The Hardest Reservation in Barcelona

To enjoy food is to live. That thought hummed through me as I stepped into Disfrutar Barcelona, one of the most famous restaurants in the world — and rightly so. It holds the coveted three Michelin stars and, in 2024, was crowned The World’s Best Restaurant on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Now, in 2025, it rests in the legendary Best of the Best hall of fame, alongside the greats that have defined global gastronomy.

The Chefs of Disfrutar

Created by chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Mateu Casañas — all alumni of the legendary El Bulli — Disfrutar has become a global reference point for fine dining in Barcelona. It is also one of the most sought-after Michelin star restaurants in Barcelona, with reservations disappearing within hours of release.

The entrance itself gives nothing away. Hidden inside a beautiful but otherwise nondescript building in Barcelona’s Eixample district, the façade is discreet, almost ordinary. There is little to hint at the gastronomic wonderland waiting inside. Yet, stepping past those doors, I found myself in the middle of an exciting buzz — the kind generated by chefs and waitstaff confident in their craft, and by diners who knew they were about to experience something extraordinary.

A Stage Set for Wonder at Disfrutar

Inside, the room was bright and modern, filled with diners who looked and acted as though they’d won a lottery ticket. In a sense, they had. A table here is one of the hardest to secure in Barcelona, and every person in that room knew it.

The staff moved with quiet assurance, gliding between tables as though the choreography had been rehearsed a hundred times. The atmosphere wasn’t stiff, but it carried weight — a shared awareness that something rare was about to happen.

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First Bites at Disfrutar: Playful Creations

The first plates arrived quickly, as if to break the ice. A frozen passion fruit ladyfinger laced with rum cracked between my teeth, cold and sharp. I glanced at the couple seated next to us — Americans who I later learned had traded Chicago for Costa Rica. The wife caught my eye and laughed, holding up her empty spoon. “Like a cocktail that forgot the glass,” she said.

Then came the beet that comes out of the land — presented as if it had been pulled straight from the soil. Its sweetness was earthy, not sugary, and it lingered long after the bite was gone. The husband leaned closer and muttered, “I could eat five of these and still not figure out how they did it.”

A lychee appeared next, dressed in roses and touched with gin. It looked delicate, almost fragile, but the flavor was bold. Three dishes in, it was already clear: this was not food meant to comfort. It was food meant to surprise.

Disfrutar Barcelona Menu Review: Signature Dishes

Courses began to land in rhythm, each one sharper than the last. A vodka and truffle shot slid across the table, cold, earthy, and gone in a blink. The wife leaned over with a grin: “That’s the best martini I’ve ever had — and I don’t even like martinis.”

The panchino came next, a tiny bun filled with caviar. One bite, buttery and salty, and it was gone. The husband whispered, “It’s like a doughnut that went to finishing school.” I nearly laughed out loud.

A gazpacho sandwich crunched with vinegar, tart and cool. The Idiazabal cheese mille-feuille looked too precise to eat, but we ate it anyway. Each plate was clever, but never smug.

Creative Surprises on the Tasting Menu

The surprises kept coming. A mushroom leaf shattered like glass. A crispy egg yolk sat on warm mushroom gelatin, spilling gold when cut. Asparagus was dressed with elderflower and macadamia, light and clean. Then came pesto — but not pesto as anyone knew it. Multi-spherical, paired with pistachio and eel, it felt engineered, yet alive.

The husband shook his head. “If I lived here, I’d sell my car just to eat this once a month.” His wife nudged him and smiled, “He’s serious, by the way.”

From Catalan Tradition to Culinary Theater

Then came the nods to Catalan tradition. Macaroni alla carbonara was playful but rich, a joke that also worked as food. A tomato, turned jewel-like, burst with olive oil. A suquet appeared twice — once as seafood stew, once as cappuccino — two versions of the same memory.

The couple were delighted. “They’re rewriting the classics and getting away with it,” the wife said, half in disbelief.

Sweet Surprises to End Dinner at Disfrutar

Desserts were no less bold. A cucumber in hoisin sauce, clean and strange. A cheesecake cornet, crunchy and sweet. Chocolate peppers dusted with oil and salt blurred every rule. Tarta al whisky closed the line, airy and nostalgic, but different enough to feel new.

The couple swapped bites like teenagers. “This one’s mine,” the husband said, shielding the cheesecake cornet.

An Array of Original Desserts

Then came the finish — a parade of small bites. Hazelnut liquid, raspberry marshmallow, a pine nut and mushroom rock that tasted better than it sounded. Basil leaf candy that vanished on the tongue. More followed: raspberry conglomerate, physalis lollipop, elderflower sphere, chocolate-passion bonbon, cotton candy.

The wife held up her cotton candy like a prize. “This is what childhood would feel like if you grew up in heaven.” She wasn’t wrong.

Compartir in Barcelona: From Enjoying to Sharing

By the end, I felt both full and light. Disfrutar had told its story in edible chapters — playful, precise, and unforgettable.

But our neighbors weren’t finished. They mentioned they had a table at Compartir, Disfrutar’s sister restaurant, the next day. “It’s a table for four,” the wife said. “Join us. After all, compartir means to share.”

We did. The next afternoon was less about tricks, more about flavor. Plates arrived to the center of the table, meant to be passed, tasted, and argued over. It felt looser, warmer, closer to joy itself. To my surprise, I loved Compartir even better.

THE CLASSIC DISHES AT DISFRUTAR

FIRST COURSES

Frozen passion fruit ladyfinger with rum (2016)

The beet that comes out of the land (2014)

Lycjeem amid roses with gin (2014)

SECOND COURSES

Vodka/ truffle (2019)

Flour-free coca pizza (2018)

“Panchino” filled with caviar (2016)

Savory walnut candy with mango, tonka beans and whisky (2014)

Home-made cider smoked at the moment (2016)

Idiazabal cheese mille-feuille (2016)

Gazpacho sandwich with scented vinegar garnish (2016)

Disfrutar’s Gilda (2017)

THIRD COURSES

Crunchy mushroom leaf (2021)

Crispy egg yolk with warm mushroom gelatin (2014)

Asparagus with elderflower and macadamia (2021)

Multi-spherical pesto with pistachios and eel (2017)

FOURTH COURSES

Our macaroni alla carbonara (2014)

Tomato poltroon and arbequina caviaroli (2014)

Liquid salad (2014)

“Suquet” seafood (2016)

“Suquet” cappuccino (2016)

FIFTH COURSES

Pepper steak (2021)

Multi-spherical satin of corn and foie (2016)

Pibil pork (2016)

SIXTH COURSES

Hoisin cucumber (2018)

Cheesecake cornet (2014)

Chocolate peppers, oil and salt (2014)

“Tarta al whisky” (2015)

DESSERTS

Hazelnut liquid “Catania”

Raspberry marshmallow

Pine nuts and mushrooms rock

Basil leaf

Raspberry conglomerate

Physalis lollipop

Spherical elderflower

Chocolate and passion liquid bonbon

Cotton candy

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If you are seeking the most innovative of contemporary art, look no further than the new Moco Museum in Barcelona, an offshoot of the independently owned Moco Museum in Amsterdam. It’s a thought-provoking collection of cutting edge works and street art, along with a sampling of NFTs, with some pieces borrowed from the collections of other museums and art lovers.

WHEN ART & VISION MEET

Moco — a play on the words “modern” and “contemporary” — is the brainchild of Dutch art gallery owner Kim Logchies-Prins and her husband Lionel. They bravely opened the Barcelona outpost in spite of the difficulties experienced by Moco Amsterdam amidst the pandemic, when the latter almost had to cut back on staff due to dwindling visitor numbers.

FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE

Fortunately there was no such shortage of visitors at Moco Barcelona on the day I went, which was an autumn morning so fine that it felt more like summer. Ordinarily, such a day is too perfect for staying indoors, especially when the stylish cafes and the beach are just minutes away. But evidently, many people did prefer the stimulation of art to the other pleasures of life — and interestingly, a lot of them belonged to the Gen X and millennial crowd.

Everything about the museum is a genuine surprise. For one thing, it’s right next to the Picasso Museum, a more traditional Barcelona sightseeing hallmark, in the Ribera district of the Old Town. Talk about older establishment meeting younger and brazen establishment.

Unlike the glamorous Eixample neighborhoods, the Old Town is a hodge-podge of upscale and seedy co-existing creatively together in elegant mansions that once belonged to 18th and 19th century wealthy families. So in this sense, the museum fits right into this neither-here-nor-there district,

MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE

The Moco Museum Barcelona itself is housed in the former home of the aristocratic Cervello family, whose heyday was in the 1850s. Thankfully, it seems the good old days have returned, as it’s almost certain that this mansion has not seen such a steady stream of enthusiastic visitors in over a century at least.

A giant bear sculpture greets everyone in the courtyard where once perhaps carriages awaited. It’s by the trendy American artist Kaws, a former Disney illustrator, which may explain his penchant for creating characters. Frequent travelers — myself included — have apparently had a similar reaction: “I’ve seen this at Doha Airport!”

KAWS IN BARCELONA

Indeed, a Kaws sculpture is the centerpiece of the massive airport transfer terminal at Doha. Unfortunately the Moco Museum did not have similar liberty with space. The installation team had to take apart more of the bear’s body parts than expected, to get the sculpture through the mansion entrance and set just right by the staircase in the open courtyard.

The museum has a mix of permanent artworks and temporary exhibits. There’s always something new so you definitely won’t get tired of visiting. I’m guessing the Kaws installation is a permanent one or someone is going to have a massive headache in a few months.

After the Kaws bear, the first artwork I saw upon entering the museum itself was to set the tone for the rest of the visit — even if the piece was not part of the permanent collection and merely on loan from British musician George Michael.

DAMIEN HIRST IN BARCELONA

It was a Damien Hirst installation from 2008, literally in the flesh. The heart of a bull with pigeon wings attached to it, covered in gold barbed wire with a large dagger stuck right into it. It spoke to me of pain, hurt and sacrifice; and also of freedom and hope. Never a fan of Hirst, who I always regarded as overpriced and overrated, I was suddenly engulfed with admiration for the imagination and for the unspeakable way in which he chose to shock art enthusiasts.

But most of my admiration is still reserved for Kim and Lionel, who dared to dream of a private museum and to curate it so well that — although less than one year old — the Moco Museum has already made it to the top of so many travelers’ Barcelona bucket list of things to do.

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To tell you the truth, The One Hotel in Barcelona seems like quite an ordinary building from the outside. It’s just one block away from the famous Paseig de Gracia boulevard, lined with 19th century modernist style mansions and the best of upscale retailers. It’s also minutes away from Casa Batlo and Casa Mila, two of Gaudi’s best known architectural masterpieces.

In contrast to the stylish exterior flair of its neighbors in the Eixample district, The One seems underwhelming at first sight with its plain facade — there are no colorful tiles or wrought iron balconies here — and streamlined entrance. In fact, a business contact who met me in the lobby to take me to dinner asked me the very same question I had asked myself upon arrival: “I know it’s a five star grand luxe hotel. But is it really nice?”

INNER BEAUTY IN A HOTEL

The answer is a definite yes. The One may be understated from the outside, but inside it is all comfort, good design and luxury. My corner junior suite was a haven of light and space, and most importantly, of good taste. I had to force myself to leave my room to go sightseeing because sitting in bed with a good book — there is a coffee table book on Barcelona on the night table — and a view of the city from four windows seemed like an excellent way to spend the day.

A LAYOUT TO TALK ABOUT

The layout of my suite made for a good conversation at dinner too. For a junior suite, the foyer is way more spacious than most, which is wonderful for luxury travelers who arrive with a lot of luggage. However, most interestingly, you open the door and the first thing you see is the vanity table and sink, which are separate from the shower room and the bathroom. It’s part of the foyer and a necessary visual as you walk into the living room area and bedroom.

In one sense, this is perfect and practical because the traveler on holiday does appreciate the extra space that is not usually available in other hotel bathrooms. So I personally liked the idea of it, especially as the sink area is aesthetically pleasing to the eye with gold fixtures, grey marble and a large mirror that further adds depth to the area.

ANATOMY OF A JUNIOR SUITE

Meanwhile, the living room area and bedroom area are among the best I have seen in Barcelona, for a junior suite. The design is all calm neutrals with a sense of airiness and light — it’s the kind of room everyone will like regardless of style preferences. Furthermore, as always, the devil is in the details — to use a cliche. It had two large flat screen televisions, a beautiful artwork as a headboard, and high tech but simple wiring for lights and curtains that didn’t need an hour to figure out.

The latter is more important than you think, too. In spite of practically living in hotel suites for most of the year, and therefore quite used to hotel room wirings and systems, I have still recently encountered rooms with way too many buttons and switches. I can confirm that it is extremely annoying to be ready to sleep and to be unable to turn off the in-room bar light or the mirror light.

BREAKFAST TO REMEMBER

Further brownie points for this hotel relate to breakfast, which again is quite unlike others. Food is served just off the lobby in a rather simple space as far as luxury hotels go. And there is no lavish breakfast buffet either. Instead, guests are seated in this restaurant — and also in the lobby when there is an overflow — and asked to order from a menu. You can order what you want and in any combination, and the menu is quite appetizing and creatively worded so that it’s tempting to order everything.

For every morning of my stay, I chose a typical pan con tomato made ever so perfectly as only Catalans can do. The bread is hollowed out and crusty on the outside, and topped with fresh slices of Jamon iberico, drizzled with olive oil. I did not expect a simple breakfast worthy of being called a feast, but this is exactly what it was. In fact, breakfast was so deliciously addictive that I ordered two heaping plates of these every morning — calories all but forgotten.

There were other items on the breakfast menu too. Standard breakfast fare like yoghurt, fruits, eggs and pastry baskets. However this pan con tomate stole my heart.

Speaking of my heart, I would stay here again in a heartbeat. In fact, we’re already booking some of our Travelife Magazine readers at The One Barcelona for a food trip to the Catalunya in the spring of 2023.

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