If you could eat anywhere in spain today where would you go?

Fantastic, can't wait to hear all about it.

tshewman

Seriously!? Put me high on the "happy for you jealous for me" list! Can't wait to hear about it! Congrads!!

Confirmed today a reservation at Mugaritz for the family trip to France this summer! (I had to push hard for a 1 day side trip to San Sebastian).

mike.minasian

In San Sebastian, be sure to hit La Cuchara (The Spoon) tucked away in a corner of old town. Popular locals Pinxto spot. Didn't have the budget for the great stuff on that trip, but this was an awesome low key meal / start of the night.

Corey_37766

Loved reading your report, Matthew! Spain is like gastronomic Disneyworld -- narrowing down dining choices is not going to be easy.

@Corey, fwiw we were sat next to a solo at Pakta.

Just got back from two (glorious) weeks in Barcelona and Donostia-San Sebastián. Ate some incredible food, and had some truly magnificent meals. Suffering severe food withdrawal.

Barcelona

Els Tres Tombs - Neighborhood place in el Raval, across the way from our apartment. Nothing to write home about, but it was our first meal in Spain.

Pinotxo Bar - Every food/travel show that comes to Barcelona goes to La Boqueria, and everyone that goes to La Boqueria has to pay homage to Juanito at Pinotxo. He's the unofficial 'mayor' of the market, and when he asks you if you want fish, don't be surprised if he comes back with a whole grilled lobster and a bottle of cava..... for breakfast. Super, super fun, in El Mercat de Sant Josep de La Boqueria.

Quimet y Quimet - Perhaps the quintessential tapas experience in all of Barcelona. No on-site cookery, just the highest test canned and preserved products available in the Med. Outrageously delicious food, and a super convivial environment; within 30 seconds of the doors opening is packed. In El Poble Sec, at the base of Montjuïc.

Pakta - Very good, but I felt badly overpriced. Was of comparable quality to Picca (another Peruvian-inspired restaurant, here in Los Angeles) but cost nearly 4x as much Got a nod and a wink from Albert Adrià, so that was fun. Also in El Poble Sec, but closer to Plaça d'Espanya.

Lolita Taperia - Formerly the site of Inopia. The Brothers Adrià are no longer involved, but the food is still inventive and pays homage to their forebears with a whole Inopia section of the menu. In L'Eixample a block away from Tickets (which we couldn't get into on this trip), and just a stone's throw from Pakta.

Donostia-San Sebastián

First off, foie gras is bar food here. So there's that.

Atari Gastroteka - Bananas. No two ways about it. If I lived in Donostia, I'd figure out a way to eat here every day.

Baztan - Preserved mussels, pintxo Gilda, stuffed piquillos, txakoli..... for breakfast.

Borda Berri - Foie a la plancha.

La Viña - Cheesecake like I've never had before.

Haizea - Wonderful place adjacent to the Mercado de la Bretxa, just stopped in for a couple quick bites and a beer.

Restaurante Kokotxa - A real gem of a restaurant. 1 Michelin star, very creative and inventive. The noodle dish we had here was one of the best things we ate on the whole trip. Looked like Chef Lopez was giving an interview or something while we ate, which was fun to watch.

And of course...... Restaurante Arzak - I mentioned above that this was the only restaurant in the world on my bucket list, and it did not disappoint. 19 dishes, 2 1/2 hours, sheer bliss. Chef Juan Mari and Elena came out separately to greet the guests. It was just a magical ride.

(All the pintxo bars we went to and Kokotxa are in the Parte Vieja - 'old part' - of town, which is about the size of a Costco parking lot. Arzak is out east of Gros a couple miles, but a quick cab ride to and fro.)

Corey_37766

Planning on visiting Spain in October - does anyone know of any fine-dining establishments that will NOT accommodate a solo diner? I ran into this problem with Alinea. Conversely, anyone want to grab a bite around Barcelona in early October?

The tasting menus are revamped quarterly, infact week to week you will find revisions. I experienced the Machu Picchu during my last visit, with the exception of the first five courses which are the standards for the experience I am told nothing is the same. Here is an article about Chef Sebastian Mazolli of Patka to provide some more insight as well as some eye candy - http://chefgeeta.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/chef-sebastian-mazzola-of-41-pakta-and-el-bulli/

PS: Geeta's blog is outstanding! I discovered it because I happened to be eating next to her in Spain, we started talking and she told me about her blog. It doesn't seem to be well known, but she has access to most of the greatest chefs alive and speaks to them as a peer which makes her writing so interesting.

Pakta offers two tasting menus, "Fujiyama" (Mt Fuji), and "Machu Picchu". They shared the Fuji tasting menu on Facebook this morning.

Todd_Shewman el bulli is not reopening, they are holding private dinners while filming a movie. After that is done the room is scheduled to be gutted for the research facility they are building at that location. At this stage Albert is taking the lead as a chef in Barcelona while his brother Feran is consulting and doing business work instead. The brothers are fully invested in Barcelona for their culinary empire at this stage.

@Matthew_Snyder Tickets is the hardest reservation to get, its also the least important. Go to Bodega 1900 across the street instead, this is Albert's newest baby and visit 41 Degrees at midnight when they open the bar to guests who did not have reservations. If you speak to the staff at Patka or Bodega and let them know you are trying to eat at all of Albert's places while in Barcelona they will try to sneak you in to sit at the bar at Tickets - I have been a few times without reservations, they are surprisingly accommodating to tourists and local friends but the velvet ropes tend to stay closed for locals that they do not know. Enjoy! Trip report please, can't wait until I go back in September!

Problem solved; I inadvertently requested a table for a day they were closed. Reservation at Kokotxa now secured and confirmed.

Manfred_18311

I wouldn’t worry

about that, just call them on your booking, in Europe booking Guests would

have called after 24hr of silence.

Yeah, well all may be on hold; woke up this morning to a leaky roof. So that's fun.

Anyway, it's officially five days since I submitted the request to Kokotxa and no response. I'm really paranoid of coming off as the obnoxious American, but should I call them?

Also....enjoy!

holy shit @Matthew_Snyder...are you just trying to make us all jealous? I expect a full report!

Going to Spain in a few weeks; 8 days in Barcelona, 4 in San Sebastian. We have a ressie at Pakta, but every date/time combo I tried for Tickets came up empty. I've heard that it's sometimes (albeit rarely) possible to get same-day service, so we'll maybe give that a go. I did see that Pakta is apparently on the roster of Michelin restaurants for 2014, but I don't know if that means a rating is assured or just that the restaurant was visited and evaluated in the last year. (Not that that really matters; Noma 'only' has two stars, after all) Regardless, we're staying in a fully-equipped apartment across the street from the Mercat de Sant Antoni, so I plan on doing some cooking while we're there.

In San Sebastian, we have reservations at Arzak - the confirmation of which caused me to run a victory lap around the house. Also submitted a request to Kokotxa, but it's been like four days now and I haven't even received so much as a confirmation of receipt. I'm really intrigued by this place, so I'm reluctant to book another ressie without knowing for sure that Kokotxa is a no-go. We're staying in the old town side, and will be walking distance from so many great pintxo bars, so I'm not exactly worried about the quality of our meals.

tshewman

Last I read if it were 2016 (if current reports hold true), El Bulli would likely be on the list.

I think the one can't miss experience is Patka. I suspect the staff at Cellar de Can Rocca would agree with me, Patka is the most innovative food in Spain, yet it is just a reimagining of classic Japanese and Peruvian flavors and cooking techniques. This is the latest and yet surprisingly less famous creation from Albert Adria with creative direction input from Ferran Adria, Tickets is certainly #1 in Barcelona but Patka is for true lovers of cooking techniques and innovative menus.

Another to consider is 41 Degrees, this is a 52 course tasting menu of the best of el Bulli snacks. 41 Degrees is the high-brow version of Tickets next door, occasionally some of the menu items are the same but this menu is constantly revised.

It is interesting how Albert Adria is holding back 41 Degrees and Patka from being ranked by San Pelegrino, I suspect that won't last for too much longer... 41 Degrees is scheduled to be relocated to a multi-level dining experience, at which time you will probably see this place rank within the world's top 10 - but from my point of view, Patka is it, and I know that opinion is shared by others in Spain's culinary world. I'm lucky enough to go to Barcelona every year for business, trust me on this one.... Patka is the holy grail of modernist seafood innovation.

Beyond what's been mentioned already - Etxebarri; Mugaritz; Cellar de can Roca; Arzak - I'd add Tickets, 41º Experience, Pakta, and stop off for a dessert at Rocambolesc.

I'd also add Minamo Barcelona to the list. Chef Petutschnig contributes here on occasion and is doing some really cool work.

The question is how long of a trip do I need to plan?

ren_74229

It would be a toss up between Etxebarri and Zelaia for me. Then after those two, Alkimia and Arzak.

Samuel_68313

Yeah I think Cellar de can Roca is the obvious choice at the moment. Mugaritz as well.

lfmichaud

I couldn't have the tasting menu when I went to the Celler de can Roca. (My wife was sick :-( ) So I would return there!

carriehorst

I second Arzak. I love San Sebastián. We go there every year since the 1991.