With Michelin starred executive chef Paco Perez at the helm of chic restaurant, Enoteca, you quickly realize that this isn’t your average Spanish restaurant, or your average dining experience. Located in the fashionable Hotel Arts, Enoteca features low lighting and dark cherry wood, a study in modern Mediterranean style minimalist design. While we selected from the varied menu, which included a good range of seafood and meat options, we started out with a traditional Spanish treat of the best grade of Iberian ham with traditional bruschetta with tomato topping, very pleasant, the ham had a perfectly chewy texture and almost a hit of a citrus-y tang when combined with the tomato bread. Although the Sommelier had some good suggestions to pick from the over 500 selections of wine that Enoteca offers, I requested that my starter to be paired with a glass of 2003 Petrea blanco. You can’t go wrong when you pair an Iberian wine with Iberian ham. The flavors of the ham combined with the white wine really tickled my fancy. A fantastic start.

Our first two plates were the grilled Sea Cucumbers and Gnocchi of sweet potatoes, Melanosporum truffle and baby prawns. The Sea Cucumbers were just chewy enough and the green sauce complimented the chewy little creatures just perfectly. The Gnocchi was unbelievably delicious yet not too heavy as to make me full for entrée time. Hopping right into the reds and away from the white we paired our apertivos with glasses of Volver Tempranillo 2007, again an excellent combo. The entrees included the creamy lobster and truffle risotto and the Wagyu beef with vitelote potato and winter baby greens. This was paired with the Can Blau 2007 Rhone red. We were literally in heaven.

Every dish, after every dish seemed like perfection. It seems with most restaurants at least one thing might be “off” or even the slightest mishap, something we did not experience at Enoteca but alas we still had the desert to try. Feeling rather full but also feeling pretty ambitious about trying the desert. We the chocolate balls and ice cream along with the candy/pastry plate which had been recommended to us. The desert did not disappoint: the delectable leche cream ball with chocolate shell was perfectly sweet and seemed to melt in my mouth. The candy plate was cute with little fruit pates and a few lollipops. I took one good look at the lollipop and said “no way, I am not going to suck on a popsicle!” My dining partner convinced me that so far Enoteca has been a perfect 10, so there is no way their lollipops aren’t going to be above and beyond standards. She was right. This simple looking lollipop turned out to be a creamy pop with the texture of yoghurt once it entered your mouth. Mixed with a tiny bit of strawberry jelly in the center of the pop, this lollipop would probably win awards because it tasted so unique yet so delicious.

Enoteca is one of the best restaurants in Barcelona and take my advice: If you find yourself in Barcelona, do yourself a big favor and pay a visit to Enoteca at the Hotel Arts.

Enoteca C/ Marina 19 Barcelona, Spain