Lasarte
Carrer de Mallorca, 259
08008 Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 45 32 42
Website
For as long as the Michelin guide has been publishing in Spain, it has never found a restaurant in Barcelona deemed worthy of its highest honor. This was quiet puzzling especially for city like Barcelona, a place that has garnered more Michelin stars than anywhere else in Spain, while heralding a reputation as among the top gastronomic epicenter. Even its biggest rival, Madrid had Zalacain, (which had three stars from 1987-1995), and DiverXo since 2013. The tides finally turned for Barcelona in 2016, when the then two starred Lasarte was elevated to three, finally giving the Catalan capital its first ever.
The restaurant is owned by superstar Basque chef Martin Berasategui, and is named after the town in the Basque Country where his flagship restaurant resides. This culinary titan is the most decorated chef in the country. His collection of restaurants in Spain and in Latin America has garnered him 10 Michelin stars, including two with three stars, a rare accomplishment only attained by a very select few. He opened Lasarte in 2006 and quickly won its first Michelin star a year later, then the second came in 2009, But it wasn’t until the arrival of Italian chef Paolo Casagrande as the chef de cuisine in 2012 that elevated this restaurant to three star level.
Chef Casagrande is a veteran of Martin Berasategui’s restaurant group. He gained his first star working at Restaurante MB in Tenerifie. He then moved on to a luxury resort in Italy before returning to work again for Chef Berasategui at Lasarte. In addition to Lasarte, Chef Casagrande is also in charge of the one star Oria, and the Hallo Bar in the Monument Hotel.
Situated on the ground floor of the ultra-luxe Monument Hotel in the heart of Barcelona’s shopping district in Paseig de Gracia, Lasarte’s dining room is spacious, bright with tall wavy ceilings. It has a clean modern décor with plenty of light oak finishing. The oversize tables are covered in extra thick white cloths matched with dark heavy padded chairs that were extremely comfortable and long ivory leather benches.
Lasarte’s dining option are, the 235 EUR (at the time of my visit) tasting menu, a shorter “Lasarte Menu” and a la carte. The longer menu was the choice on this visit. An array of snacks started the meal, sea anemone with yuzu, Strip of toast with raw shrimp curry and beetroot with caviar and Jerusalem artichoke were both amazing. But the foie gras, eel, and caramelized green apple mille feuille with crème sauce which is also Lasarte signature dish was even better. It was a mouth full of savory pleasure. Not to be outdone, was the cucumber and jalapeno mouse with mussels and its chilled spiciness.
Afterwards, the cart with a variety of warm freshly baked bread was rolled in by the table. The bread was served with regular, mushroom, tomato, spinach and beet root butter along with a special olive oil made from one hundred percent Arbequina olives called Bago Baldios San Carlos.
For the first course, the Slightly marinated warm oyster with iced watercress slush, parsnip and champagne was a pleasant contrast of warm and cold. The warm oyster was strong in flavor, and was nicely accompanied by the soothing pepperiness of the watercress slush. Next was the Sea urchin curd with sautéed scallops and fresh peas, sea cucumber and liquated “radiccio rosso”. Here the sweetness of scallops was paired successfully with the buttery urchin curd. On the other hand, the foam from radiccio added a terrific bitterness. The Wagyu carpaccio with extract of terragon, smoked mullet and frozen cheese powder were cuts of scrumptious beef. There was hints of zest on the beef that wonderfully complemented the smokiness of the mullet. And for added texture frozen cheese was used for garnish.
The Squid Tartare with liquid egg yolk, onion and kaffir consommé was composed of raw squid topped with warm egg yolk and sprinkled with amaranth toast. I find the yolks thick consistency, the subtleness of the raw squid, and the citrus elements of the kaffir consommé to be an interesting combination. That was followed by a signature Chef Berastegui dish, the Vegetable leaves and petals salad, herbs, sprout with lettuce cream and lobster. A colorful plate of lush vegetables and herbs with delectable lobster meat on top of clear gelatin made from tomato. This amazing dish is full of sublime flavors.
Red prawn on a seabed, fennel and coral emulsion was a giant prawn presented whole. The prawn was extremely tasty and the translucent watery broth with coral emulsion and sea weed cream that it sat on yields a profound features of the sea. The Black truffle glazed Hare ravioli with sautéed artichokes and trompette mushroom were raviolis stuffed with delicious hare and covered in foam of black truffle. The foams pungent truffleness was elegantly fused with other earthy component on the plate. Virrey fish with iodized sauce, king crab, raw tomatoes and saffron was cooked perfectly. It was tender and contained a wonderful amount of salinity. The basil and saffron cream gave the fish an extra layer of flavors while the different composition of tasty crab meat serves as an enticing supplement.
For the main course marinated and charcoal, grilled venison, winter vegetables, persimmon and “biancoperla’ con cream was served. Succulent venison meat came with fresh salad with persimmon and blood orange and corn cream made from special type of corn from Italy. The mildness of the corn cream and the lightness of the salad was a great companion to the venison.
Finally, on to sweet courses! Shiso and mint leaves sorbet, acid touches and milk crisp has a palatable richness and refreshing acidity. The pistachio sponge cake was particularly delightful. Almonds and salt praline, apricot and rum ice cream was the main dessert. The sugary sweetness from the salted praline with caramel was curbed by the alcohol from therum ice cream and also helps balance this dessert. As a bonus, petites fours of classic Catalonian sweets concluded the meal.
This tasting menu was well put together. From the beginning to the end, one course after another it has myriad of flavors and textures that comes together. Each dish has complexity, balance and an abundance of colors. Their interpretation of Modern Spanish cuisine was less experimental than the kinds that is currently sweeping the dining world. The wine pairing for 135 EUR comprised of six glasses of local Spanish wines were consummately designed to complement the food.
Joan Carles Ibáñez, the manager in charge of the dining room was on hand during this visit. Under his supervision the dining room operated flawlessly offering impeccable hospitality to the guest. Although the service was uptight, and almost robotic, the staff were extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. They explained every course and answered any questions clearly.
Wine Pairing:
A complete meal at Lasarte with the wine pairing will set you back 370 EUR per person which is still a tad below compared to other three star places in Paris and in the US. This is one of the priciest restaurant (if not the most) in Barcelona and in Spain. It caters to wealthy locals and tourist alike, but if taken to account the high level of cooking and professionalism of the personnel it was worth the amount paid.
The kitchen staff and the front of the house of a three Michelin star restaurant has a great deal of pressure to deliver perfection every day. However as the first restaurant in Barcelona to receive such accolade it has an added pressure that Chef Casagrande and his partner Joan Carles Ibáñez managed very well. They exceeded expectation by providing a stellar dining from start to finish.