It is clear that it is not easy to succeed in your own home, and in gastronomic matters it is even more complicated. Above all, if the square is called Barcelona. A cosmopolitan city, with people of very diverse origins, as well as tourism. Xavi Lahuerta Executive chef del Mercer and Le Bouchon have it very clear, their identity is not touched and it must be transmitted through gastronomy, our gastronomy.

• xavi lahuerta
• Tavern Le Bouchon Barcelona
• Gastronomy

I am not going to deny that being a native of the city of Barcelona should exclude me from being a neutral person when it comes to recommending my city as a temple of gastronomy. But the fact is that my experience with international communities for more than 15 years has allowed me to have a vision of Barcelona almost like that of a expat or even a tourist. The gastronomic offer that has grown the most is not, paradoxically, the native one. Which grieves me greatly. I appreciate the positive things about globalization, but seeing so many Italian, Turkish or Chinese restaurants proliferate is not good for the culinary identity of any city and region.

xavi lahuerta

However, we have brave people who have known how to swim against the tide and not let this trend become the norm. One of those chosen is xavi lahuerta (Barcelona, ​​1975), Executive executive of the Mercer's Restaurant y Le Bouchon Barcelona. His gastronomic origins, both personal and professional, augured well for him that responsibility of developing native gastronomy, mixing traditional cuisine, influenced by his grandmothers, with the updating of some of the recipes, obviously referenced in his experience with the great chefs of this country in recent years and its dabbling with cultures such as the Iberian and Mexican, which have also contributed small but important details to its cuisine. 

Xavier Pellicer, Santi Santamaria, Carles Gaig, Ferran Adrià, Carles Abellán o Jean-Luc Figueras, to give a few examples, have been his inspiring muses when making that leap to his natural place: space xavi lahuerta.

Because what life has given Xavi is that it is full of challenges that one must always face with a very positive attitude and with the best predispositions, and only in this way can one succeed.

You can perceive their personality in each creation that comes out of their hands, who have that innate talent of knowing how to transmit the emotions of their dishes like no one else.

Tavern Le Bouchon Barcelona

when you walk through the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, and you let yourself go through its streets, narrow and with poor lighting but that gives it that vintage touch and from the past, you enter the Calle dels Lledo, very hidden but that has maintained that stately value where the great families of the city lived for centuries and touching the perimeter of the old Roman Barcino wall, we find Le Bouchon Tavern, the Gastrobar of Mercer Hotel Barcelona.

A unique culinary oasis in the area that will allow you to enjoy a gastronomy with a clear hallmark, that of xavi lahuerta.

It is clear that he could not, nor did he want to be one more in the neighborhood. It had to be the reference with a gastronomic offer that would really make a difference, and it has done so. When you sit at one of its tables - by the way, it is a place that, due to its size, is for the privileged few, in addition to those who can be at the high tables on the street -, you already perceive between its robust stone walls , which is not a prefabricated space, is pure history of the city, with many centuries behind it, a historical and cataloged building of the city of Barcelona.

Gastronomy

You go to Le Bouchon to eat, and to eat very well. Because quality is that of the raw material, it characterizes the creations of xavi lahuerta.

From classic tapas, traditional dishes, seasonal salads and own design and of course, with some homemade desserts that "force" you not to give them up.

Each creation comes to the table with its leading role, a staging that invites you to enjoy that foodie moment.

Without giving up classic tapas and traditional dishes, Cap combines a variety of Mediterranean proposals with local and seasonal ingredients, recipes with touches of world cuisine and the chef's seal of quality xavi lahuerta.

I recommend you tapas that you can never stop trying like anchovies from Santoña, pipes (not itchy) tuna belly from the north, the Gordales olives of Seville, the Barcelona bomb or the organic artichokes with 100% acorn-fed ham Iberian breed.

As starters that can be shared, the Iberian pork ribs, the baked octopus, or the sensational beef tenderloin. Because Xavi knows how to work meat like few others, I can attest to that.

For the more vegans they also have their dishes, such as the Bio Quinoa with cherry confit, green asparagus with chamomile or the Smoked Sardine in oil with mézclum salad, and several other options.

To finish, you have various proposals, but I recommend the vanilla apple tatin, the apricot cream with vanilla crumble from Madagascar and the red fruit and guanaja chocolate compote with strawberry meringue.

Special section for wines, their proposals are very qualitative and try to provide the most representative of the national DOs, if I have to choose a white, the Ecological Menade and a red furvus de Vinyes Domenech.

After this gastronomic feast, which is also served by some people who convince you by their kindness to come back, because you feel at home, I can only recommend it for when you want to have a quiet and unhurried aperitif, a meal with friends, a dinner as a couple, or a wine experience by the glass with some tapas that give that touch to the oenological experience.

If you are Spanish, you will feel at home, and if you are not, you will have a very good gastronomic experience with quality products and recipes. not typical Spanish.