Lasarte

May this world be established with a sense of
well-​being and happiness ~ Lokah Samastha
Well deserving of their two Michelin Stars, Lasarte is a sensational encounter of balance, refinement, flavor, service and atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening here.
We experienced the Lasarte Menu and wine pairing. In typical fashion, it’s a menu that changes seasonally. Having been to a little more than a dozen Michelin Star restaurants, I’m by no means an expert, but found Lasarte to exceptional. We expected the food and service to be outstanding and it was. But what made Lasarte so special is more difficult to describe. Like many equivalent restaurants, the tasting menu at Lasarte is an event – an experience unto itself. It wasn’t the best food time I ever had or anything like that, but it was, in a way, perfect. There are moments in life when you feel more in sync with the world around you. Instances when the ebb and flow, the rhythm, of life matches the soul… or breath… or energy within you. In these times everything works and everything fits right. The ambiance was lovely, but that’s not what I’m talking about. The sum was simply more than the parts for me at Lasarte. It was one of my two favorite meals of 2015 and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to share it with my love.
So, when in Rome… or Barcelona in this case…

Very much deserving of its Michelin two stars.
Ordered the Tasting Menu with the recommended wine pairing and every taste was a grand adventure.
Service excellent.
Come here and enjoy the finer flavors in life.

One of the finest dining experiences of our lives. Incredibly attentive service and yet not hovering. The food was art for both the mouth as well as the eyes. Beautiful setting only further added to a night we’ll not soon forget.

My wife and I ate there 2 nights ago– it’s excellent! The service, wine menu and above all the food which is incredible. It’s not cheap but not as expensive as I expected. Highly recommended

Aprovechamos un día señalado para hacernos el mejor de los regalos, de aquellos que no se empaquetan con lazo ni va a una estantería y nos vamos a Lasarte, de Martin Berasategui. ¿Que podemos decir nosotros, humildes sibaritas, de un dos estrellas Michelin? Pocas cosas. Y no porque no haya que contar, sino porquedifícilmente haríamos honor a tal experiencia. Restaurantes galardonados habíamos visitado otras veces y restaurantes que, aún sin premio, son merecedores como el que más, también. Pero en esta ocasión estamos hablando de Martin Berasategui, uno de los mejores cocineros del mundo y de todo su equipo, que abrazan la exquisitez del mejor de los tratos y la mejor de las cocinas para garantizar que se fije en tu recuerdo durante mucho tiempo.
Es todo un privilegio degustar los platos que elaboran guiados por Paolo Casagrande, jefe de cocina. Que Joan Carles Ibáñez jefe de sala te explique la procedencia de sus ingredientes y su elaboración a medida que te los van sirviendo y disponer del gran sumiller Antonio Coelho que te sugiera el maridaje preparado para el menú, elegido para realzar todos los sabores.
Los pequeños detalles marcan la diferencia. Grandes mesas, separadas para conservar la intimidad. Enseguida nos dan pequeña banqueta para que dejes tus cosas liberándote de dejarlas encima de la mesa y así no dejar que pudieran distraer tu atención. Joan Carles Ibáñez nos explica las diferentes alternativas que tenemos: Carta, Menú Degustación o Menú Lasarte Escogemos el Menú Lasarte, ¿qué podíamos hacer? es la forma de asegurarnos la cata de lo más característico y novedoso de su trabajo.
El Sumiller Antonio Coelho nos brinda su oferta manuscrita y estudiada para acompañar el Menú Lasarte, a la que cedemos con ojos cerrados con la certeza de que es la mejor opción.
Ya con todo confirmado empezamos con algunos aperitivos no incluídos en el menú para entonarnos. El primer ofrecimiento y para calmar la sed es un Cava Rosado, Pinot Noir Penedès, Marques de Gelida que acompañará los primeros manjares servidos en una pizarra: Croquetas jamón, Helado de coco con sardina ahumada y aceite de oliva, Dados de sandía marinados en vermut negro, Kumquat relleno de marisco, Pistachos garrapiñados de curry. No podemos elegir cuál es la mayor sorpresa de estos aperitivos. Excepto las exquisitas croquetas de jamón, el resto son bocados y combinaciones de sabores nunca probados. ¿Os podríais imaginar antes un helado de coco con sardina ahumada?. Nosotros no. Sólo por destacar algo, lo haremos con el Kumquat una naranja enana y algo amarga del sur de china, por ser lo más inusual. Ninguno de ellos está por encima del otro.
Continuamos con otro aperitivo unas Mantequillas Provenzales que acompañamos con tres tipos de pan: de «pagès», de 6 cereales y de bacon. A cual mejor. Estas mantequillas primero son desengrasadas para suavizarlas y poder trabajarlas dándoles los 5 sabores con que son presentadas. Mantequillas Provenzales: Base
Tomate, Ceps, Espinacas, Remolacha.
Y esto no fue más que el principio de un festival único: Gazpacho de remolacha con melocotón de viña y berberechos, Mil hijas de Foei con Anguila caramelizada y Crema de cebolla, Atún en crudo al balsámico con Minestrone fría de verduras, Infusión de Manzana Verde y su Sorbete de Albahaca, Ravioli de Cigala con Yogur a las Finas Hiertas, jugo espumoso de jamón y albahaca, Foie-​gras asado en algas con caldo de soja fermentada, citronelle, cuajada de raifort y sal de Avellanas, Denton del Mediterráneo, bombón líquido de pescados de roca al azafrán y salsa gribiche, Solomillo de vaca asado, terrina de patata, tocineta ibérica a la flor de sal y mostaza, Cremoso al miso y chocolate blanco, gelée de miel con helado de pera y yuzu, Frutos rojos del bosque al ron con helado de coco… Indescriptible. Esto hay que vivirlo!
Dificilmente puedes salir defraudado de este restaurante, aunque como siempre, dependerá de la opinión y expectativas de cada uno. Hablamos de dos estrellas michelín, el nivel y el precio es alto, solo para ocasiones muy especiales. Pero también la experiencia de visitar estas grandes cocinas no son para cada día. Un gran equipo de cocina y sumiller hacen que en todo momento te sientas atendido como si fueras el único comensal del comedor. La comida extraordinaria: producto de primerísima calidad, técnicas de cocción innovadoras, texturas y sabores poco habituales y vinos fuera de los habituales hacen que la velada sea extraordinaria.

The food kept on coming!
I wish I wrote this sooner so all the courses were fresh in my mind. Thankfully the restaurant gives you a menu so you can play along at your table. Went to Barcelona as part of our honeymoon and made the reservation well in advance. Staff was so knowledgeable and attentive. No language barrier to English at all!
We both got the tasting menu and went with our waiter’s recommendation on a bottle of red wine. It paired nicely with most of the food — and if it didn’t, I was so obsessed with what I was eating that I didn’t notice. Everything was beautifully presented, even the 5 different types of butter!
I wish I could articulate the food better but the photos speak for themselves.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for an upscale dining experience with a touch of whimsy, this is the place.

Visited a while ago, but compelled to write this as it’s one of the best dining experiences in my life! Got the set meal which I usually do when going for the full experience of a particular fine dining establishment. Flawless.
Expensive but well worth it. Service also impeccable.
Lasarte deserves the 2 Michelin stars & then some, as compared to the other Barcelona 2 star restaurant, Enoteca. Like night & day… That place was hokey & some plates, actually barely edible!

Not worth its stars
Pros: the food was tasty and fresh
The tea was made with care, and my water glass kept full
They didn’t charge for bread
Cons:not memorable food.
Waiter swept bread crumbs right into my lap, TWICE!
Bathroom doors don’t lock; women’s /​handicap bath doesn’t even close securely or fully
Very cold dining room; they turned it down at my request, but it started blowing on me an hour later
Tried to carry my husband’s sport coat to closet?! He put it on me because 1 hour into dinner I was cold; they rushed over and offered me a shawl (good), but instead of helping my husband back into his dinner jacket, they said they were going to hang it.
A little noisy
Didn’t handle food intolerance well.
Details: as with the other low review raters (on trip advisor) we have dined at other Michelin starred restaurants and found this one lacking. The food and service were not impressive. Go to ABaC instead.
I have some issues with lactose, and have found a chef’s ability to adapt his offerings very telling about his skill and creativity, and never more so than here.
When making and confirming reservations, we indicated 1 person had lactose intolerance. All the other fine dining we did in Bcn — indeed, all this caliber restaurant around the world – asked us about dietary needs. At Lasarte, I had to bring it up, and the head waiter’s reaction was as if nobody has ever needed this before. Basically he said «gee, there is cream in everything «and after seeing this was actually going to be an issue for me, said he’d ask the chef. He came back with the chef’s proposal. Since I only liked 3 of the choices, we decided to do a la carte instead of the tasting menu. Then the waiters start bringing the amuse bouche – most of which have cream – and when I asked about the contents they actually said, «sorry you can’t eat that». This is rude. The three items I got (shrimp, risotto, tuna) had no cream in the descriptions, so he didn’t need to modify much; again, not a challenge to his creation as much as a limitation for me. ABaC and Pakta both altered the chef’s menus in ways that made me feel fully involved in the gastronomy experience. For dessert, he substituted mango sorbet for ice cream. Then come some small bonus desserts– like the extra appetizers, this is standard practice now at such restaurants – and the first one is-​yes– mango. Both were very good, but the repetition speaks to a lack of creativity and willingness to consider my dining experience.
Other food notes: we like such restaurants because we enjoy cooking and eating. Part of what makes a restaurant’s food memorable is a unique, artful, balanced combination of flavors and textures. There were several dishes that my husband or I thought missed the mark. The lamb was fatty. A hazelnut petit four was average in taste and texture. Some shaved foie gras in one dish was more livery than complex and smooth.

Best meal by far during my recent visit to Europe. Just short of my experience @ Atelier Crenn in SF, but magnificent nonetheless. Three of us did the main tasting menu and consumed two bottles of wine for just over $ 800 US which is actually a very fair price given the gastronomic creativity, impeccable service, and overall delicious experience. Barthelona (Spanish lisp emphasized) will be a city I return to and I will certainly look forward to making plans to dine @ Lasarte again. Well worth the 2 Michelin stars. The only downside was that this 3+ hour meal killed any motivation to go out after, but I can’t hold that against them. Chef came out to see how our meal was and they even gave us a tour of the kitchen after… muchas grathias!

Still eating our way through all the Michelin-​starred Catalan restaurants. We had been so disappointed the year before especially as we were staying at this hotel and were hoping they could pull a few strings for us (no luck, but had a fantastic dinner at another starred restaurant), this next visit we were able to get reservations here. This place was great — first-​class meal, good service, first-​class *written* wine list (we ended up just taking the sommelier’s suggestions to pair with the different courses) — another great meal in this great city.

Though I’m not of theMonte Carlo/​Burj Al Arab set, I have eaten at a few Michelin-​starred establishments in my time. Lasarte produced the finest exhibition of food and service I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.
We made it a point to book well in advance in anticipation of our European vacation. We arrived as the restaurant opened its doors at 8:30 pm (remember, this is Barcelona). A family that arrived at the same time was turned away due to inappropriate attire — Dad was wearing shorts. Don’t worry, he went next door and purchased loud yellow trousers. They were eventually admitted for dinner.
The ambiance oozed elegance and the place settings were twinkly, but somehow it still seemed understated. Our waitstaff, consummate professionals all, provided impeccable service with moderately-​accented English. My companion and I had the tasting menu and I (in the spirit of splurging) I had the wine pairings.
I think the zenith of the evening came when the lids were lifted from the serving vehicles of the smoked oysters in perfect synchrony. The aromatic smoke that issued forth was swooningly good. The oyster dish featured a gelatinized ball containing concentrated oyster essence. You have to see it/​taste it to believe it.
The other courses were invariably refined, creative and downright tasty. There were five flavors of butter for the bread for Pete’s sake! Five! The floral salad and pigeon were the highest of the many highlights. The wine pairings seemed dead on, though as I’d essentially lost my mind over the food, I couldn’t fairly evaluate the libations.
Of course we paid a king’s ransom, but this was one extravagance I will never regret. Thank you Martin Berasategui and team!
Aside: If you are visiting Barcelona and have more than one day, go hiking in Montserrat. It’s neato and has natural air conditioning.

Our Michelin experience in Barcelona. Holds two well-​justified stars. The interior reminds me of Marea in NYC. Make sure your attire is elegant or you may feel out of place. The service was superb, not too stuffy. We had the tasting menu, although they let my daughter order a la carte which is unusual in a restaurant such as this.
The highlights of the tasting menu was the lightly smoked oyster which is the best oyster dish I’ve ever had. The red prawn was memorable, as was the low-​temperature cooked turbot. I also still think about the roast pigeon as well. The desserts were very good, not quite the level of the savory dishes but very good nonetheless. Worth the 135 euros.
If money is no object I’d say Lasarte is the best in Barcelona, although Tickets is more fun, if that makes any sense. Very different styles, but both are excellent.
When we go back to Barcelona will probably try their lunch menu which are all Martin Berasategui dishes (my son really wanted to try them) as well as going back for dinner.

There is a category of five star and Michelin restaurants that are in a category of their own. I can only pick a handful of restaurants that fit in this category, at this point in my life I can only pick four or five, and that I can call one of the best meals of my life. Everything was perfect. French technique perfected. All the plates and flavors were very complex. The staff was very accommodating and friendly. I’d go to Barcelona just to eat here, seriously.

Upscale fine dining. Very brightly lit and perhaps 10 tables. Superb service and sommelier. Very good food and desserts. Amuse Bouche were most pleasant surprises. There is no shortage of great restaurants in Catalonia, Barcelona.

We had dinner at Lasarte in a week long stay in Barcelona.
Hard to get a reservation! but well worth the wait.
The food was amazing!!! the wine even better.
Great steak!!!
This place was wayyyy better than French laundry in the states…
Dinner was so great here that we called back about 10x to get back in for a 2^nd time in the same week!
So worth the price too!!!

A restaurantes como el Lasarte es importante ir de invitado, porque si no uno corre el riesgo de tener que quedarse a fregar platos. Dicho esto, o sea, que es un restaurante para ir en ocasiones muy especiales, vale la pena ahorrar para vivir una experiencia como esta. Acerca de la comida solo puedo decir que resulta, para estos niveles, algo desigual, al combinar detalles sublimes con otros bastante menos inspirados. Yo terminé el menú bastante lleno y algo indigesto, tal vez por un exceso de salsas en la preparación. El pan es un escándalo, las kokotxas la culminación de lo exquisito, y el filete de buey algo más normalito. Acerca del servicio hay poco que decir: hemos llegado a un punto en que, para no recibir desaires o impertinencias por parte de los camareros, hay que aflojar la mosca. La cortesía, generalmente, no va incluida en el precio. Lo he comprobado porque en los restaurantes más o menos caros el servicio es siempre impecable y le tratan a uno, cosa increíble, ¡como a un ser humano! Aquí devuelven los buenos días, las sonrisas y las gracias y toda atención que tengas con el servicio será devuelta con la misma proporción. Es evidente que su amabilidad, en el fondo, responde a una cuestión de imagen de empresa y no a la confianza en una especie de fraternidad universal, pero aún así se agradece.

Lasarte es uno de los restaurantes que el chef estrella (y con estrellas) Martín Berasategui tiene en Barcelona.
Evidentemente es un restaurante al que hay que reservar para ir, ya que su espacio es muy reducido. Con eso se pretende dar un servicio muy personalizado e íntimo.
Nunca en mi vida he probado unas cocochas como las de este sitio. Recomiendo probarlas. Me da la sensación que Berasategui se desenvuelve mejor con los pescados que las carnes.
Si alguna vez tenéis algo que celebrar, el Lasarte un restaurante de los que recuerdas toda tu vida. El precio también lo recuerdas, pero para lo importante que es este sitio, el precio no es tan elevado teniendo en cuenta que tiene dos estrellas Michelin.