My husband and I will be in Barcelona in early May. We will be celebrating our 35th anniversary so I am looking for a very special place for our anniversary dinner. I am open to any kind of food and any price point. We had a very tough year with my health and taking care of my parents so I want a "special place" kind of restaurant. I have done some research but there are so many options that I would like to get input from personal experience.
Many thanks for any recommendations.
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
Congratulations! Have you considered Anniversary Lunch instead? You may know that lunch is the main meal of the day in Spain, you'll have the most flexibility and options making it a special lunch (2 pm) rather than a dinner (10 pm+). You'll find most restaurants don't even start to open for dinner service until "late" like 9 pm, or they may not open at all for dinner certain days. Plus the dinner menu may be more limited than lunch in some places.
Nonetheless, I have three suggestions :)
Seaside Escapade
About 25 min commuter train ride south of Barcelona is the laid back costal village of Garraf, popular with locals and with several good seafood restaurants with stunning views of the sea. I'd recommend the restaurant La Cúpula Garraf, it has commanding views of the Mediterranean, their specialty is a fantastic Fideuà and an excellent chocolate pyramid for dessert! https://lacupulagarraf.com/
Harborfront Paella
Overlooking the old port and Barrio Gotico is the restaurant called Barceloneta an upscale establishment with great views at night, local Catalan seafood themed menu with some of the better rice dishes in Barcelona. Good for dinner too with the lights of the city in the background. https://restaurantbarceloneta.com/en/the-restaurant/
Michelin Star Experience
Consider Àbac a three star Michelin restaurant, one of the hottest places to eat in Barcelona currently, lead by the innovative head chief Jordi Cruz, who is a bit of a celebrity in his own right in Spain due to the very popular MasterChef tv show. https://abacrestaurant.com/en/#home
Posted by
OP
133 posts
@Carlos, I will check with my husband about doing lunch instead. He never likes to eat lunch but since it is our anniversary, I may convince him. Thank you for your recommendations. Such a variety gives me lots of ideas.
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
Yes double check with him if he is comfortable with dinner at 9pm at the earliest, as this is when restaurants will typically start service in Spain.
Posted by
Walnut Creek, CA
605 posts
For my 58th birthday, way back when, we ate at a very unique, special place called Tast-ller back when it was located in the Bari Gothic. The chef, Mikel Peinador, has a new location in the Eixample area. His place has a seating for 12 and it's a small place and you can see into the kitchen. It's like having dinner in his living room. The seating time is either 8pm or 8:30 pm. dinner takes about 2 hours.
You eat what he cooks, and it's fantastic! There is a set price, plus the cost of a glass or bottle of wine. The different courses are brought out to you. The wait staff explains every dish.
For us, this was a truly, memorable and special kind of restaurant. My wife and I think of the experience often. I can't think of a better place to have special anniversary dinner. Reservations are a must! You can make them online at the restaurant website.
https://www.tast-ller.com
Carrer de Viladomat 137
Posted by
OP
133 posts
@Derek, Thank you for that recommendation. Sadly, that restaurant is closed on Sundays the day of our anniversary. I am inclined to book it on another day and just pretend that is our anniversary special meal. The way this trip is working out, we fly out of Barcelona around 9 a.m. the day after our anniversary so maybe we do not want to be out too late on our actual anniversary day.
Carlos and Derek, thank you both for answering my question. With the nasty weather we keep on having in California, I can hardly wait for my Spain trip in May!