Xerta, Barcelona, Spain

This is a very good, Michelin-starred restaurtant but amazingly, it was my least favorite meal that I had on a recent trip to Barcelona.

It offers up traditional cuisine of Terres de l’Ebre with innovative touches. Chef Fran Lopez cooks with quality products & local produce. The team creates a cuisine based on the product and by the market, with innovative touches without losing the essence of the traditional cuisine that allowed him treasuring several international awards. The ingredients are top notch, and if you like theater with your meal (a hallmark of starred restaurants), Xerta delivers.

The one resounding success is the seafood. The Mediterranean Sea may be waning in the volume of food that comes out of it, but the quality remains exceptional. This was the first meal where 1/2 the dining party did just plant and seafood, no land-based animals at all in an effort to really enjoy this bounty.