Up on the rooftop of five-star Hotel Claris in Barcelona, you can find a swimming pool, a chill-out bar and a beautiful restaurant called La Terraza del Claris.
The glass walls permit rooftop dining all-year-round, but on the sunny autumn day we visited the windows were wide open and a lovely soft breeze brushed the white curtains.
The dining space floor is covered with pretty carpets, and one of the walls is completely covered with monsteras and ivys, very lush.
The staff are tremendously friendly and professional and will help you out with anything you might need.
We opted for a tasting menu, the so called Robust by Cebo menu, and it was delightful. 10 courses of dishes inspired by local flavours, of which many look like little pieces of art.
The chef that oversees the kitchen is the stellar Aurelio Morales with the delightful and talented Daniel Hernández by his side.
The tasting menu awarded Morales his first Michelin star, and we can see why.
Hernández was present on our visit and we had the opportunity to have a chat with him about the dishes and the concept of the restaurant, and get to know the essence of their creations.
The first course on the tasting menu was Catalan Baby Onion, beautifully presented and bite-size perfect.
I do not want to give away all the courses, but another one of our favourites was without a doubt A Study of Anchovies 2016, a famous masterpiece by chef Morales.
The ‘Costa Brava’s Creamy Rice with Red Shrimp from Palamos‘ was amazingly succulent.
The pre-dessert, a Beetroot Sweet Cheese, was very surprising, as was the Choco-Ratafia (Ratafia is a liquor flavoured with almonds or the kernels of peaches, apricot or cherries, wonderfully sweet).
If you get thirsty, there are beautiful cocktails made in the bar by mixologist Daniel Madeddu, and live music and DJs on Thursday and Saturday nights.
It is a beautiful place for a lunch with views or a star-lit dinner with a date.
La Terraza del Claris, Pau Claris 150, Barcelona. Tel: (+ 34) 934 87 62 62.
