Caelis — Restaurant in Barcelona

I recently dined at the Caelis restaurant in Barcelona, a Michelin-starred establishment, to celebrate my partner's birthday. We were eagerly anticipating an exceptional culinary experience, but what we encountered was nothing short of a disaster. From start to finish, it was an incredibly disappointing evening.

We opted for the pre-prepared tasting menu, hoping for a refined journey through creative dishes. Instead, each dish was a letdown. While the restaurant uses quality ingredients, the execution was absolutely catastrophic. A striking example was the poultry ravioli with foie gras and truffle. The pasta was excessively thick, completely suffocating the filling. Worse still, the foie gras and truffle were entirely absent in terms of flavor—an unforgivable mistake for a dish meant to highlight these luxurious ingredients. This was just one example among many poorly executed dishes, where the flavors were either muted or completely unbalanced. Some dishes were excessively salty, others bitter or too sweet. There was no harmony in the compositions, only confusion for the taste buds.

Midway through the meal, we politely informed a server that we were dissatisfied with the food and asked if it would be possible to stop the experience. I want to emphasize that we approached the situation with the utmost respect, fully aware of the delicate nature of this request. We clearly stated that it was not the server’s fault, and we apologized numerous times. We simply could not continue eating dishes we found truly unpleasant. The server called the manager, who came to inform us that, although she understood that the meal wasn't to our liking, she could offer no commercial gesture because the food was pre-prepared and they had to cover their costs. She suggested we try the next dish, which was already prepared.

We agreed. Huge mistake. The following dish was not good at all. When we raised our concerns again with another server, she was kind and understanding and offered to speak to the manager on our behalf. Unfortunately, the manager returned maintaining her rigid position, offering no solution. Instead, she continuously interrupted us as we tried to politely explain our dissatisfaction. She insisted that it was all a matter of personal taste and refused to take any responsibility for the poor quality of the dishes.

To add to the disappointment, the service was far from what one would expect from a Michelin-starred establishment. Plates were cleared as soon as one person finished eating, without any consideration as to whether the other person had finished. We didn't want to be nitpicky at first about the service, but these details further highlighted the disgrace of this establishment given its prestigious status.

When we tried to explain that our problem was not just a matter of taste, but of poor execution, the manager remained defensive. Despite the publicity on their website boasting of intense flavors, and extraordinary combinations, what we received was far from this promise. The dishes lacked finesse, and the croissant served with butter (yes, a simple croissant in a Michelin-starred restaurant) was mediocre. When we mentioned this, the manager responded saying, "Do you know how croissants are made? It’s not easy, you know!" This response was absurd—we're talking about a Michelin-starred chef, where the question shouldn’t be whether something is hard to make, but whether it’s made well!! When we brought up the example of the ravioli, the manager awkwardly tried to end the discussion by saying, "Well, let’s not focus on the ravioli, I can understand that, but what about the rest, what’s the problem?".

We left wondering how this restaurant had earned a Michelin star. I can confidently say that this was one of the worst gastronomic experiences I have ever had.

In the end, we left with no resolution, paying full price for a meal that fell far below acceptable standards. What should have been a joyful and memorable anniversary celebration turned into a frustrating and...

I have eaten at Caelis before. In fact, I have eaten here repeatedly: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and as recently as February. Each time it was great. Simply great. Why else would I keep coming back, dragging friends and recommending it to others? Which is why this most recent visit came as such a thudding disappointment.

It began with the ritualistic question: “Is this your first time dining with us?” No, it is not. If your booking (powered by The Fork) system cannot remember me, let alone what I ate and how I drink my cappuccino, then it is not a system at all. Or rather, you are not.

Yet that star, polished only by consistency, wobbled. The service, though there was a manager present, seemed cautious, under-rehearsed. Attempting synchronised plate-dropping without training is like trying to perform Swan Lake with two left feet. If you cannot do it seamlessly, do not do it at all. The effect was less theatre and more am-dram. Wine and water glasses were left empty despite bottles ordered. We were empty with wine and water multiple times, despite having ordered bottles.

And the food? Competent, yes. Thrilling, no. The red mullet in bouillabaisse had the right flavours: deep, brothy, saffron-rich. But then one portion arrived half the size of the others, with skin the colour of a rainy pavement. The pescatarian at our table was short-changed with a stuffed zucchini flower where everyone else had cannelloni, and later a small pithivier instead of smoked veal. That is not being accommodating. That is a downgrade. Meanwhile, one guest was not even given cutlery for their main course. The Robuchon potatoes amounted to a single tablespoon. A tasting menu should leave you excited, not wondering if there is a kebab shop still open.

The portions, aside from being tiny, were visibly inconsistent. Two veal plates dwarfed the other two. The cheese course was laughably mean: three slivers weighing less than a shaving of Parmesan, tarted up with a solitary pecan and an ill-judged sweet gel. At €125 for 15 courses, this is not just stingy. It is tone-deaf.

When I murmured concern, I was asked if I would like to order an extra course. As though hunger after a tasting menu is a menu design: optional. Eventually we agreed on soufflés — very good soufflés, mind you, with pistachio ice cream. But the ice cream arrived with two scoops each in three glasses for five people, forcing us to divvy it up like squabbling children. Why not give it some attention: plate it tableside, divide it evenly, leave one half in the middle to fight over, deliver it, or do not bother.

Desserts did remain their strength: a sharp palate cleanser, a playful (if gimmicky) chocolate finale. But everything else — the service, the portion sizes, the lack of generosity — dragged the evening down.

On past visits, Caelis was a joy. The reason one returns, the reason one recommends. This time, it was a reminder that a Michelin star guarantees technical cooking, but not consistency, confidence, or the simple grace of making your guests feel well looked after.

Afterwards, an email landed in my inbox. A gracious note, full of apologies and assurances that my complaints were taken seriously, that service and consistency were being reviewed, that the goal was professionalism and generosity every time. It was the sort of letter that makes you think: they do care, they really do. But until those words turn into action on the plate and in the room, it is just prose. Elegant, polite prose, but prose...

My friend and I chose to dine at Caelis on Friday 15th August. We decided to go with the Celebration tasting menu, and for a bottle of wine + 2 glasses of red wine it came up to about 500 euros...so for that price we expected to be blown away...but we were not.

Firstly, this has nothing to do with the service. All staff were impeccable, knowledgable and made our evening better.

Where it fell short were elements of the food. Some dishes were delicious, don't get me wrong but others were below par.

1. Palamós prawn with bouillabaisse - The prawn for both myself and my friend was undercooked, it was slimy and the texture was off putting. The bouillabaisse was a bit watery and lacked dimension.

2. Bread and butter - the butter was unsalted, so we asked for salt and finally received it after the fourth time we asked for it.

3. Sea bass with beurre blanc - Massively under-seasoned. Luckily we already had salt on the table, so we were able to add some which made the dish taste a lot better.

4. Vanilla caviar, “Île flottante” style - THE WORST dessert I have ever eaten. I grew up in France and this dessert is nostalgic. What the chef decided to do was completely pointless. Creme anglaise with vanilla ice cream and tasteless faux caviar - This was NOT a michelin dessert in the slightest. Had they decided to use caramel popping candy instead of the gimmicky caviar the dessert may have been better.

After we complained we were given a chocolate fondant to share, which was delcious BUT was paired with a hazelnut ice cream which made the whole dish unbalance - vanilla would have cut through the richness of the chocolate and have been a much better option.

I am not a food critic, but I have eaten at many nice places. Both my friend and I agreed that there were a few dishes on this menu that did not merit a Michelin star...and for 500 euros for two people we were left thinking that was "good" but not "amazing".

I hope that some of these comments are taken on board in order to make the journey for future customers...