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Molecular gastronomy in BCN "for the masses?" Other recs?

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I'm looking forward to our trip to Barcelona and Catalonia this month, and have been reading about restos to try. I know that this part of Spain is at the heart of the molecular gastronomy movement, but I must admit that my forays into this type of restaurant experiences haven't been great, especially the cost: deliciousness factor. I live in a major metropolitan area, I travel, and I keep up on Chowhound, and other foodie sites. Should I give MG one more shot, while I'm in BCN? Are there any restaurants where I can try it without spending an arm and a leg?

I'm looking for other places to try. I'm working through recent BCN posts, and cross checking places mentioned in them. My friend and I enjoy the homey, peasanty foods of the places we visit. (Cassoulet vs. beef wellington, for example) I'm looking forward to local seafood (octopus! squid! sea urchin! oysters!) We are adventurous, and don't require fancy dining rooms. As much as we can, we'd like to avoid places overrun with tourists. We'll be staying in both the Gothic quarter and the El Eixample neighborhoods. We'll also travel to Girona, Figueres, and other towns in the Costa Brava area (feel free to recommend!)

I have a long list of places to try, and I'm more interested in hearing from locals or people who have spent a lot of (recent) time in Barcelona, than folks who have vacationed there. In my experience, folks who live in a place (especially those who love food) know the reliably great, neighborhood gems that give a great "bang for the buck".

Posted by
2942 posts

I'm afraid there is no MG for the masses, sorry.... there are a few disciples of the Ferran Adrià revolutionary type of cuisine around but you'll find them in some the most expensive restaurants in Barcelona.

Posted by
136 posts

Thanks, Enric!
I consider you the final "authority" on this question! Any other suggestions for other restaurants to check out, given my other criteria?

Posted by
2942 posts

@lgalen...

I don't want you to think that I'm dodging your question but since I have the feeling you seem to know and to like your food -me too!- you will understand my reason for not recommending specific restaurants -which I hardly ever do-, especially to self-appointed 'foodies' :))

For some, eating out is simply a part of a social ritual, for others, eating out is the ritual in itself. For the latter, numerous variables factor in when deciding whether a restaurant is worth coming back or not: the food (of course!), but also the location and setup, the ambiance, the service, the price, the level of noise, the other customers... and the overall "gut-feeling" about the whole experience. This is, of course, something very subjective and personal to each one of us. Sometimes one's not in the mood for this or that and the experience is negative, for no particular reason, it simply feels so; or the other way around, sometimes you're in a good mood and minor inconveniences (the food wasn't "as always", or you had to wait far too much for a table, or the service was slow...) won't ruin your experience.

Another important factor is pricing... some people is willing to pay accordingly for good food, others place less value to eating so they prefer to spend less and there we go, what do expensive and cheap mean? where's the line that makes this expensive? Again, very very personal stuff. PS: the ends are of course easy to identify, we all know when something is outrageously expensive, no matter how many stars the joint has, true? LOL!

So, being something so "moody" and subjective I don't feel comfortable recommending specific restaurants to people I don't know because I feel it's like shooting in the dark. There's a saying in Catalan --the local language-- when talking to others about restaurants and food, and that roughly translated into English would go: "taste is like butts, everybody's got his/her own". I hope you get the meaning, ha!

Any other question related to anything else I'm happy to chip in and give advice/opinion.

Yet, since you're visiting Catalonia is only natural that you try Catalan cuisine, right? So have a look at this, many of the proposals I do like myself when eating out, and you'll find all types of places, from casual easy-going to sophisticated and rather exclusive: http://www.timeout.com/barcelona/restaurants/the-50-best-restaurants-in-barcelona-catalan-cuisine

Enjoy!

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