Enoteca Paco Pérez

Barcelona, December 2016 – Barcelona is a major hub for Michelin restaurants in Spain. Despite the city’s dominance in the foodie’s “go-to” Guide, only four restaurants were awarded 2 Michelin stars – one of which was Chef Paco Pérez’s Enoteca located inside the spectacular Hotel Arts Barcelona (Ritz Carlton).

Pérez‘s restaurant, decorated in natural wood and white, is a breath of fresh air. The interior design matches the style of Pérez‘s cuisine – light, innovative and artistic. Mr. King and I had a long and leisurely dinner there with our Catalan friends, who were equally impressed by this modern Catalan menu. Enoteca Paco Pérez had consistently been awarded 2 Michelin stars for the past 4 years.

We ordered from the a la carte menu that is made up of predominantly Mediterranean seafood.

Amuse Bouche – I would describe it as first taste of Catalan, since they reminded me of traditional Catalan food like the bikini (the sandwich).

Sea Odyssey – We were in awe of the gorgeous presentation…thinly sliced fish and vegetables making an edible landscape.

Cannelloni Inspiration – Our Portuguese waiter highly recommended this appetizer. It was unlike other cannelloni I have had… this shell is made from langoustine and stuffed with artichokes, pistachio, flavored with vanilla and palo cortado.

Braised Turbot – The simple-looking dish was garnished with sweet potato and black chanterelles.

Sea Bass – All four of us loved this dish. The sea bass had a crispy skin and the “velvet made with baby squid, sea cucumbers, mussels and squid” was exquisite.

Coconut Dessert – Since I am a huge fan of coconut desserts, I couldn’t wait to try Enoteca’s coconut creation. One bite later – I was extremely impressed, and didn’t hesitate to take several more spoonfuls. This dessert was made up of coconut in various forms – ice cream, fresh meat, dried freeze, crisps, cream, grated flakes and milk. This medley of savors and textures created an explosion of coconut flavors in my mouth.

Cheese platter – What can I say? Even the cheese platter was artistic… the fresh figs and fig jams worked beautifully with the cheese.

The entire dining experience at Enoteca was sublime, and we were taken care of by a team of attentive and knowledgeable servers. Although Enoteca is located inside the luxurious Ritz Carlton Hotel Arts, the ambience was quite relaxed, and we enjoyed the dinner so much that we lingered on for digestif – port wine, compliments of the sommelier.