THE NEWEST IN BARCELONA TODAY. COME AND SEE!
January, 4th, 2023. Written by Clara De Nadal Trias
To those who think that Barcelona is no longer what it used to be, they are so wrong. Barcelona is once again boiling and never ceases to surprise with new store openings, cultural and leisure activities for all audiences, and gastronomic proposals that are much more than interesting and, as always, diverse.
With its own character as always and its unmistakable creativity, Ciudad Condal returns to be more linked than ever to what is local, essential and sustainable; achieving as few cities do, that in the same place both the international tourist and the local public can feel comfortable and at home. Here the latest of the latest…
Los Féliz y Muy Frágil
We started with Los Féliz and Muy Frágil and the opening of their first physical store in the center of Barcelona. This is, without a doubt, the new obligatory destination for any lover of vintage, crafts and design in general.
Nadia Benedicte Pape, founder of Los Féliz, has spent more than a decade dedicating herself to the search for jewels from bygone times and garments with history, made with knowledge and mastery, waiting for a client to fall in love with them and give them a second look. lifetime. And it is that in his store you will find a careful selection of garments, chosen with great care and criteria, just as he had already been doing in his still existing online store.
Nadia tells me that after these years of professional growth, the time has finally come to expand her modus operandi to begin offering her clients a physical space where they can enjoy her extensive collection, in which the decade of the 90s and designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Franco Moschino - to mention just a few - enjoy a special mention.
To take this step, Nadia wanted to complement her concept with her friend and now also a partner Tirsa V de Parga, creator of the Muy Frágil project to join the Los Féliz universe from a shared perspective: “the love for things made with sense and sensitivity .”
For its part, Muy Frágil selects contemporary designs from the level of: Clan, Hai, Maison Cléo, Camisas Manolo, among others... And artisan creations such as the precious candles by Krystel Cárdenas, the delicate pieces by Nathalie Schreckenberg, or the jewelry by Mileva Testas , Sofía Rocha, Levens and Après Ski. These are, in general, very personal projects that have limited productions.
In this way, both friends and partners have built a colorful universe where the past and the present join forces to offer the best of both. Come and visit them, they await you in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, in Carrer de Cervantes.
Gringa
Trafalgar Street is the new epicenter of Barcelona's art galleries and is also adding restoration proposals, such as the brand new house for the Gringa people. They started out as a food truck and have now settled in the diverse neighborhood of Raval.
Inspired by the dinner aesthetic, adding some comfortable sofas, and offering a proposal for uninterrupted breakfasts and meals in the purest American style, for those who love forcefulness; In Gringa you can taste (for example) the mythical fried chicken but now in a bun (or on a freshly made waffle), pancakes with their syrup, Mexican tacos, hamburgers, micheladas... And all this accompanied by specialty coffee, from the hand of Three Marks Coffee from Barcelona, and the wonderful cakes baked daily by Nina Kasp, the creator of Violent Bakes. Where? Trafalgar, 39.
Cafè de l’Arquitecte
On the ground floor of Casa Sagnier is the restaurant Cafè de l'Arquitecte which has a menu of Mediterranean flavors designed to share. This brand new Barcelona gastronomic space offers restaurant, cafeteria, bar and cocktail service throughout the day in a metropolitan environment and has extensive hours that go from early in the morning until midnight.
Once inside, you are perfectly aware that the space pays tribute to Enric Sagnier through an interior design characterized by the contemporary reinterpretation of the works of the Barcelona architect. A sober and delicate style, which also shows photographs of the architect and artisan elements typical of an architecture workshop of the time. Where? Rambla de Catalunya, 104.
Yakiniku, Ah-Un
Ready to explore a little-known facet of Japanese cuisine? At Ah-Un you can do it! The concept of the restaurant is based on enjoying the yakiniku, the Japanese barbecue - a tradition originating in Korea that immigrants exported to Japan -, where the grace is to prepare the pieces of Iberian meat yourself, chicken fed with of corn, or vegetables on the grill, which we will find inserted in the table.
Undoubtedly an opportunity to try Wagyu beef cuts, here, from northern Spain and the Japanese region of Miyazaki, as well as varied sushi and sashimi and all marinated with a wonderful sake menu. Where? c/ Balmes, 55.
Mirador torre Glòries
Located in the heart of the technological district of Barcelona and formerly known as Torre Agbar, now La Torre Glòries is, since spring, one of the most iconic buildings in the city, thanks to the opening of its new viewpoint with a 360º perspective of Barcelona, more than 120 meters high.
Mirador Torre Glòries offers a tour with three exceptional views of Barcelona: Hipermirador Barcelona, El Mirador and Cloud Cities Barcelona, by Tomás Saraceno, reinventing the concept of the traditional viewpoint with a surprising, innovative and multidisciplinary proposal. A project that unites art, technology, scientific dissemination and environmental commitment that allows us to discover Barcelona with a new perspective.
Amar Barcelona
Amar Barcelona is the new restaurant of Rafa Zafra, a charismatic chef with an overwhelming personality and a great lover of betting on culinary models where history and modernity evolve in parallel street.
The recently opened Amar restaurant takes its name from the love for Barcelona, as well as from Zafra's own passion for seafood. “To love Barcelona is to love the sea, the Mediterranean, our cultures and our traditions”, comments Zafra. And all this without forgetting the Sevillian chef's own career in Estimar Barcelona and Madrid, establishments with which the new restaurant shares a semantic family.
The backbone of the Amar Barcelona kitchen is based on the product. It is about finding luxury in the prestige of the ingredients, the quality of cooking, the comfort of the space and the elegance of the space in which it is located, but with a fresh, young, renewed, flowing and light touch. to the one who enjoys it. And it is that with the management of this new restaurant, Rafa Zafra wants to "contribute an honest cuisine, based on the quality of the product, betting on the 'casualization' of luxury in a unique and elegant environment". Where? Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 668.
Doppietta
Last but not least, I am introducing you to the new gastronomic proposal of the already emblematic restaurant Benzina, Doppietta. Once again British restaurateur Badr Bennis and Italian chef Nicola Valle continue to fuel the evolution of Barcelona's Italian culinary scene now with this recent opening, Doppietta, paying homage to Brescia's legendary open road endurance race, the Mille Miglia, inaugurated in 1927, recognized as “la corsa più bella del mondo”, the most beautiful race in the world.
The basis of Doppietta's gastronomic offer is simply respect for the product. Merging the great Italian tradition of making cheeses and sausages, with the preparation of preserves and pickles based on seasonal vegetables and fruits, in a fresh culinary proposal based on tradition.
The menu is divided into 2 sections starting with the Salumeria, with cold meats and cheeses, an extensive list of exceptional products from various regions of Italy. The second part of the menu, called "Cucina", brings together a selection of hot dishes designed to be shared, with some of its signatures such as "aubergine parmigiana", "mushroom ravioli, red prawns and goat cheese" or " cavatelli with chicken ragù from pagés and Tuscan pecorino”. Without forgetting its selection of classic desserts, with an exceptional tiramisu.
From charcuterie to cocktails, from formaggi to fine wines, Doppietta is the perfect place for an after-work aperitif, a romantic dinner or an evening with friends. But also, every Sunday, Doppietta offers its Brunch all'Italiana, a culinary feast of traditional Italian flavors. The best option to enjoy classic antipasti, such as “vitello tonnato” or “grana padano croquettes with truffle mayonnaise”; Homemade hot pasta and meat dishes, such as "gnocchi quattro formagi" or "chicken cacciatora", and, of course, exquisite desserts in the most authentic Mamma Mia style. Where? Passatge de Pere Calders, 4.
Article written and translated by Clara De Nadal Trias.
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