Tarragona has been turning into an increasingly popular destination among international travelers for its captivating historical legacy, its mild Mediterranean climate, and its discretely developed coastline. All of these features are now further enhanced by its wineries, whose growth has brought about the development of a tempting assortment of small hotels and restaurants that appeal to those seeking to get away from the crowds and the same old flavors as always.

At La Boella hotel, a 13th-century country estate renovated with the utmost care, guests can visit the olive press where one of the finest oils in the area is processed: the Arbequina olive oil, with the Siurana Designation of Origin, known for its health benefits and its exceptional flavor. Whenever the weather permits, breakfast on the hotel terrace under the wisteria arbor offers the opportunity to sample a broad selection of local products and peruse the map in search of a good route for the day’s outing.

The coast of Tarragona is full of pleasant surprises. A stop at Cambrils is a must: this small fishing village with long, fine sand beaches stretching up and down the coast features several restaurants that truly stand out for the quality of their ingredients and the originality of their creations. One of these is Can Bosch, where Joan offers us everything from his cuisine d’auteur with contemporary accents to the best fish in the  llotja, the wholesale fish market that may well be worth a visit after lunch.

The mark of history is particularly striking in the city of Tarragona, the capital of the province whose ruins bear witness to what was once no less than the second-largest city in the Roman Empire. The fishermen’s neighborhood, known as El Serrallo, is another unusual place to visit–and to find little jewels such as Ca L’Eulàlia, where Oscar, a former fisherman, recites the menu out loud, saying: “I can’t have a printed menu because I don’t know what fish I’ll have tomorrow.” It may well be one of the venues with the freshest fish in all of Tarragona.

Just a few kilometers away from the capital of the province, you will come across its powerful rival: Reus, one of the most prominent cities in Catalonia in the 17th century due to its wine and spirits trade–hence the local saying, “Reus, Paris, and London.” Strolling through its streets today, you will have a chance to venture into its small shops, most of which are located on Monterols and Llovera streets, and admire its magnificent art noveau buildings: the birthplace of Gaudí, Reus also boasts remarkable works by Domènech i Montaner.

Joan Busquets, bulthaup Reus

To enjoy a truly unique gastronomic experience, it is worth driving a few kilometers out of Reus to the village of Castellvell del Camp, where El Pà Torrat, a small restaurant owned by the Sanromà family, has been serving     its cuisine with a focus on local, seasonal products for the past 30 years.      The restaurant’s vegetable garden provides the ingredients that are used  daily, as well as its own exceptional olive oil.

After exploring the coast with all its fragrances and flavors, Roman ruins     and art nouveau highlights, take the time to head inland and discover the Priorat region, whose wine production has become increasingly renowned     in recent years. A good starting point would be Siurana, a small hamlet   placed in one of the most spectacular locations in all of Catalonia: carved away in the rock and perched above steep cliffs, it offers magnificent views     of the entire region. In the midst of so much history, it comes as a surprise     to find Pau’s original creations at the Els Tallers restaurant, which also happens to provide excellent pairings with local wines.

To round off the day, you may choose to take a walk among the evocative ruins of the remote Carthusian monastery of Escaladei, and then visit one of the cellers that will offer you a sample of the outstanding local wines.

bulthaup Reus

Large expanses of holm and cork oak on flat ground or rolling hills; a bird of prey lazily soaring in the wind as it gazes down upon its domains; between the trees, a herd of ashen-black pigs rooting among the acorns. This is the typical landscape of a dehesa, one of the vast estates located in the southwestern quarter of the Iberian Peninsula, from Salamanca through Extremadura and all the way to Sevilla, Huelva or Cádiz as well as in the Portuguese Alentejo and Algarve. Dehesas are semi-natural ecosystems populated by holm oaks and used for the simultaneous production of livestock, small game, firewood, charcoal, and, in some areas, cork as well. This privileged habitat is home to the Iberian pig, the undisputed king of Spanish cured meats.

A descendant of the wild boar (sus mediterraneus) that used to inhabit both shores of the Mediterranean, the Iberian pig’s most salient physical features include long, thin, sturdy legs; a pointy snout; thin, scanty hair, and dark coloring on its skin and hooves. And surprisingly, a physiological deficiency happens to be what makes this pig stand out against other breeds: what is referred to as the hypophysis defect, which causes fat to infiltrate the muscle tissue and create deposits under the animal’s skin. This unique marbling of muscle and fat, together with its diet and breeding system, are what endow the meat of the Iberian pig with its outstanding flavor and aroma.

The traditional method for raising Iberian pigs follows the acorn season: the fattening period known as the montanera involves free-range feeding among the holm and cork oak trees. There is almost a symbiotic relationship between dehesas and Iberian pigs, because the latter could not exist without the former–and vice versa. In a dehesa, the pigs not only feed on acorns, but also on grass, wild fruits, small animals and reptiles, snails, slugs, and all sorts of insects, all of which contribute to giving their meat its particular aroma and flavor. In addition, free-range feeding[DB1]  forces the animals to remain active and therefore gain weight gradually. The final outcome is delicate meat, marbled with fat, which has high levels of (mon­­­ounsaturated) oleic acid and antioxidants; some have been known to describe Iberian pigs as “olive trees with legs.”

Among the range of Iberian pork products, ham is the jewel of the crown. After the slaughter, which takes place in the winter, the hams are bled, aired out, and cured solely with salt. After they have settled and reached the proper salt level, the hams are left to dry for months on end in natural drying rooms before they are taken to the final ageing stage in a cellar. The entire processing time for curing an acorn-grade Iberian ham is never under two years.

After the ham, by order of value, connoisseurs rank caña de lomo, an entire cured loin of pork. Next on the list, and all in rapid succession, come all the other cured meats and sausages: lomito, morcón, chorizo, salchichón, and morcilla.

The lomito ibérico, for example, is made with the blade end of the loin, which is seasoned with salt, garlic, sweet pepper (optional) and other selected spices, and then encased in natural gut. After settling for a short period under controlled temperature and moisture conditions, the lomito is left to dry out in a natural drying room for no less than four months. The last epidemic of African swine fever (1960-1995), jointly with the greater yield of other breeds, almost led the Iberian pig to extinction. However, over the past fifteen years, due to its stable health, the change in domestic consumption patterns, and the introduction of Iberian products in the international market, there has been renewed interest in preserving everything having to do with the Iberian pig, from the purity of the breed to the recovery of traditional methods for processing meat products. This in turn has led to a revaluation of the dehesa ecosystems, after a long period of decline due to the felling of oak forests. Thanks to all of this, we can now enjoy not only the incomparable flavor of the finest acorn-grade hams, but also the extraordinary sight of a cork oak forest in the spring with a herd of Iberian pigs trotting around among the daisies.

For many years, Barcelona’s layout was determined by a vertical axis running from the sea up to the hills. You lived on the sea side or the mountain side of the street; you walked uphill towards the mountain, downhill to the sea. And in the city’s cuisine—albeit with noteworthy exceptions—fish restaurants turned their backs on mushrooms, game, and berries; in turn, grilled chops and beef stews did their best to snub their daunting rivals: prawns, clams, soles, even the occasional bold oyster.

But times have changed. Whether we like it or not, the shady harbor town we remember is now a thing of the past. The upscale districts on the hillsides are no longer as formal and homogeneous as they once were, either. From Avinguda Gaudí all the way to the Poble Sec, across the entire Eixample, you hear the echoes of other cities: Lima, Boston, Guayaquil, Tokyo, Bangalore.

Today, in Barcelona, even the best traditional restaurants have gradually been introducing elements from these broader horizons. Other venues with more inquisitive chefs, both upcoming and established, explore all sorts of combinations of the new currents that now flow through our city.

If you’re longing to experience the city’s seasoned classics, in this case with a strong scent of the sea, you will find the market’s best fish and shellfish at El Passadís d’en Pep, near Santa María del Mar: a restaurant without a menu where they make their suggestions and you let yourself be pampered. For unabashed budgets only. And for those of you with a passion for traditional rice dishes, for about 50 € you can enjoy the excellent options on the menu at Els Pescadors, in the midst of the Poble Nou seaside district: green rice with cod cheeks or red rice with fish and peppers are just some of their winning combinations.

In Barcelona you can also find tapas to please every palate. What for many businesses has become a slap-and-dash formula for trapping tourists, for some chefs has offered an opportunity to work their traditional standards into new forms. Cañete, Suculent, and Coure are good options for sampling a playful variety of carefully crafted, imaginative tapas.

Ginés Gorriz, bulthaup Barcelona, bach 7

Like in so many other cities, the influence of Asian cuisine is overwhelming and well-deserved in Barcelona. Located at less than 50 meters from the Cathedral, Shunka offers a traditional Japanese menu in a pleasant atmosphere, and further up, in the Eixample, at Me restaurant, chef and owner Thang will recommend dishes that merge Vietnamese flavors with twists from New Orleans or Barcelona. However, the major local landmark for Japanese cuisine in recent years has been Dos Palillos, located near the MACBA museum, which has earned a Michelin star thanks to several chefs trained at El Bulli. When you sit down at the inner dining counter you are not only prepared to enjoy its utterly delicate flavors, but also to admire the skill of the great Takeshi at work. The tasting menu (75 or 90€) is a memorable experience.

Last but not least, in a category all of its own, we find Ferran Adrià’s post-Bulli cosmos, offering five separate options in which the Japanese touch is also present. 41º, managed by Albert Adrià, is located in the Paral·lel area, and is the closest you can come to his brother Ferran’s Bulli in an urban environment. In the same neighborhood, Tickets offers an introduction to Adrià’s tapas (about 60€); make sure to reserve through their website at least 3 months in advance. But that is not all: nearby you will also find the Pakta, featuring Peruvian-Japanese cuisine; Espai Kru, where raw fish rules, and the Bodega 1900, a vermutería that stays open until 8 pm.

The mountain, the sea, north and south, east and west: Barcelona.

More information:

El Passadis d’en Pep

Els Pescadors

Cañete

Suculent

Coure

Shunka

Dos palillos

41º, Tickets, Pakta, Espai kru, Bodega 1900

For those of us with a weakness for gourmet experiences, there is no better way to get to know a place than visiting the local markets. Mallorca offers many where you can sample the wonderful fruits of this land.
In recent years, according to Marc Nicolau, “the neighborhood around the Santa Catalina market in Palma has been developing a young, diverse character that has boosted local business and led to a varied, attractive range of new venues, including cafés and restaurants.”
Our partner on the island recommends that we visit “La Coquería,” a gastronomic space located in stall no. 13 inside the market. As its owners Maria Solivellas and Katja Wöhr tell us, “You eat our flat-bread cocas with your hands. It’s the perfect kind of food for improvising, sharing, taking away… It’s street food, food on the go. With verve, charisma, personality. Never a fad: always contemporary. ” The cocas are served with an exquisite lemonade or a cool almond milk. A must.

If you’re the kind who likes to take some local products home with you, Marc recommends three, which also include some sightseeing:

– “Take a tour to see the many vineyards and visit some of the dozens of wineries on the island. The quality of their products is apparent from the number of prizes they have won in international competitions. Enjoy a little wine tasting and take a bottle or two home with you.”
– Another one of the island’s star products is its olive oil. “Refined, elegant, and very fruity. Cold-pressed, a treat for the palate,” Nicolau tells us.

Magdalena Nicolau, Gabriel Nicolau, Joana Vilanova y Marc Nicolau; bulthaup Partners en Mallorca

- “If you visit the island in the summer, you can partake in harvesting the “Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc” salt. Flor de Sal is sea salt in its purest form. Very specific weather conditions are required for this aromatic, mineral-rich salt to crystallize on the water’s surface in the salt flats: a lot of sunshine, a gentle breeze, and low air humidity. This makes for a layer of flower-shaped crystals to form, which are harvested with rakes following a long-standing artisanal tradition. After drying, the salt is blended with Mediterranean herbs, spices, roses or black olives, subsequently packaged, and sent to gourmet stores and restaurants all over the world.
Last but not least, Marc recommends boarding a sailing ship to experience the island from the sea: “The Rossina di Mare is an option that will allow you to enjoy the sea aboard an exclusive 20-meter classic sailboat designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built in Italy by Cantiere Navale Costaguta in 1961.” This magnificent ship has everything you need to make your trip a unique, unforgettable experience, with the spirit of other, slower-paced times.”

We would like to thank Marc Nicolau from bulthaup in Palma de Mallorca for all his help.

Francisco Otero, our bulthaup Partner in A Coruña and Pontevedra, tells us that “the kitchen, known as the lareira in Galician, was traditionally the most important room in the entire home. The rank and quality of a house was measured by the size of its kitchen stove. These were usually made of carved stone and could be assessed from the outside by the size of the chimney, which you continue to see in many traditional Galician houses today.”

This feature that marked Galician culture goes hand in hand with a strong penchant for gastronomic celebration. However, what truly stands out in the region’s culinary output is its simplicity. The ingredients are barely transformed, left to reveal their true character. The sparsely chosen added flavors and spices never cover up the qualities of the main products in the local dishes, which Galicians identify both by sight and by taste.

“In Galicia, you tend to eat well,” Francisco Otero assures us, “everywhere, from the typical furanchos–private farmhouses that sell their wine and home-grown produce–to most restaurants.”

Francisco Otero and Rafael Padin, bulthaup Partners in Galicia.

“In Santiago de Compostela, for example, your wouldn’t want to miss Abastos 2.0, located on the square and next to the market that bear the same name. Signature tapas and fresh products from the market are carefully prepared here in their simplest form. The restaurant also features Olei, an oil made from arbequina olives in Xinza (Ourense) and “espresso” cockles, steamed for 10 seconds in the coffee machine,” he explains.

Marcelo Tejedor, one of the foremost chefs in Galicia today, had the courage to close down his Michelin-starred restaurant several years ago with the sole aim of exploring new horizons. Casa Marcelo is now the first Galician-Japanese tavern in the world, true to its innovative spirit and to its focus on locally-sourced ingredients. A must according to Francisco Otero and Rafael Padin from bulthaup Galicia.

Iago Castrillón runs El Acio, recently named “revelation restaurant” by Madrid Fusión 2013. “The best ingredients from Galicia in a 100% seasonal cuisine, with their own vegetable garden five minutes away from the Cathedral of Santiago and excellent value in their weekday menus.” The restaurant also boasts an outstanding sommelier, Eva Pizarro, who as a talent for turning a very good meal into a feast for the senses.
Francisco reminds us of the region’s wine-growing tradition. “Back in the times of the Roman Empire, the local wines were exported to Rome for important celebrations.” And he proceeds to recommend that we visit “Bagos, a wine bar in downtown Pontevedra with a wine list that is probably the best in Galicia, and one of the best sommeliers in all of Spain: Fernando Filgueira. In this highly recommended venue you can taste the best of wines along with “tapas km0” made with natural, locally-sourced ingredients.

Last but not least, Otero adds that “if you love seafood, you have to make it out to the island of Ons, in the Ría de Pontevedra, and eat at Casa Checho. Their freshly-caught octopus and their barnacles are truly spectacular.”

We would like to thank Francisco Otero and Rafael Padin from bulthaup in Pontevedra and A Coruña for all their help.

Madrid boasts excellent hotels and restaurants, but for this post we chose to follow the suggestions of our local bulthaup Partner Antonio Galera. Sacha Ormaechea’s restaurant heads the list of Antonio’s favorites. Located at Calle Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, 11, it was founded in 1972 by Sacha’s mother, Mrs. Pitila Mosquera, a marvelous cook and Antonio’s teacher and inspiration.

“The dishes you can choose from are all excellent, and, needless to say, made with seasonal products. Your best bet is to let Sacha suggest some of the choice items from the day’s menu. Even so, I’ll venture to recommend two dishes and one dessert. For starters, try the Cantábrico anchovies on bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil. The secret of these anchovies is their oil: Sacha’s is flavored with avocado. It’s hard to recommend a main course, because there are many I really love, but I’ll go for a skate au beurre noir. The ingredients are butter, capers, and a touch of tarragon. And for dessert, an apple pie with a paper-thin crust that’s light and bursting with flavor. Sacha also has an excellent wine list.”

If you’ve stopped at Sacha’s for lunch and spend the afternoon shopping, strolling, or in business meetings, and wonder where to go for dinner, Antonio Galera has the answer: “La Manduca de Azagra, at Calle Sagasta, 14. Juan Miguel Sola and his family offer the best vegetables you can eat in Madrid. The atmosphere created by the well-known Navarran architect Francisco “Patxi” Mangado has succeeded in becoming as conducive to appreciating fine food as to enjoying good company and stimulating conversation. You often run into people from literature, design, and architecture circles among his guests.”

A must: the “crystal peppers.” As Antonio tells us, “I once heard Juan Miguel explain how in Azagra, his hometown, they continue to make these char-grilled peppers in a totally artisanal way. They grill them, peel them by hand, and then slice them into strips. When you pop one in your mouth, it hardly matters how they got that strange name. I’ve tasted few things as delicate and flavorful as these,” adds Antonio Galera.

The vegetables are shipped in daily from the family farm in Azagra. Juan Miguel’s uncles, from a family of farmers, continue to work the land and supply the restaurant with its produce. Their motto is “Not a lot of everything, but a bit of the best.” And so, day after day, Azagra comes to Madrid.

Antonio Galera, owner of the bulthaup showroom in Madrid.

“As the main course, we could order some baby lamb chops with borage, a typical vegetable of Navarre,” he suggests. “For dessert, maybe a couple of cheeses, some Idiazábal and some Roncal. And not too much wine. We want to still be up for a cocktail when we get back to the hotel.”

Our bulthaup Partner’s favorite hotel in Madrid is “the Urban, because it has so much to offer. It’s located at Carrera de San Jerónimo, 34, in the midst of the so-called Art Triangle made up by the Prado, the Thyssen Bornemisza, and the Reina Sofía Museum, and it has managed to stand out above the other 5-star hotels.”

The Urban is the most innovative hotel in the city, a striking presence made of steel and glass. Its interior features a stark contrast between a minimalist high-tech backdrop and a valuable collection of Eastern and African art: totems, reliefs, statuettes, and more. It is hardly a surprise that the owner, Jordi Clos, is a renowned Egyptologist.

“On summer nights, the outdoor café becomes one of the places to be if you want to chat and have one of their famous Daiquiris with an appetizer. Want something super special? Try the Hemingway. The ingredients–rum, pineapple and grapefruit juice, with a touch of maraschino–comes with an oyster appetizer. Besides, if it’s one of those hot Madrid nights, you can cool off by the poolside,” points out Antonio Galera.

Eva Celada was responsible for completing this post.

We appreciate the support offered by Antonio Galera, our bulthaup Partner in Madrid.