Top of the world Spanish restaurant at down-to-earth prices

Jaime Ee | The Business Times | Sat Aug 28 2010

Barcelona, Spain, August 28, 2010

Dos Cielos
ME Barcelona

Chef Javier Torres strides through his restaurant on the 6th floor of the ME Barcelona hotel with the air of a confident man on the cusp of stardom. He has good reason too, perhaps, considering that Dos Cielos was on Conde Nast Traveller’s 2009 Hot Tables list in 2009, and he and twin brother Sergio are on the ascent as some of the hottest talents in the city.

You’d get the top of the world feeling too, given the splendid aerial view of the city you get in the sleek but functionally designed restaurant which is laid out in such a way that you walk through the open concept kitchen on the way to your table – quite a cool idea.

From your table you can see Torres quietly overseeing the kitchen and the final plating before the food gets sent out. Javier Torres, incidentally, mans the Barcelona restaurant while brother Sergio oversees their other outlet in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

There’s a trendy vibe to the food – the kind that hipster magazine writers like Conde Nast tend to gravitate towards – and while it has its merits, it’s no showstopper just yet.

A tasting menu here costs 85 euros, while we opt for the personalised menu at 110 euros. You get some simple amuse bouche to start – hot tiny croquettes and a couple of deep-fried fresh lily bulbs stuck on wires.

The meal begins with a fairly predictable but tasty starter of mini scallops on potato puree topped with parsley foam, and an interesting Asian inspired warm oyster set in a thick unctuous meat jelly quite similar to a thick Chinese brown sauce, with sea cucumber that has the texture of beef tendon. It comes with an oyster leaf – as it’s the first time we encounter this unusual oyster-flavoured green, the dish comes off as inventive and palatable.

The tempo remains even throughout the meal, with little variation in terms of creativity. There’s a too-hard foie gras ravioli sitting in a flavourful milky broth flavoured with olives and sun-dried tomato, but an enjoyable squid ink rice dish with fine green beans and crunchy sea cucumber.

Fresh and braised lettuce couch a generous mound of blue lobster dressed in a simple citrus vinaigrette, followed up with our favourite dish of the evening – a block of beef tartare that is smooth and mellow-flavoured, having been aged for one month.

Showered with shaved parmesan, herbs and flowers, and served with crispy toast and light potato “pillows”, it’s a nice twist to a classic dish, even if it isn’t at all Spanish.

While a pre-dessert of lemon ice cream on earl grey tea jelly is refreshing, the main dessert of deconstructed black forest cake disappoints – liquer-soaked chocolate cake is arranged with chocolate bits and tuille, with raspberry sorbet and cream. It’s decent, but it doesn’t thrill either.

The divide between Dos Cielos and Michelin star level dining is still pretty wide – although one star is realistically achievable for the brothers, eventually. But for a good meal in the city that doesn’t leave you feeling shortchanged at the end, Dos Cielos is a good choice.

Dos Cielos
ME Barcelona
Pere IV, 272 286. 08005 Barcelona
34-93-367-20-70