b-served Gastronomy
aRestaurant, Sant Felip Neri
Chef Alain Guiard
The stunning location and interior design will bring you here; the food and service will have you coming back. aRestaurant looks over what is without question one of Barcelona’s most extraordinary squares, Sant Felip Neri tucked deep in the Gothic Quarter. The eponymous hotel hosts the new gastronomic project from renowned chef Alain Guiard, one that reflects the subtle flavours of a cosmopolitan cuisine that is a testament to his background and experience.
Son of a French father and a Catalan mother, Alain Guiard has been influenced by the best of both gastronomic cultures in order to construct his own cuisine. Before taking over the kitchen at aRestaurant he worked in some of the most emblematic restaurants not only of Spain but Europe: with Jean Luc Figueras at the Mandarin, with Xavier Pellicer at the Àbac (in both restaurants he served as chef de cuisine), as well as in Sant Pau and in El Racó de Can Fabes.
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The food offering is organised within a non-complicated menu, seasonal Mediterranean inspired dishes featuring excellent produce that are best enjoyed by sharing. There are several options included in the short list of starters and main courses with portion sizes suitable for two. One of the highlights is the bread which will literally melt in the mouth and is a ‘must try’ here. Among the starters or comparte section of the menu is the Carpaccio of Normay Lobster, lime-lemon-tarragon and Morruda olive oil served on a timber tray with toast balanced on the sides. Subtle and delicate yet compelling at the same time. The Tuna tartare, Asian perfumes, fennel “vichyssoise” and salicornia is also highly recommended. Meanwhile among the mains or Refuerza the Marinated Lamb knuckle and sanfaina cous cous is cooked to perfection and served in a baked clay casserole dish. There has to be a rice dish here and it doesn’t disappoint either: the Iberian secreto dry rice and Delta razor clams.
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The desserts at aRestaurant deserve their own monument on Sant Felip Neri, for anyone with a sweet tooth they will be impossible to resist. Their taste is only matched by their artistic presentation: Crucnchy and creamy French Toast served with smoked milk ice cream and Baba aged Rum and lime chantilly.
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The restaurant also has a fascinating wine list that is mostly Catalan but also with French and Italian references. There is the possibility of taking them by the glass, encouraging the dynamism of the proposal.
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- aRestaurant
- Pl. Sant Felip Neri, 2 08002
- tel: 93 317 7442
- www.arestaurant.es