Last summer I spent a weekend in Barcelona - one of the most exciting cities I had been to in a while and a gastronomic haven. The hotel we stayed in, Murmuri, was achingly cool – lots of fabulous wall to ceiling mirrors and statement furniture. But of course, contemporary living is a given for a city that boasts the Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia: one of the most awe-inspiring and bizarre, ongoing building sites in the world.
A trip to the Boqueria Market on La Rambla was equally inspiring with stands laden with piles of a variety of freshly caught fish, mounds of cheeses and rows of vegetables and fruits for sale. Just wandering around the colourful stalls made me want to get cooking and lament the lack of these kinds of markets near where I live.
I loved the restaurant Euskal Etxea in the Placeta Montcada which served pintxos – something I’d never heard of before, but now know as large tapas or the equivalent of Italian bruschetta or the French canapé. It is a fantastic place as all the pintxos are lined up on shelves of plates so you can peruse and choose what you want all for as little as £1.50 each. And they are delicious! For anyone like me who gets food envy (or regrets an order) the portion size meant that one could try every single one (if starving!).
Another memorable meal was at our hotel’s restaurant, Bar Marfil, which served a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian food. We had some wok fried tiger prawns which were very juicy and sticky with a sake sauce, a selection of perfectly formed sushi and some delicate salmon tartar tartlets. The puddings were equally delicious if not better as they were so original – jasmine rice ice cream and an amazing banana and chocolate spring roll which looked beautiful on the plate, cut on the diagonal with jasmine flowers sprinkled over and balls of burnt honey ice cream mmm... Unfortunately one to many Sangrias resulted in a shameful photo and so if you have not been already you simply must to see and taste for yourself! 
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