Fismuler Barcelona

Sixteen years in the making, Fismuler Barcelona was opened at the beginning of the year by three chefs from three distinct cultural backgrounds who share a singular culinary soul.

Chefs and long-time friends Nino Redruello, Patxi Zumárraga and Jaime Santianes met in 2002 while working in the kitchen of Ferran Adrià at elBulli. After going their separate ways, the three friends have joined together once again to bring Madrid hotspot Fismuler—opened by Redruello and Zumárraga in 2016—to Barcelona. The menu at Fismuler runs the gamut from simplistic, modern Mediterranean to experimental northern European. The three chefs, from Madrid, the Basque Country and Asturias, trained in Michelin-starred kitchens around Europe and acquired techniques from some of the world’s best chefs; international influences that are apparent in the diverse menu of 15 starters and eight main dishes.

Fismuler Barcelona is located in a massive 300-square-metre space on the ground floor of the brand new Hotel Rec, within sight of the Arc de Triomf. Leading the kitchen is Santianes, who was previously the executive chef of Grupo San Telmo (Big Kokka and El Canalla, among others), so I was already familiar with his honest and open approach to gastronomy. Many of the dishes are taken directly from the list of all-time favourites at Fismuler Madrid, such as the tortilla de ortiguillas (sea anemone omelette) and the truffled chicken wings with egg yolk and sweet potato. At this new location Catalan tastes are also catered to, and the menu changes daily to reflect what’s best at the market. On the night that we dined at Fismuler, we were treated to a plate of beautiful spring green peas from nearby Maresme, which were nearing the end of their season. Served with briny cockles and boiled cachelo potatoes, it is hard to imagine a more delicious preparation of these vibrant little gems.

Less season-dependent is the standard amuse-bouche at Fismuler—two bites of thinly sliced, cured beef brisket, topped with pickled radish and accompanied by sourdough bread and raw milk salted butter, served at room temperature for perfect spreading. The ideal way to stave off hunger and welcome guests, my first taste of Fismuler boded well for the rest of the evening.

For something to quench your thirst, Fismuler has a wide range of house-infused alcohols—gin, rum, whiskey and vodka steeped in everything from roasted apples to Oolong tea—as well as housemade lemonade, micheladas, rebujitos, ginger cider and sangria. I started with a traditional Asturian cider, mixed with lemon, ginger and ginger beer. I loved it and could have drunk three more, although the michelada wasn’t as good. It tasted like beer with the faintest whisper of tomato and spice.

Santianes sent plate after plate to our table and, though not all were to my liking, this was mainly due to personal preference: all the cooking and seasoning was spot on. I am often reluctant to admit that I am not a fan of prawn heads: “Suck the head like a local,” they tell you when you try your first grilled red prawn from Palamós. At Fismuler, sea urchins—an ingredient that enchanted me at first bite years ago on the coast of northern California, and is one of the best reasons to visit the Costa Brava in winter— are served topped with a prawn head foam. If that’s your thing, you’ll love it, but I found the flavour of the prawn overwhelming.

The razor clams, however, served on a decorative plate of river stones, were right up my alley. Pre-cut into bite- sized pieces and dressed in a velvety, refined version of the classic Galician condiment, garlicky ajada gallega, the navajas were cooked perfectly.

Next came my favourite dish of the entire meal: a plate of carpaccio-cut, semi-cured dorada (Gilt-Head Bream) with red grapes and chopped almonds. The thin slices of tender white fish were garnished with slivers of marinated shallots and an olive oil smoked with vine clippings, which added a round earthiness that marvellously complemented this sweet/salty dish.

The sea anemone omelette which, at first taste, was more odd than enjoyable, actually became another favourite as I explored the new flavours that developed with each bite. This riff on the classic tortilla is a crepe-thin sheet of cooked egg, stuffed with an egg foam, fried sea anemone, shiso leaves and roasted green peppers, then topped with a forest green dusting of spirulina algae.

At Fismuler, the servers are specifically instructed not to describe or announce the dishes when delivering them to the table, which was a bit of a shock at first. Luckily for Fismuler, their delightful food and welcoming ambience speak for themselves. With live music from Wednesday to Saturday, and a menu that is constantly changing, I’ll need little excuse to return for my second visit.