It's been a while since the presses of the now defunct Catalan daily El Noticiero Universal made the walls of this building tremble, but Noti has created its own buzz since it launched in late 2002. The golden panels may since have lost a bit of their sheen and the red upholstery is perhaps a bit worn these days, but the restaurant still oozes understated class as ever.
The place is the baby of Christian Crespin and Elena Barta, who previously treated culinary hounds in Sitges to Café Tiburón in the port of Aiguadolç, and now serves up an inventive modern Mediterranean cuisine. The setting is chameleonic; the way the light interacts with the reflective gold paneling transforms the place from a bright and busy all-business lunchtime venue into a lush dinner club at night that wouldn't be out of place in Paris or New York, complete with competent bar staff and the occasional DJ session.
We eagerly await the opening of its forthcoming terrace, but until then the jewel in the crown is the private dining room in the basement with its own separate kitchen. For a special occasion treat yourself and your company to an intimate appointment around the sublimely crafted roundtable
While it used to be nearly impossible to locate a decent eatery open in high summer, this year most restaurants have cut short their holiday breaks. And this recent opening hardly closes at all.
At a first glance, it looks like yet another formula-driven place - a formula that includes an interior by Lazaro Rosa-Violán, sushi and, sure enough, cocktails - but, as the name allures to, the fish is what really does set it apart.
The restaurant at Grec is now back and this year opens not only on nights of performances, but lets you enjoy the flame-grilled delights every night until August 2.
Carles Abellán and Jordi Hereu, the mayor, re-opened the legendary place in front of an invited audience, of which many appeared to be regulars from the early stages of the bar that opened for the first time back in 1933.
The place has been restored to its original glory by Moritz and now opens with super chef Carles Abellán overseeing the kitchen with classic Catalan bistro dishes. The original art deco feel has been revived, maintaining many of the original design elements.
