Atempo Restaurant — Restaurant in Barcelona

Over the past ten years, I’ve frequented many Michelin-starred establishments. During my latest visit to Barcelona, my dining experiences included QUIRAT, Atempo & Aleia.

Food The culinary offerings at Atempo are consistently impressive. The dishes are beautifully presented and showcase a masterful blend of flavors and textures. While the majority of the courses were good, there were a few that fell slightly short of expectations.

The low point: The special A5 wagyu course that did not meet the expectations. The meat lacked the expected tenderness and flavor, leading to a disappointing experience. However, Atempo handled the situation admirably, demonstrating accountability and care by removing the dish from the bill and inquiring about the issue.

Royal goose dish was delicious, but overstayed its welcome with a slightly excessive portion size.

Consistent Courses: "Pasta with prawn bouillabaisse 'À la minute'" and the "Tuna cheeks with false barley risotto".

The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the grilled apple tartlet, salted toffee macadamia ice cream with miso sorbet, and caramelized crumble. This dessert was a masterpiece of flavor and texture. The tartness of the grilled apple was perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the salted toffee and the creaminess of the macadamia ice cream - prepared tableside, added extra touch of finesse. This dessert was a truly innovative and delicious creation.

Service The service at Atempo was excellent. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about providing a memorable dining experience. They went above and beyond to ensure that every guest felt welcome and cared for. One notable aspect of the service was the tableside preparation of certain dishes. This added a touch of theatricality and allowed diners to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into creating each dish.

While the tableside preparation by the kitchen staff added a touch of showmanship to the experience, it was noticeable that some staff members seemed less enthusiastic about this aspect of their role. While this is a common sentiment among kitchen staff in many restaurants, it is important to note that it did not detract from the overall quality of the dining experience.

Wine Service The wine service at Atempo was exceptional. The sommelier, Silvia, demonstrated a deep understanding of wine and expertly paired selections with the tasting menu. She was attentive, knowledgeable, and passionate about providing a memorable wine experience. Silvia carefully listened to my preferences and made thoughtful recommendations. The wines she selected were perfectly paired with the dishes, enhancing the overall dining experience. The generous portions allowed me to fully appreciate the nuances of each wine.

Ambiance One of Atempo's standout features is its intimate and private setting. Each table is thoughtfully spaced, ensuring that diners can enjoy their meal without feeling crowded or disturbed. The restaurant's design is elegant and understated, creating a sophisticated yet relaxed ambiance.

Value Atempo's pricing is positioned between one- and two-Michelin-starred restaurants in Barcelona. While it is not the most affordable option, the quality of the food, service, and ambiance make it a worthwhile investment.

For discerning diners who appreciate fine dining and are willing to pay a premium for a truly exceptional experience, Atempo offers good value.

Verdict Atempo offers a highly refined and memorable dining experience. The restaurant's focus on culinary excellence and attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the dining experience.

From the carefully curated tasting menu to the impeccable wine pairings, Atempo consistently delivers a high level of quality and sophistication. While the pricing may be on the higher end, the value proposition is strong.

Atempo deserves a 5-star rating and is a restaurant that I would definitely recommend...

Disappointing experience, especially regarding the service. Just to clarify, everyone was indeed friendly; however, they seemed uncertain about their roles.

Upon arriving at the reception desk, we were handed menus and asked to choose between two options. Firstly, I didn't want my guests to see the prices. Secondly, I prefer not to be rushed when selecting a menu. Thirdly, the experience wasn't very welcoming. Normally, in a decent restaurant, guests are seated somewhere comfortable, offered a drink or aperitif, and then presented with a menu. It felt quite odd to stand in the entrance hall holding menus.

Later, we were directed to a bar a bit further away to taste the first amuse bouche. This was fine, except that we still hadn't been offered a drink by this point. We were informed that someone would guide us to the next amuse bouche shortly. Although it wasn't too long before someone came to escort us, it still took too much time. It was clear that we had been forgotten. The same situation occurred at the next amuse bouche stop; we were once again overlooked.

Upon being seated at our table, it was rather amusing to observe the staff. They were all running around in a frantic manner, making one mistake after another due to their haste. One person placed empty plates on our table, only for someone else to remove them 15 seconds later. We were served a delicious anchovies entrée, yet we barely had time to taste it before the next dish arrived. I inquired if the two dishes were meant to be eaten together, receiving a response that implied, "Of course not."

The wait times between dishes were inconsistent—sometimes ridiculously short and at other times surprisingly long. The staff, while very young, struggled with their English (which is understandable considering we were in Spain) and appeared generally stressed.

The food was good, but not mind-blowing. There was evident effort in the presentation; each dish was presented like a show. Unfortunately, due to the inexperienced staff, the execution fell short.

If they intend to maintain their star rating, substantial improvements...

We have quite mixed feelings about our visit at Atempo. On one hand the entrance experience with tour through cooking stations was very welcoming and the personal touch of talking with chefs kicked off our visit in a nice way. The restaurant room is spacious, there is enough room for everybody, no one should feel disturbed by other guests presence. I also liked the overall brightness of the interior. Dishes were for sure creative in serving form, though sometimes they lacked balance of flavors. I believe there is still quite big area for improvement when it comes to ingredients composition to ensure each dish is a journey and not just everything on one note. The strong downside for me were pieces od peach seed (hard, could break a tooth on it) and pistachio shell that I found in my desserts - I didn’t expect such surprises in Michelin starred fine dining experience and I shouldn’t experience it in any restaurant to be honest. The lipstick sorbet at the end - I found it quite cheesy, not suitable for such elegant experience & interior. I would also suggest working on non-alcoholic proposal for guests - lemonade was delicious but super sweet, didn’t pair well with tasting menu. Service was doing their best, the head waitress was super approachable and helpfull, creating nice atmosphere. The rest of the team also did their best to make the experience as good as possible, though the language barrier was visible. In such an international city as Barcelona strong English in a fine dining restaurant should be a must. It’s difficult to recommend Atempo to friends if it was hard to understand half of tasting menu storytelling. I’m sure it is much better for Spanish speaking customers - we could see that the contact with waiters & chefs & sommelier were more informal at other tables :) Keeping fingers crossed for Atempo...