One look at BistrEau in Barcelona’s Mandarin Oriental, and it’s easy to see why it has become a firm favourite for locals and visitors alike. Located in the hotel’s central atrium, the restaurant makes for a dramatic centrepiece, thanks to Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola, who made the most of the expansive space by skirting the top half with a metal lattice structure through which the daylight softly filters like an underwater sanctuary. Cosy high-backed leather or cane chairs create intimate nooks in which to sample chef Ángel León’s seafood menu, from which we recommend plumping for the sea urchin burrata with miso and tomato or the grilled turbot with snap peas and yuzu meunière- all washed down with a sparkling glass of cava, of course.
ADDRESS
Passeig de Gracia 38-40
-
Misfires and Monstrosities: three vehicular design disasters that show taste is in retreatFrom a multi-million dollar piece merchandise to a wretched Rolls-Royce, these are the low points of the year in transportation design
-
Thirty years after Dog Man Star, Brett Anderson looks back on Suede's album coversBrett Anderson talks cover art, photography and iconic imagery
-
A brutalist garden revived: the case of the Mountbatten House grounds by Studio Knight StokoeTour a brutalist garden redesign by Studio Knight Stokoe at Mountbatten House, a revived classic in Basingstoke, UK
-
Mallorca’s ‘chocolate hotel’ celebrates six decades of Mediterranean panacheSixty years after it opened, Hotel de Mar remains a celebrated example of Mediterranean vernacular architecture
-
Easy and breezy: Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor is now openWe found Balearic bliss at Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, the place to live the Mediterranean dream and connect with nature
-
Inside Hotel Ur Bare: a boutique surf retreat beside the Cantabrian seaHotel Ur Bare lies in Zarautz, a picturesque coastal town in Spain's Basque Country, and presents 13 modern rooms accented with local flair
-
Retreat to Casa Montelongo, a modern Fuertaventuran guest house filled with Canarian warmthCourtesy of Spanish architect Néstor Pérez Batista, Casa Montelongo is the perfect contemporary shelter to enjoy Fuerteventura
-
Soak up Barcelona vistas from the redesigned Grand Hotel Central's rooftop poolGrand Hotel Central, designed by Sagrada, opens its doors in the heart of Barcelona’s old town
-
Madrid bars: a local’s guide to sipping in styleDiscover the best design-led Madrid bars, as sampled by local travel and culture writer Agnish Ray
-
Tour the new Mondrian Ibiza, chic sophistication by the Balearic SeaMondrian opens in Ibiza with a bold and inventive design by Madrid-based Cuarto Interior
-
It’s a Paul & Shark summer at Juvia restaurant in FormenteraPaul & Shark dresses Formentera restaurant Juvia for the summer season, with suitably nautical nods
