El Bulli

Fresh back from Paris... and I'm determined to get a table for El Bulli or the Fat Duck on or around my birthday next year. El Bulli are officially supposed to be taking reservations for 2009 season from tomorrow according to press releases, but their website suggests otherwise. Fat Duck is two months in advance so the booking reminders are set in iCal. I didn't get a bounceback on my email to El Bulli... so the wait begins...

Cafe Espana, Soho, London, W1

Cafe Espana
63 Old Compton Street
Soho
London, W1D 6HT

Tel: 020 7494 1271

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

Date of visit: 12th October, 2008

Meal: Dinner

Having just come back from Barcelona I felt the urge to eat Spanish food and a quick net search pointed us at Cafe Espana. Cafe Espana certainly has a lot to live up to - The reviews on lots of sites were glowing, apart from some tell tale reviews from various sites. With expectations set high, it is easy to be let down. The restaurant itself is extremely cramped and we were levered into our tiny area by the stairs upstairs. I had to be careful not to knock the table behind my chair as I skillfully squatted and slid into my seat.

We chose the seafood paella. Paella is the quintessential Spanish dish perhaps one of the best ways of judging a restaurant. Whilst we were able to order very quickly, the dish took 55 minutes to arrive and all we had to quench our hunger was some freshly cut stale bread and a little butter.

When the food did finally arrive, the dish was certainly impressive looking and enough to feed a family of four. But we were quickly disappointed. Whilst seafood ingredients were seemingly plentiful, there were only two king prawns and the rest were tiny shrimps in their shells so small that after you had gone through the effort or deshelling them, there was only smallest crayfish sized shrimp - the effort was hardly worth it. The mussels had been so cooked that they had shrunken and become chewy, the fish was full of bones, the calamari was tough and chewy and we had an assortment of peas ranging of brilliant fresh green to dull brown and mushy. And worst of all the rice had become mushy. Paella rice should be dry and separate when done, not creamy like risotto.

Risotto di mare, with two glasses of house white came to £27. Perhaps in hindsight we should've ordered tapas and perhaps it was a bad day for the restaurant's kitchen. The cooking is standard Spanish fare and there are certainly no culinary flares. Their home style food at knock down prices has certainly won fans but I dare to disagree and unfortunately the Paella here gets two thumbs down.

Torre d'Alta Mar, Barcelona, Spain

Torre d'Alta Mar
Passeig Joan de Borbó 88
Torre Sant Sebastià
Telefèric Port Veil
08039 Barcelona
Spain

Tel: 93 221 00 07
http://www.torredealtamar.com

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

The 360-degree view of Barcelona that can been seen from this ex-light tower sets your head spinning with its magnificence. Rising to 75 metres above sea level by way of a private lift from ground level, you have spectacular views of the city, the beaches, and the sea all below you and rising and rolling hills that surround the city.

The luxury restaurant has a modern and cosmopolitan feel and attracts a more discerning clientelle but during lunch service is perhaps a bit more relaxed. Typically the restaurant gets busy at around 3pm on a Friday afternoon.

A meal for three...

Aperitif of Cream Of Corn with Hawaiian Sea Salt

Cod Sashimi with courgette

ENTRANTES FRIOS / Cold Starters

Jamón de Guijuelo Reserva
Superior Cured "Guijeulo" Ham - served with bread smothered with ripe tomatoes and garlic, then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil

Futomaki de bogavante azul
Tartar Stew of Royal Crab - served with a light Melon Gazpacho and mint caviar

Tomato and Green Salad

ENTRANTES CALIENTES / Hot Starter

Gambas de playa a la sal
Salted Beach Prawns - huge succulent and juicy deep red prawns

SEGUNDOS PLATOS / Main Course

Arroz de langosta
Rice with European Lobster in a fish soup

Arroz cremoso de mare
Rice with prawns, langoustines, crayfish

DESSERT

Cheesecake with raspberry ice cream

Spanish coffee with cognac

With such an array of dishes, the highlight starter was the Futomaki de bogavante azul - Tartar Stew of Royal Crab. A superbly fresh tartar of crabmeat with a curiously refreshing melon gazpacho and mint caviar for a touch of molecular gastromy. And one of the main reasons for the dinner, the Arroz de langosta, a paella rice dish with deshelled succulently cooked sea fresh lobster served in a fish soup added at the table. Such perfect rice, with grains that fall away from each other with ease, cooked to the right level of al dente. With so much food between the three of us, the dessert was a little too much but beautiful nevertheless.

The cuisine is high-altitude, high-class Mediterranean cooking, with modern interpretations of Spanish and Catalan classics, mainly seafood, with international influences. The view is spectacular and during the day you are able to see the rolling hills, gothic architecture and shimmering blue Mediterranean. With a view to match the excellent food. This is one of the top restaurants in Barcelona and worth a visit if you have a heavy wallet to unload. Expect to spend around £90 a head here.

Restaurant Cal Pep, Barcelona, Spain

Restaurant Cal Pep
Plaça de les Olles 8, Born,
08003 Barcelona
Spain

Tel: 93 310 79 61
www.calpep.com
calpep@calpep.com

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Cal Pep is a favourite amongst locals and highly regarded as serving the very best in tapas in downtown Barcelona and perhaps all of city. It is a short walk from the Basilica Santa Maria Del Mar. There is no menu and everything served is on a day by day market fresh basis. Chef Pep personally goes to the markets in the morning to get the freshest of produce and so for example, if the baby octopus is not good in the morning, you will not be able to order it that day.

We arrived after 9pm on a Thursday night and it took over half an hour to be seated at the bar which is, I am told, the best place to enjoy the food - right in front of the action. You are advised to get a drink and look at what everyone else is eating and devise what you would like to eat. With eyes far bigger than our stomachs we ordered dishes including tuna steak tartare, sea bass, beautifully cooked steak with sautéed potatoes, chickpeas and baby octopus, fresh clams with garlic butter (almost as if they were plucked from the sea fresh), fried whitebait with a fried egg and more.

Seven dishes with traditional bread lightly brushed with tomatoes, and garlic, a bottle of rioja, a glass of cava, an espresso and a spanish coffee (cognac and coffee shot) came to just over EUR120. The service is fun with constantly joking staff and the wine is fantastic. Locals do still go which is surely a great sign. I look forward to returning to Barcelona on a holiday trip and visiting Cal Pep again!