Five Reasons to Try the Barcelona Menu

There are a thousand reasons to settle into the peaceful dining room of Restaurant Windsor (or, if the weather permits, on its lush terrace) and indulge in the pleasure of discovering the dishes that make up the Barcelona Menu. This proposal has already become essential, as it allows diners to learn about some of the emblematic dishes that were eaten in the city throughout the 20th century. There are plenty of reasons to taste the Barcelona Menu: here are five of them.

1. Because it refers to Nèstor Luján

The gastronome, journalist, and writer Nèstor Luján has been a key figure in creating a theoretical framework for Barcelona gastronomy. He was one of the great writers of the 20th century, a scholar who captured all his knowledge in the book Vint segles de la cuina a Barcelona, a historical essay filled with anecdotes from which the recipes of this menu have emerged. Thus, the Barcelona Menu is a menu with history, stimulating both the palate and the intellect. Is there any greater pleasure?

2. To discover restaurants that no longer exist

The Barcelona Menu features proposals ranging from Rossini cannelloni from the popular Maison Dorée to duck à l'orange from Cau Ferrat or crêpe Suzette from Glazier restaurant. All of them allow us to journey, with imagination and with the stomach, through a Barcelona that no longer exists, via some of its most emblematic restaurants, each of which was, in its own way, a symbol of an era.

3. Because Barcelona cuisine is unique

There are typical dishes of popular Barcelona cuisine that are not found anywhere else, not even in other parts of Catalonia. It is the greatness of a port and seafaring city, vibrant as few others, that over the centuries has welcomed people from different cultures and sensibilities, which also translates into its gastronomy. The Barcelona Menu will allow the most intrepid diners to also discover popular recipes of the city such as lamb with sweet ratatouille or cod with potatoes and aioli.

4. Because everything tastes better with good wine

The Barcelona Menu is priced at €55 (drinks not included), meaning we will have to rely on the Windsor team if we need help selecting the perfect wine. It will be quite an experience, as the restaurant's cellar, with over 500 references from around the world, is one of the most prestigious in the city, and has been awarded two Cartavi prizes by the Generalitat de Catalunya, among other recognitions.

5. It's not just about what you eat, but how you eat

The Barcelona Menu is a journey through history, a tour of the gastronomy of a city in constant turmoil. Tasting it is an experience that requires calm and space, and the pleasant rooms of Restaurant Windsor undoubtedly provide the right atmosphere for this experience to be unique. Entering Windsor always means slowing down from the first minute, gradually reaching the mental state necessary to enjoy this experience in all its splendor. Without hurry, without stress, in a warm and welcoming environment with attentive and exquisite service. And –of course– always with the finale of a good sobremesa. As Luján would have liked.

A estas alturas, son muy pocos los aficionados a la gastronomía que no conocen el trabajo de Nèstor Luján. Periodista y escritor, pero por encima de todo gastrónomo, Luján ha sido una de las grandes plumas del siglo XX en el ámbito de las cosas del comer. Su paladar exquisito, su prosa envolvente y precisa y una mirada única que, como en el caso de todos los grandes, ha ido siempre más allá de la gastronomía, son las señas de identidad de un escritor que supo condensar todos sus conocimientos en una gran obra: Vint segles de cuina a Barcelona. Se trata de un ensayo histórico salpicado de anécdotas que recorre la evolución de diferentes restaurantes icónicos de la Ciudad Condal, todos ellos fundamentales para entender la historia de una ciudad con una herencia gastronómica de excepción.

Con el objetivo de rendir homenaje a la obra de Nèstor Luján, concretamente a Vint segles de cuina a Barcelona, Restaurant Windsor ha puesto en marcha un menú muy especial: Menú Barcelona. Cuina catalana del segle XX. En él encontramos algunas de las recetas presentes en las páginas del libro, todas ellas historia viva de una ciudad en constante movimiento: platos que han marcado una época reinterpretados ahora por nuestro equipo de cocina, que los ha adaptado a las tendencias imperantes en el siglo XXI.

Entre los aperitivos, encontramos la langosta con salsa tártara del Hotel Ritz, el pato a la naranja del Cau Ferrat y una receta típica de la cocina popular: la tradicional sopa de tomillo. En cuanto a los platos principales, también hay recetas típicas de la cocina popular barcelonesa como son el bacalao con patatas y alioli o el cordero con samfaina dulce. Completan la propuesta los míticos canelones Rossini de la Maison Doree. Como postre, no podía faltar la Crêpe Suzette del Restaurant Glacier, a la que seguirán los entretenimientos, acompañados de unos panots de Barcelona (azulejos de chocolate) y un surtido de las tradicionales neules (barquillos).

Porque desde Restaurant Windsor sabemos que hay mil maneras de conocer Barcelona, mil ángulos desde los que contemplar esta ciudad poliédrica, millones de capas por descubrir que la convierten en una ciudad siempre fascinante y sorprendente.

Y una de estas maneras es, sin duda, comérsela a bocados. ¡A disfrutar del Menú Barcelona!