Hisop, Barcelona, Spain

The restaurant is named after an aromatic Mediterranean plant, is one of the least expensive Michelin starred restaurants I have eaten at--the tasting menu, which we enjoyed as a late lunch, is a joy to experience from start to finish. In the contemporary, minimalist-style dining room, chef Oriol Ivern serves fresh, creative dishes that offer a different take on Catalan culinary tradition, and are always based around locally sourced seasonal ingredients and impressive combinations. In keeping with the chef’s personality, the aim of his cuisine is to offer truly unique dishes that are both playful and full of surprising detail. This first dish is a great example--cod tripe--which is aptly named but we did not inquire too much further--was amazing in both flavor and texture, and we are not likely to have anything like it anywhere else.

Half of our party, myself included, and Hisop is well known for doing fish well--this is their famous mullet, and it was exceptional.

The wine and the cheese are just as wonderful as the rest of the menu. An extensive wine list featuring some 250 references of Spanish D.O. and other wine regions, with an emphasis on Catalan wines, has been carefully created to play an important role in the overall experience.