
C'est quand même cool Barcelone et cette nouvelle cuisine!!! d'autant qu'on s'éloigne de la cuisine moléculaire pour garder le meilleur de toutes ces années de recherches.. Bravo à tous ces chefs!