November 2012 - Barcelona

Food &
Drink
Edited by Ricard Martín
rmartin@timeout.cat
Luxury for less
Barcelona’s Michelin-starred chefs open the season
with luxurious new ideas that won’t break the bank.
By Ricard Martín
Black is a secret restaurant, but
they’re not trying to keep you out: you
don’t need to know the maitre d’s
mother-in-law, or mutter a secret
password before you’re allowed in.
You just need to know it’s there, and
ask to be shown the way in. But it’s not
a traditional restaurant either: this is
the first vodka and caviar lounge in
Spain. In an paradoxical twist you’ll
find the most exclusive food on the
planet, Beluga sturgeon caviar,
alongside one of the most accessible –
you enter Black via the La Royal
hamburger bar.
Inside, Black is as dark and sleek as
an expensive cocktail bar, with red
neon to remind you that you’ve
arrived somewhere cool. Triple
Michelin-starred chef Paco Pérez has
designed a menu of cold dishes on
which, as well as straight-up caviar,
you’ll find a mouth-watering array of
dishes that feature caviar as a key
ingredient, created with imagination
and a sense of humour . ‘This isn’t
exactly a place for sit-down suppers,’
explains Pérez. ‘It’s about informal
snacks and surprises.’ The restaurant
has an open kitchen from whose bar
the tapas and main dishes are served.
Another chef who’s upping their
game is Romain Fornell. In a bold
move, the youngest chef ever to be
14 Time Out BCN Guide November 2012