What?
Lunch at Blue Spot Barcelona
Where?
The very edge of Barceloneta beach, right next to Hotel W.
First impressions:
First impressions:
Blue Spot occupies the entire 8th floor of a high-rise, with a 360-degree view of the Mediterranean and the city. Open kitchen. Lots of wooden furniture in pleasant, subdued colours. It’s a new place, having opened in June. Two of its investors are Mr Gerard Piqué (a soccer player, I’ve been told) and Mrs Shakira Piqué.
My plus-1: Jairo.
Appetizers:
Mussels, prepared in a wood-fired oven (€ 13). As a Belgian, I am genetically predisposed to enjoy mussels and these are not only of high quality, the tomato sauce they are served in is delicious as well. We get so many of them, it’s less an appetizer than a starter.
Meanwhile, the people...
Men in white shirt discussing numbers and weighing business opportunities. More men in white shirts, enjoying the tastefully decorated terrace and its view. Two women, involved in a whispery conversation.
Starters:
We share the Eggplant with cane honey and lime (€ 12), infinitely tender and tasty, but the real treat is the Tatin of tomatoes and onions baked in the wood oven with Idiázabal cheese (€ 15): the taste is the essence of tomatos and makes me so happy I don’t mind indulging in the creamy pleasure of the cheese.
Wine and beverages:
Sorry, just water. Alcohol for lunch gives me too much of a punch.
Main dishes:
I had the Red tuna tataki with pink pepper, black sesame, Korean miso and radishes (€ 21). On the other side of the table appeared the Soft shell crab burger with sesame, chili and lime (€ 16). It looks wonderful, but when I ask for a bite, the predominant taste is spicy sauce: nothing wrong with that, but it sort of makes the crab superflous. I very much prefer my red tuna tataki, with sesame seeds along the edges. Thin slices of radish function both as vegetable and flower-like decorations of the plate.
We strolled along Barceloneta beach, much-maligned for being too touristy, yet still very pleasant. Then we got into a debate over what animal Frank Gehry’s work of art represents. Despite its title, Peix (Fish), Jairo insisted it’s a whale*. I think it’s a ray. We did agree on Blue Spot being a very pleasant experience.
*Google says: it's a goldfish.
Food photography: Jairo Guerrero. Restaurant picture: © Olga Planas
My plus-1: Jairo.
Mussels, prepared in a wood-fired oven (€ 13). As a Belgian, I am genetically predisposed to enjoy mussels and these are not only of high quality, the tomato sauce they are served in is delicious as well. We get so many of them, it’s less an appetizer than a starter.
Meanwhile, the people...
Men in white shirt discussing numbers and weighing business opportunities. More men in white shirts, enjoying the tastefully decorated terrace and its view. Two women, involved in a whispery conversation.
We share the Eggplant with cane honey and lime (€ 12), infinitely tender and tasty, but the real treat is the Tatin of tomatoes and onions baked in the wood oven with Idiázabal cheese (€ 15): the taste is the essence of tomatos and makes me so happy I don’t mind indulging in the creamy pleasure of the cheese.
Wine and beverages:
Sorry, just water. Alcohol for lunch gives me too much of a punch.
Main dishes:
I had the Red tuna tataki with pink pepper, black sesame, Korean miso and radishes (€ 21). On the other side of the table appeared the Soft shell crab burger with sesame, chili and lime (€ 16). It looks wonderful, but when I ask for a bite, the predominant taste is spicy sauce: nothing wrong with that, but it sort of makes the crab superflous. I very much prefer my red tuna tataki, with sesame seeds along the edges. Thin slices of radish function both as vegetable and flower-like decorations of the plate.
Conversation topics:
Tuna is endangered, isn't it? We debate whether it’s acceptable to order it. Point in my favour: I have no offspring, so my ecological footprint is tiny.
Desserts:
I have no complaints about the lemon pie, but it is obvious Jairo has hit the jackpot by choosing the Brie cheesecake. Subtly different in taste, a golden globe of a dessert.
Lasting impressions:
The views, the activity of the cooks and finally, the prices. Okay, Barcelona is a city where you can have a perfectly nice and healthy lunch for 10 euro, but Blue Spot isn’t excessively expensive, given its location and the quality of the ingredients.
Roll credits:We strolled along Barceloneta beach, much-maligned for being too touristy, yet still very pleasant. Then we got into a debate over what animal Frank Gehry’s work of art represents. Despite its title, Peix (Fish), Jairo insisted it’s a whale*. I think it’s a ray. We did agree on Blue Spot being a very pleasant experience.
*Google says: it's a goldfish.
Food photography: Jairo Guerrero. Restaurant picture: © Olga Planas
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