Noor - Córdoba
A tasting menu of Andalusian dishes from the 17th century contained more misses than hits. Without the historical context of the dishes, it was hard to appreciate them fully
Disfrutar - Barcelona
A tour de force of molecular gastronomy, with countless surprising, fun and tasty courses. Many dishes could have been made similarly delicious without using culinary trickery, though
Cocina Hermanos Torres - Barcelona
A dramatic dining room with a centrally placed kitchen is the location for a culinary tour through Catalonia and Spain. Some amazing appetizers and desserts surrounded the good, but not stellar regular courses on the tasting menu
Atrio - Cáceres
A tasting menu where every dish includes Iberian ham. While this leads to some fun results, more often than not this gimmick works against the kitchen
Aponiente - El Puerto de Santa Maria
A menu that takes virtually all ingredients from the ocean is an intellectual and culinary tour-de-force, and a foodie’s dream come true. The rest of us will get mostly excellent dishes, but also the occasional one that’s more experimental rather than tasty
Cenador de Amós - Villaverde de Pontones
A few excellent dishes and a great wine pairing don’t justify the trip to this out-of-the-way restaurant in Northern Spain. Much of the food and the service were underwhelming
DiverXO - Madrid
Very creative cooking, riffing on dishes from all over the world. Not everything succeeds, but this was a fun ride
El Celler de Can Roca - Girona
Playful and inventive, this was for the most part a delicious lunch. Worth the trip from Barcelona if you can get a reservation
ABaC - Barcelona
Modern Spanish food with interesting ingredient combinations and creative presentations. For the most part delightful, and worth the trip to the outskirts of Barcelona
Lasarte - Barcelona
Modern Spanish cuisine that features some excellent dishes, but pales in comparison to chef Martín Berasategui’s eponymous restaurant near San Sebastian