Gresca

If you are struggling to choose your dishes because all of them look appetizing, let the chef do the job and amaze you with its tasting menu! With the 5 courses tasting menu ($ 38) and the friendly staff, who is knowledgeable on every dish, ingredients and wine, I had one of the best dining experiences in Barcelona!
My 5 courses including:
Sardine covered in spiced butter — a delicate presentation with the butter takes away the fishy taste of sardine.
Mackerel with bok choy and yogurt — the highlight of the meal! The fish is well-​prepared and I love the sprinkle of broccoli as decoration.
Egg Soufflé — It caught my attention right when it was served — it looks like a giant toasted marshmallow! Order it for its presentation or for the creaminess when the yolk is mixed with the vegetable at the bottom.
St. Pierre — this fish has a firm texture and a beautiful color after grilling it. The pine nut sauce adds the flavor to the dish.
Pigeon — I was surprised by how tender the pigeon tasted since it’s my first time trying it! It has this texture that you can’t find in any other kind of meat.
Pear & Coffee (dessert) — the sweetness of the pear, the bitterness of the coffee, and the sourness of the cream give an interesting balance of flavors. Also, the chocolate ball with liquor inside adds some fun to the dessert!

Stopped in around 1pm for lunch without a reservation (although they asked), and the restaurant was pretty empty (although it filled up while I was eating for typical Barcelona meal times). I think I was the only American in the restaurant, but they did have an English menu, which I read with the Spanish one side-​by-​side. The daily special menu was only in Spanish and Catalan — I opted for that (maybe not advised if you’re not used the cuisine, it was not at all what I expected). I started with a lukewarm mushroom out, with ham. The soup base was great, but I would have preferred it warmer. Next, I had a albacore tuna steak with ribbon-​ed carrots and cucumber. The waiter said it was lightly seared, but I couldn’t see a sear on the meat at all. I didn’t like it. Last for dessert, red wine flavored italian ice over oranges and cream. Nothing was what I expected, but maybe I should have ordered from the regular menu or asked for a more detailed description of the food? Nice restaurant, but probably won’t go back, although they did have cute (custom) bread plates…

One of the best meals we had in Barcelona. We came early on a Tuesday night and had no trouble reserving a table for five. But, the place filled up really quickly and it’s no surprise why. We selected the five course meal and had an amazing selection of fish dishes, the egg soufflé and the pigeon. My least favorite dish was the dessert. But, i’d come back here again and maybe try going a la carte to try more of the other plates. Definitely a must for foodies.

Hmm… Dont know what to say about this place… Reading all the other reviews i was thrilled to come and eat here but when i tried the food, it was a disappoinment. The flavours werent balanced at all and the quality price ratio wasnt right.

UNDERWHELMING– I don’t understand what all these Unilocalers are raving on about. Our hotel made our reservation for 9pm we got there & it was empty. Considering every other fantastic restaurant we’ve been to has been full, we were really shocked.
We went for the 9 course classic tasting menu and whilst we have to commend the chef on presentation and the technical side of the cooking — the flavours were really lacking. A lot of the flavours simply didn’t stand out or were too hidden, some things just didn’t compliment each other. The piña colada was the biggest disappointment — it was pretty much tasteless. The chocolate and olive oil didn’t work either, there was too much bitterness and barely any sweetness. The pigeon was cooked well but again there was just something lacking in flavour.
Nothing really jumped out at us. Everything was just ok. If we would’ve paid € 60 for our meal instead of € 140 then maybe we wouldn’t have such a negative opinion but in all honesty the food here is simply not worth this price.
In addition — Whilst we were there the ambience was dead — two couples with reservations walked in and back out because the atmosphere was so awkward inside. And even by the end of the night with just another 4 tables seated it was still really dull.
Considering Barcelona has so many other cool and delicious restaurants — I wouldn’t recommend Gresca as one to come to.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. It is by far the best meal and dining experience my husband and I have had in BCN, and we spend a lot of time here for work. The service is amazing, they are super nice, and very helpful.
We ordered the egg soufflé = Amazing! A must try.
We also had a lamb special, it was a large, to share dish served with mashed potatoes. It was so well prepared and cooked, probably one of the best lamb dishes I have had at any restaurant.
For dessert we had the smoke Ice Cream and the chocolate with olive oil. Don’t let the names scare you, I only wish I had the words to explain how good these are. My mouth waters just thinking about them now!
Anyhow, overall this is by far one of the best restaurants out there. Every single part of our meal was fantastic. I am already planning to go back before our trip is over, maybe try the stake or the fish.

One of the best restaurants I tried in Barcelona. It was started by a former El Bulli chef about a decade ago and this guy clearly knows his stuff. Hard to describe the style and décor, I would call it a casual white tablecloth establishment.
I came for lunch which was an outstanding deal. About $ 20 for a 3 course tasting menu. The wait staff also let me swap out an appetizer and dessert without an extra fee, although I would have gladly paid one. The dinner tasting menu also looked amazing, but the lunch deal was too good to pass up. The full menu is also available for lunch as well. On my visit there were people dressed to the 9’s and people dressed very casually, so don’t sweat a dress code although it does feel like a place you would wear a sport coat too.
The food seemed like a mix of French and Spanish with a molecular gastronomic twist and the wine list is outstanding. Here is what I tried:
Gnocchi with prosciutto gnocchi — outstanding! A highlight of the meal. Everything was cooked perfectly with amazing presentation.
Egg soufflé — with potatoes in the form and texture of pasta topped with a gravity defying egg soufflé. Just for the presentation this is a must get item. Tasted great too.
Pork Belly — I was worried that it would be overly fatty but it wasn’t. The top and bottom had the perfect amount of crunch. While the middle was juicy and tender with the perfect blend of meat and fat
Cod — The cod had a very slight fruit flavor to it that worked perfectly. Another perfectly executed dish.
Tiramisu — Classic preparation of tiramisu that was executed perfectly. It was delicious.
Chocolate & Olive Oil — This was a mix of a chocolate mousse and olive oil ice cream topped with an olive oil candy. Mixed in are hints of candied pistachios and ginger. One of the best desserts I have had in recent memory with a dynamic flavor profile

We came here on the recommendation of Unilocalers esp JK.
We booked our table. English spoken.
If you are not too hungry, order the a la carte rather than tasting menu.
The recommended fish and the pheasant were both good.
However there is an added Service Charge per person.

Le choix de belles tables à Barcelone est tellement large que l’on hésite toujours à en sélectionner une… C’est donc après quelques recherches que je me suis dit que «Gresca «avait l’air d’être la table du moment, pas trop médiatisée comme c’est souvent le cas mais un lieu avec une cuisine espagnole qui vaut le détour car évolutive.
Une table proposée par Rafa Peña considéré comme l’un des nouveaux chefs prometteurs dans cette Espagne aussi dynamique culinairement. Une chef qui passa chez Ferran Adria et également le «Lasarte «de Martín Berasategui né pouvait qu’attiser mon intérêt.
Situé dans le quartier de l’Eixample, vous serez grandement surpris par l’intérieur de ce restaurant car on pourrait presque qualifier celui-​ci de couloir mais sans que cela né gêné a aucun moment. Une petite arcade probablement de moins de trois mètres de large avec une enfilade limitée de tables élégamment dressée de blanc.
Au fond de la pièce, une partie de l’ancien mur de brique est encore visible, donnant ainsi un côté moins aseptisé de l’endroit. En face un tableau au nom du restaurant qui donne un peu de couleur chaude à l’ensemble.
Il faut préciser que le système de réservation né se fera que par téléphone car le site internet né donne aucune possibilité de communiquer qu’autrement que par téléphone.
La carte propose un choix de menu de dégustation de 5, 9 ou 12 plats. Le restaurant ayant été fermé la semaine de Noël, il nous est suggéré de prendre le menu en 9 plats car pour des raisons peu claires, soit le personnel est réduit soit tous les plats né sont pas disponibles pour cette soirée.
Pour commencer nous recevrons un sympathique amuse-​bouche consistant en une mousse de topinambour recouverte d’un vieux comté fondu et de râpures de noix.
La première assiette envoyée sera la salade russe au crabe. Difficile d’émettre un jugement sur ce plat car évidement tout le monde apprécie cette salade et encore plus les enfants… mais comment avoir un avis sur des légumes même frais noyés dans une mayonnaise et sur un toast grillé… Sur le dessus du crabe émietté. Un premier plat qui détonne selon nous un peu dans ce menu qui deviendra plus sophistiqué par la suite.
Nous poursuivrons avec une excellente salade de jambon ibérique, fromage et câpres. La vaisselle est très belle et le dressage de ces ingrédients locaux très agréable à regarder. On retrouve des saveurs classiques mais c’est parfaitement intégré. Au centre quelques fines tranches de pain grillé apportent une touché croustillante au tout.
Plat suivant, des champignons recouverts de poitrine de porc dans une sauce très parfumée. Il s’agit de champignons locaux appelés «Rovellons «qui sont de couche et automnal. Des champignons intrigants, odorants, ils servent avant tout d’accompagnement aux plats du pays. Ici la poitrine apporte une touché gourmande et la sauce un côté terrien. Le seul bémol est que c’est un peu tiède.
Le plat signature de Rafa Peña est l’Œuf soufflé à la pomme de terre et à la crème. Je n’avais jamais vu un œuf cuisiné de cette manière mais il s’agit vraiment de quelque chose d’exceptionnel. Présenté un peu comme une fleur, le blanc d’œuf a été transformé comme les œufs-​meringue des iles flottantes, le blanc semble avoir été passé au four et en son centre le jaune reste coulant. L’œuf est déposé sur une sauce crémeuse dans laquelle se trouve une longue corolle de pomme de terre cuite à la perfection.
Nous continuons avec les «Kokotxas «qui sont les mentons du merlu ici cuit de manière meunière avec beurre et jus de citron. Cette partie rendant un jus gélatineux, on aurait presque l’impression à un certain moment de retrouver des saveurs d’huitre.
Probablement le plat qui nous aura le plus séduit, le ris de veau au beurre et citron. Fantastiquement caramélisés et encore tendre sur une mousse de pomme de terre. La sauce est parfaite. Que demander de plus ?
Nous continuerons avec la poitrine de porc accompagnée de trompettes de la mort et de fleurs de brocoli. Une viande qui fond en bouche avec un délicieux fond de sauce. Dommage que les accompagnements soient tièdes.
Première bouteille un magnifique Priorat blanc Les Brugueres de 2013 réalisé avec de la grenache blanche. Un vin assez semblable d’ailleurs avec un Châteauneuf-​du-​Pape blanc.
Seconde bouteille, un Priorat 2011 Loidana. Un vin plutôt étonnant déjà par son prix (18 euros) et une belle découverte. Un vin utilisant des concepts biodynamiques pour de la Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon et Syrah. Une récolte à la main qui produit un vin aux notes élevées de goût de cerise, une intense couleur rouge rubis. Quelque chose proche du goût d’un Porto en bouche.
Arrive la série de desserts avec pour commencer une Pina Colada. Théoriquement un cocktail à base de lait de coco, rhum et jus d’ananas. Ici recréé dans une noix de coco en guise de coupe, un sorbet coco-​rhum dans une coquille de chocolat et de coco râpé avec quelques notes citronnées. Belle retranscription…

What a magnificent restaurant. The cooking is creative and proficient. Udon noodles made of pork belly??? Count me in. Forever and ever. Their lunch deal looked great but I still got the long 8 course tasting menu which lasted a bit more than 2 hours. Personally the dishes from the tasting menu that also appeared on the lunch menu tasted the best, which I guess can be attributed to fresh ingredients, so I suggest you try the lunch menu if you are unsure about the tasting. But come here by all means!

We selected this restaurant based strictly on Unilocal reviews, and were not disappointed. The dining room is very small… sleek and yet intimate. There are at most ten tables. All of the dishes were executed perfectly. The Iberian ham and artichoke salad (which I couldn’t wrap my head around before it was served) was a work of art, and it was delicious. Light and very flavorful. The wine list is small, but good, and not astronomically expensive. Service is warm and attentive. One of the best meals we had in Barcelona.

The mix of textures, flavors, and technique the chef used here were commendable. He really took the beautiful seafood and did it justice. Of course, the egg soufflé was sublime, but the pigeon was an incredible close second. Each course made sense in terms of the order of when it came out. The dining room is a bit small, but it’s intimate.

With so many good restaurants in Barcelona, it was not an easy task to pick just a few restaurants to go in our Weekend in Barcelona.
When I asked my «foodie» friend to give me one recommendation for a unique dish to try out when in town, she said Gresca Tasting Menu or their Egg Soufflé.
Making the reservation was a little challenge as the only way to contact Gresca is by calling them the old fashion way. There is also no information on their website
aside from their name and phone number.
Lunch Special for 19 Euro is an excellent value. We were presented with a menu in Catalan but our nice waiter was able to translate that to English for us. But it really didn’t matter as we just going to order everything from the menu as there is 2 choices each for the 3 course meal. And of course the Egg Soufflé on the side.
Everything was delicious and of course the Egg Soufflé is really interesting both in taste and texture.
I even enjoyed my Mackerel and even the vegetarian appetizer of stuffed onion with nuts was interesting too.
We spent 2 hours enjoying our food and shared a bottle of wine. I wish I can have such an leisure and enjoyable lunch more often.
The restaurant has a really unpretentious vibe. Simple but just made me go wow.
Gresca is one of the best example of the Bistronomia Movement of offering high-​quality cuisine at an affordable price: a combination of bistro and gastronomia. That does sounded good to me!

First, as an American with high expectations of customer service, this place had the kindest wait staff we experienced on our 2 week trip to Spain.
The décor is white table cloth, proper place settings. If you wanted to dress up, ehis would be the place to do it. If you don’t, we saw a locals in very casual clothing here and no one seemed to care.
Many have already mentioned this restaurant was featured on Anthony Bourdain — well deserved.
Many have also written about the wondrous egg soufflé — I couldn’t agree more. Not only is it beautiful and delicious, I think it defies physics.
My husband and I had the 5 course tasting menu. The waitress asked if there was anything we do not like. I said that I do not like strong seafood. She said that she will substitute out the anchovies appetizer for a ham and artichoke salad, but leave in the cod with rice. Tasting menu orders had to be the same for all people at the table.
First, the Iberian ham and artichoke salad was perfection. It was a delicios combination of flavors and delicate textures.
Second, the egg soufflé was divine. My meal could have been done at this point and I would have been perfectly satisfied.
Third was the cod. I could tell that it was prepared exceptionally. very moist, but not greasy. The rice had green peas which added a delightful texture. My husband liked this dish a lot, but it turns out that cod is not a fish I like.
Fourth, was the most adventurous dishes for me: pigeon. It looked beautiful and I bravely took a giant bite. I was also feeling a bit vengeful because a pigeon had just bombed my head earlier that day at Park Guell.
It was good at first, but then a horrid aftertaste set in. I don’t think it was in my head. It was gaminess laced with regret. If you don’t think you’d like pigeon, don’t do it. I am however confident that it was the best preparation possible and if I don’t like it here, I will not like it anywhere.
Last, but not least was dessert. Always the way to my heart. It wasn’t able to compare to the egg soufflé, but it was still delicious. Warm, chocolate fluffy goodness with cream and some sort of toasted grain that added a wonderful nutty and crunchy accent to the chocolate.
If I went back, I’d order the ham salad and egg soufflé, maybe the dessert too, and go home happy.

OMG this place was FANTASTIC!!! Must have the egg soufflé and the foie gras!!! I live in SF where fabulous yummy food is everywhere… and I have to say this one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. The staff was friendly and we enjoyed great service. I posted pictures on Instagram under #gresca. You must try this place when you are in Barcelona.

Fabuleux rapport qualité prix. Beau bon et inventif à la fois. Équilibre parfait entre le respect des produits, la créativité style moléculaire et un dressage de précision. Courrez y.

Wow.
One of my best eating experiences in Barcelona and a meal I will remember for a long time. I was lucky to be able to walk on in without a reservation and proceeded to have a decadent feast, served by friendly staff eager to explain the elements of each dish.
The double egg soufflé on a bed of potato «ribbons» was a textural delight, the flavours understated and perfectly balanced. The sardine and pork belly with a smear of peanut «paste» underneath was crazy good — all raw elements and served on a very hot plate, the fattiness of each started to melt and created an interesting experience in my mouth, everything sticking to my teeth as if I had eaten a spoon of peanut butter directly from the jar.
I ate, I think, around nine courses and all were beautifully made. Each playful, yet restrained at the same time, showcasing textures and flavour in a clever way and demonstrating the mad skills that are in the kitchen.
The wine list was incredible, if you were buying from the bottle. Unfortunately I was dining solo so I stuck to wine by the glass and was limited to just a few choices. I’d love to come with a few friends and demolish some of the full bottles with another fabulous meal.
Why this place isn’t packed I don’t know! For the (very reasonable) price it is certainly a must do for any food lover who is visiting Barcelona.

Ce restaurant est à la hauteur des différents avis rédiger jusqu’ici !! Nous avons pris le menu dégustation et ce fut un sans faute absolu du début à la fin !! Accueil, service, cuisine tout était au top !!

The reviews convinced us that Gresca was worth a short cab ride for our last night in Spain. We arrived a bit early for our 8:30 reservation, finding that the restaurant wasn’t officially open yet, although they let my wife and her broken foot sit in the lobby for a few minutes. Spain is quite a contrast to home, where all the local restaurants close at 9 pm.
We were the first to be seated, and our two servers were outstanding, recommending a nice wine, and helping us with the menu. The chef made a modification to one of our dishes to satisfy a dietary constraint, which was a nice accommodation. Appetizer was ham and shaved artichoke salad, along with a complimentary appetizer of cod with shaved almonds (how they do the almonds is beyond me). Entrees were scallops for my wife, and veal tongue with sage for me (in honor of my late father). The food, presentation and staff were all outstanding, and made our last evening in Barcelona a memorable one.

This was a must on our list after reading the NYT bistronomics article: At Barcelona’s ‘Bistronomic’ Restaurants, Creative Plates at a Good Price. Indeed it was, a truly exquisite meal at a fraction of the cost of what you would normally pay elsewhere.
At an affordable 19 euros (as of May 2011), you get a three course delectable, creative meal along with a well paired glass of wine (or drink) at a fine dining restaurant. Keep in mind, the menu del dia is in Catalan, but the hostess or waiter/​ress can help you with translations. We were lucky to get a table with no reservations, since I heard it can get busy. Our table was situated in the back, closeby the kitchen.
We saw the chef peek a couple of times, and we had the pleasure to speak with Chef Rafa Peña, known as a leader in bistronomics in Barcelona. The geek in me wanted to take a photo with Chef Pena, but my shyness took over and I therefore lost the opportunity when we were conversing with him.
When we were seated at our table, we were greeted with complimentary cheese triangles. We knew right away we would go with the menu del dia. It’s a bummer that there was no English translation (although they will verbally translate it to you), but we were still pleased with our selections.
My selection:
— First course: Mozzarella salad with tomato and hazelnut: Simple but full of flavor, all of the ingredients in this salad complemented each other so well.
— Second course: Grilled tuna tartare with pepper onion sauce, topped with tiny white flowers. Excellent, and oh yes so beautiful.
— Third course: Chocolate cake — nice, smooth texture and a nice way to end the meal.
My hubby’s selection:
— First course: Pâté
— Second course: Beef cheek with potato — good, although not to my palate.
— Third course: Cheesecake — light and fluffy, not too sweet or heavy. Just the way cheesecake ought to be!
Where are you, bistronomic restaurants in New York City? If someone can tell me, you will truly make my day!

Probably our best dining experience during our week-​long trip to Spain, which is saying a lot. We came here upon recommendation of the guy who put together our tour of La Rioja wine country. He was born in and grew up in that region and now runs a travel agency, so we were happy he was able to recommend some things around Barcelona that other resources didn’t mention.
Gresca was described to us as «upscale Catalan fusion», and that seemed to be a pretty apt description, and it was our best restaurant experience, in spite of having also dined at the Michelin-​rated restaurant inside the Marques de Riscal Winery hotel (building designed by Frank Gehry). The service was attentive and helpful, and I loved the fact that the restaurant was a smaller-​scale place with only room enough for maybe 40 people, with only two waitstaff total on the night we visited. It resulted in a night that was intimate and focused on the wonderful food.
We ended up trying the tasting menu, which was nice because we got a wide range of types of food in a cuisine that neither of us were familiar with beforehand. Unfortunately, that made it harder to remember exactly what we got, since there were several courses.
The most impressive dish we had was the Egg Soufflé, which was unlike any soufflé I’ve ever seen. I included pictures of before and after so that you can see the mind-​bending way in which the unbroken yolk was suspended within the fluffy, air-​like white. It sat on top of a bed of «noodles» that were really thinly-​shaved slices of potatoes that had been cooked just long enough to give them the texture of ‘al dente’ pasta noodles. I also really loved the anchovies, which were seared and covered in a super-​thin layer of herbed butter and accompanied by a sort of almond brittle/​bark.
I would highly recommend a visit to Gresca for anyone who travels to Barcelona – it’s a great way to sample the Catalan approach with a more upscale approach. It’s a nice break from the more rustic local cuisine that you can find in any number of little cafes and tapas bars.

Amazing.
There is truly magic to be experienced at this restaurant. From beginning to end, we were mesmerized by how common, «low-​brow» ingredients were transformed into beguiling and decadent dishes that evoked memories of top tier dining in NYC. Amongst the foie and sweetbreads were equally amazing courses of cod fish, pigeon and omelettes with pork belly that were all skillfully coaxed to reach comparable heights of flavour. All the food was so amazingly delicious that it was no surprise when we learned that our turbot that night had literally come to the kitchen straight off a boat that had returned that afternoon.
The desserts were not only delicious but displays of playfulness and creativity. The «piña colada» was a shell sprayed with chocolate to make it look like a coconut shell, whose insides were coated with a frozen coconut meringue and filled with white rum pineapple juice (yes, it tasted just as amazing as it sounds). The black current sorbet was presented in a gravity-​defying form (how does a sliver of sorbet hold itself up like a sheet of plastic?), thanks to some ingenious machinations of the chef that I would be unfair for me to disclose here.
This was truly an experience to be had, and a true realization of the chef’s philosophy that you don’t need expensive and precious ingredients to achieve gastronomic brilliance, but just the best of the simple things of life coupled with a little bit of mind-​bending ingenuity and creativity.

I wanted to try Gresca because it was mentioned in the places to try by Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel website.
The first day we tried eating here, the restaurant was already booked… They told us to make a reservation for the next day so we did just that and I am glad we came back!
Service was great~ we had 2 waitresses that took care of us that were both very attentive and they both spoke English~
We started off with a bottle of red wine. It was one of the pricey cab that was on the menu 28euros but it was definitely worth it. I ordered anchovies for my appetizer and Sweet bread for my main. The anchovies were raw but seasoned perfectly and the citrus flavor masked the raw smell/​flavor very well. Sweet bread is actually one of my favorite dishes, and I must say this was one of the best I’ve had.
Overall experience: 5 stars!

Cocina de autor hecha con muy buen gusto, por un tipo joven y muy metido en su trabajo. Como siempre en estos casos hay que valorar si los precios son competitivos en relación a la carta y los vinos. Gresca para mi lo es, he salido de ahí con buenas sensaciones, no sintiéndome mal por pagar lo que suelen implicar estos restaurantes.