Experience Spain’s upscale reinterpretation of tapas as Michelin-grade dining and molecular magic in Barcelona and San Sebastián.
Spain’s culinary uprising is a combination of old and new. From cosy tapas bars to molecular magic that defies the conventional laws of gravity, Spain has reimagined what luxury eats is all about—flavour-packed excess on every bite-sized plate.
We begin in Barcelona, where Disfrutar reigns. Run by three elBulli veterans, the two-Michelin-starred restaurant takes apart old-school Spanish food into fairy-tale morsels. Take foie gras and consider it a corn on the cob, gazpacho foam, or ravioli that evaporate on the palate. It’s eating, but also theater.
Even north of that, San Sebastián boasts more Michelin stars per capita than any city. At Arzak and Akelarre, traditional Basque flavours like Iberico pork, hake cheeks, and sea urchin are reimagined with assertive techniques and architectural presentation. Pintxos, Basque tapas, become culinary gems—gold-leafed, glazed, and glittering.
Madrid’s three-star DiverXO by chef Dabiz Muñoz is punk rock tapas. The dishes come with dramatic fog, flashes of light, and tricks of flavour that defy convention. It’s upscale with attitude, where hoisin and duck hearts meet Spanish cava pearls.
Even traditional tapas bars are catching up. At Tickets (Adrià brothers’ establishment) and Casa Mono in Barcelona, olives, anchovies, and jamón ibérico are presented à la haute couture—devoted, solicitous, and worth mentioning.
Spanish food at its finest is less about taste—more about feeling, shock, and spectacle. With every meal, the patrons are reminded that the beauty of excess is creativity, audacity, and respect for tradition.
