Besta Barcelona — Restaurant in Barcelona

My girlfriend and I ate in Besta a few days ago and all I can say is wow – a truly wonderful and unique culinary experience. Considering the range and mass of different restaurants in Barcelona it can be difficult to choose where to eat, and even harder to leave a place feeling 100% satisfied, belly-full and tastebuds fulfilled.

The variety of options were so great that by the time we finished our courses and dessert we couldn’t decide which we preferred. I had even forgot some of the plates I ate, such was the assortment of flavours exploding in my mouth at times! Thankfully I took a picture of the menu.

The beef tartar was a real favourite, so good that we ordered twice, whilst the scallop and crispy empanada were excellent. I could have easily spoilt my middle and main course by eating only copious portions of the early dishes.

Moving on and I was convinced the horse mackerel would remain by stand out dish before the guinea fowl raviolis arrived at the table to take first place. The rich flavour of the mackerel combined with almonds in garlic oil was one thing (a taste that lingered on the palate with grace) but the soft texture and delicacy of the raviolis bowled me over.

Onto mains and my partner and I had the white beans with cod jowl, along with beef sweetbreads with roasted cauliflower and squid tartar. Neither of us had tried anything like it before, nor knew of their complete contents. Floor staff were always on hand to helpfully guide us through our orders when necessary – a nice touch given how daunting it can be for a tourist, foreigner or non-native speaker when it comes to anything abroad, let alone ordering food within a fine dining culture.

The white beans with cod jowl was the only dish I didn’t completely take to, but that is down to my own personal taste. I’ve only started to eat fish and seafood within the last five or so years, so it is a testament to the kitchen that everything else was nothing short of incredible. The beef sweetbreads followed, and who’d have thought lamb glands could ever work so well! Again, the texture of this dish was incredible – moist and tender, simultaneously popping and melting within our mouths.

Dessert followed in the form of an old favourite, the succulent and never disappointing chocolate mousse. Paired with a beautiful and sweet dessert wine it made for a perfect end to an unforgettable evening in this very special restaurant, Besta.

I should also add that our wine pairing for the evening, too, was very special. I had always assumed with fish and seafood dishes, white wine was a must. But with the selection of light red wines from Galicia and Catalunya and some assistance from the floor manager, we settled on an affordable, high quality bottle. And prices overall were extremely fair. For a similar dining experience in other major European cities (take Paris, Dublin, Berlin, London, Stockholm….I could go on) you can be sure to pay more, in some cases double or even triple. And with Barcelona offering so much in the gastronomic field, it can be easy to make a mistake on where you choose, or also feel ripped off by the experience. Not with Besta. On a fully booked evening with staff working non-stop to make sure their customers’ requests are met you have a hard-working, passionate and clearly successful team who are complimented equally by a kitchen team who let their food do the talking.

We can’t...

Before the trip I had decided we would do most things on a spontaneous basis, but that I would book at least one ‘fancy’ restaurant in advance so that we could be guaranteed one outstanding meal. Besta was that place and it did not disappoint. Besta is located in the pleasantly walkable neighbourhood of L’Eixample and run by Manu Nuñez from Galicia and Carles Ramon from Catalunya. Menu changes weekly and the focus is seafood. It was a narrow space with a small bar area right by the front door, a long deep dining room with cave-like vaulted ceilings, and warm ambient lighting. A nice shelter from the rapidly chilling autumn evening. The first thing I heard when we entered was American accents, speaking louder than all the other diners, which is quite a feat when you are in Spain! We were seated and given menus in Spanish, as I have a serious hangup about using an English menu in Iberia. I often joke I am fluent in menu but then get sprung by the waiter googling various ingredients. To be fair, it’s always possible I would have had to look up the word in English as well! We started off with cava of course, being in Catalunya, and asked the waitress to recommend the rest of our wines. I have lost the ability to translate grape varieties from Australia, France, Portugal, and Spain so would prefer someone else to do the thinking. I haven’t been disappointed yet. It is the period in history where bread is served in machine-sewn brown paper bags. We ordered a series of small plates to share and boy was each more spectacular than the last! We started with delicious Galician green oysters (raw with a spicy tangy green pimiento sauce), smoked egg yolk with chicken skin and mushrooms, white prawn tortilla with three neat quenelles of puree shrimp placed on top a luxuriously runny rich tortilla. Dessert was white chocolate mousse with fresh figs and fig ice cream. The highlight was grilled quail with puree sweet potato and coffee sauce, which I thought was going to send me directly to heaven, much less speak with god – do not pass go, do not collect $200! The sauce is hard to describe and I can only compare it to the sweetness of melted coffee-flavoured ice cream combined with the kick and sharpness of vinegar. Yes this sounds foul, but it was unique and delightful. It is the most amazing sauce I have ever had, and when combined with the quail it was ridiculously mouth smackingly good. The closest I had had before that was a coffee sauce on duck at Mark Best’s place Marque in Surry Hills maybe ten years earlier, but this had been ruined by my ex sister in law rousing on me for making too many ‘yummy noises’ as I ate it. Anyway, let it be a lesson: if you ever see gamey bird paired with coffee –...

Besta, has an intention to wow diners with all the razzle-dazzle of high-end dining. Unfortunately, when it comes to taste, it doesn't quite hit the mark.

Our dining journey began with the beef tartar. The tartar was laden with an overpowering smoky flavor, completely overshadowing the delicate nuances of the fresh, raw beef. It was like a monotone symphony that lacked the harmony and balance we had hoped for.

Next on the menu was the red mullet, a fish known for its delicate, sweet flavor. However, the mullet was cloaked in an excessively salty glaze. The natural flavor of the fish was lost in a sea of salt, making each bite a disappointment.

The courgette flower was a feast for the eyes but not for the palate. Presented beautifully on the plate, it was visually appealing. But when it came to flavor, it was like biting into a beautiful painting - visually stunning, yet devoid of taste.

The bread served was indeed a highlight. It had a perfect crust, soft and fluffy inside, which made a promising start. But the seaweed butter it came with was underseasoned, failing to add the necessary depth of flavor to the wholesome bread. The lack of salt on the table felt like a missed opportunity to adjust the seasoning to our liking.

The lamb, paired with earthy beetroot, was cooked to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. But the dish was let down by an overbearing sauce, excessively salted to the point of overshadowing the star of the dish.

Lastly, the surf and turf paella, although overly salty, featured squid that was cooked perfectly. The squid had a tender bite to it and the saffron sauce added a pleasing hint of exoticness. But the same sauce was previously served, making it feel like a rerun of a movie we'd already seen.

Overall, it seems like Besta has put the cart before the horse, focusing on creating visually stunning dishes while neglecting the all-important aspect of taste. The chefs are undoubtedly skilled in plating, but in a dining experience, taste trumps presentation. After all, we're here to indulge our taste buds, not just our eyes.

In a city like Barcelona, bursting with vibrant flavors and fresh produce, the lackluster taste of the food at Besta was a letdown. This isn't about personal preference, but rather the mastery of culinary arts that seems to be lacking.

Despite Besta's best attempts to impress with their food's visual appeal and the restaurant's ambiance, the culinary experience doesn't deliver. They need to go back to the basics of cooking and seasoning, in order to create food that is as pleasing to the palate as it is...