An absolutely well-deserved Michelin star with outstanding service: Restaurant Mont Bar (14. October 2023)

When you read the name ‘Mont Bar’ you wouldn’t expect this to be a place with a Michelin star, but it has one, and I feel it deserves one. I was a bit late, which seemed to be a problem since they have two seatings. Oopsi! Well, since there is basically just the “Tasting Menu” (EUR 145.00) the choice what to eat was made quickly. The evening then started with “zucchini and mint cold tea”, which was an interesting flavour combination …

… but went well the “tempura zucchini flower and sardine”. Definitely a nice little cracker, which was rather intense in flavour.

Next in line was the “sea bass ceviche toast” and the “beetroot flower with caviar”. And again, both bites were exquisite. I mean, that is what I really love about these 1 Michelin star restaurants. They really still have ambition and push to serve something amazing.

And it just continued like that. I absolutely loved the “shiso waffle with cured bonito and vizcaína”, which was topped by the …

… “chicken skin and squid canapé”. I mean, crispy chicken skin is so damn delicious. Building a little sandwich with squid in the middle out of it is just extraordinary. Not only from an idea perspective, but also, and mostly, from a flavour perspective.

I don’t like mochis. Or at least, I thought so. This is not true for hot mochis! The “hot mochi with mushrooms” was just wow! It didn’t have any of this chewy texture ‘regular mochis’ have, but it was smooth and it was just delicious so it would basically keep your mouth watering. Man, so good!

What I really want to point out here is the quality of the service. They were super attentive, super friendly, managed to find the righ way between being professional and jovial. It was really just a super lovely evening – food wise, location wise, but also atmosphere and service wise.

Next in line it was time for a ‘live preparation’ of a ceviche of razor clams! I definitely have never seen that. I’ve sure eaten that, but that it’s prepared in front of you (we’re not talking tartar), is something I have not experienced so far.

I was a bit sceptical about the “razor clams a la donostiarra with ponzu” because I have had quite chewy razor clams in the past, but it turned out that these were actually not only smooth but also full of flavour and worked super well with the other ingredients in the bowl.

Then it was time for the “mackerel, tomatoes, and codium seaweed” and while this wasn’t my absolutely favourite dish, the ingredients worked quite well together.

The next one was, although somehow along the same lines of thought, much more to my gusto. The “tomato, anchovy and padron pepper” was an intense combination of flavours, which was reinforced by the fact that they were prepared in a way, which was unusual. At least I haven’t had ‘padron pepper foam’ before. So, definitely an interesting combination of flavours.

Then it was time for a little show of smoke. And my first reaction was “again?!”. I mean, the previous evening I’ve had a smokey dish, which was so smokey I couldn’t eat it.

While the “tuna belly with pine nut emulsion” was still quite smokey, it was not remotely as smokey as the one the day before, but actually turned out to be quite delicious in terms of flavour profile.

Then, it was time for a “stingray a la beurre blanc with caviar”. And something told me, as the exact same order of things (smoke and then beurre blanc) happened, that there seems to be a natural order to all of this. Definitely surprising, but hey, something new. In all fairness, I think I’ve never tried stingray before, so I was excited to try that, but it just tasted somehow like many other white fish.

Then, one of my favourite dishes that evening was served. Those, who read my blog on a regular basis, know I love intense flavours. And the “chicken with prawns” was exactly that – a combination of intense flavours. Both elements taken separately were intense – both taken directly after each other, even more so!

The final savory dish of the day was the “pigeon cooked two ways with its cacao cookie”. I did not get the cacao part. Probably mainly due to the fact that I’m not too big a fan of sweets and chocolates in particular, but I do admit, the combination of the pigeon with the rest actually worked quite well.

Then, it was time for the first dessert: “peach, high leaf and blau de Jutglar”. And it was a tasty little combination of flavours and textures. Despite the fact it had looked similar to the “mackerel, tomatoes, and codium seaweed” served before, it tasted, luckily, completely differently, and quite good as well.

The “strawberry, piquillo pepper and vanilla” was definitely even more down my alley. The adding of the pepper to the dish really gave it the little extra I’m looking for in a dessert. What defintily helped too was that the dish wasn’t all too sweet.

Last but not least, you would get the calory bomb in the end. The “chocolate and hazelnut millefeuille” was not easy to eat without getting your fingers really dirty, but it was a nice combination of flavours in your mouth (if you managed to eat it properly).

Last but not least, it was time for the “petits fours” and they were a nice ending to the evening.

What was fun was the fact that the sommelier had to get on the seating area of some of the guests to reach for a wine. Definitely something a bit unusual in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

All in all, I really liked the experience at the Mont Bar as the food was great, the service was super nice, and the prices are still very okay for the performance. And despite the fact that the Mont Bar is quite a good bit smaller than the Caelis, it’s much calmer in the Mont Bar. I suppose, smarter architectural design. But again, all in all, absolutely mega recommendable, so, make sure to book in advance.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Mont Bar

C/ de la Diputació 220

08011 Barcelona (E)

Tel.: +34 933 23 95 90

E-Mail: info@montbar.com

Homepage: https://www.montbar.com/en/

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.