Carrer del Taquígraf Serra, 20, Les Corts, 08029 Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 10 00 20
www.cocinahermanostorres.com
Wed 10/16/2024, 01:25p-04:15p
Following a rousing night of tapas at Paco Meralgo and cocktails at Sips, my first full day in Barcelona commenced with a visit to Cocina Hermanos Torres ("Torres Brothers Kitchen"). Situated in the neighborhood of Les Corts de Sarrià, the restaurant opened in 2018 and is run by brothers Sergio Torres and Javier Torres (who happen to be twins). Do note that I visited for lunch, as the restaurant doesn't generally seat solo diners for dinner.
About the Chefs: The Torres brothers were born in Barcelona in December 1970, and were introduced to cooking thanks to maternal grandmother Catalina. By the age of eight, they knew that they wanted to become chefs, but their parents didn't quite agree with this vision. As a result, it was sister Beatriz who enrolled them in the Arnadí culinary school (now known as Escuela de Hostelería Hofmann) when the two were 14. After completing their training in 1986, the brothers decided to go their separate ways, and actually never worked together in someone else's kitchen. The idea was to gain a wider breadth of experience, then rejoin in the future to create their own cuisine as a pair.
Sergio started off in Barcelona at Reno, where he stayed for two years before moving over to the French-leaning Neichel. In 1991, he went to Madrid to work at Basque eatery El Señorío de Bertiz, while 1992 saw him start at Akelarre in San Sebastián. Two years later, Sergio moved to France for a job at Jardin des Sens in Montpellier. Then, in 1996, he relocated to Paris to cook at Alain Ducasse, then transitioned to Hotel Plaza Athénée.
Javier, meanwhile, got his start at Girasol in Moraira, Alicante. In 1989, he returned to Barcelona to cook at Neichel, where he remained for a year before moving over to Reno. From 1992 to 1995, he was at the legendary Racó de Can Fabes in Sant Celoni, then spent four years at Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, Switzerland, first under Frédy Girardet and then Philippe Rochat. Javier then returned to Can Fabes in 1999, and remained until 2005.
In 2002, the brothers teamed up to launch El Rodat in Javea, Alicante, with Sergio handling most of the cooking day-to-day, and it was also during this period when they co-invented the Gastrovac, a vacuum cooking device created in collaboration with the Universitat Politècnica de València. Then, in 2007, they opened Eñe, a restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil, which was followed up by another outpost in Rio de Janeiro in 2009. Back in Barcelona, Sergio and Javier launched Dos Cielos at Meliá Barcelona Sky hotel in 2008, which took its name from the nickname that their grandmother had given them: dos cielitos.
The place earned its first Michelin star in December 2010, while its second came in November 2017. Also at the hotel was the more casual Dos Hermanos Torres restaurant, which bowed in 2011, while a second Dos Cielos launched in Madrid in 2017. Not long after, Dos Cielos in BCN shuttered to allow for the debut of Cocina Hermanos Torres, which opened in July 2018. The restaurant was largely well-received, and was awarded two Michelin stars in November 2018, while a third star arrived in November 2022.
Hermanos Torres takes over a former industrial building that was previously home to Eikonos, an audiovisual equipment rental company. Here we see the bar/lounge area near the entrance.
And here's the dining room, which is quite striking due to the ultra-open kitchen, which allows for essentially no separation between cook and diner.
The sole dining option here is the "Menú Revolución" tasting menu, priced at 310€ ($337.78) a head, while the wine pairing tacks on an additional 195€ ($212.47) per person. To drink, you get a considerable wine list focused on Spanish and French bottlings; pricing is a bit all over the place, but there are indeed some good values to be had. Click for larger versions.
A moistened towel was provided at the start of the meal, a welcomed touch for sure.
1a: 'Escudella' and 'Carn d'Olla' | Josep Lladonosa Giró
Lunch commenced with a riff on a traditional Catalan soup called escudella i carn d'olla, one that featured an intense chicken broth supported by a cozy, familiar layer of meat at the bottom.
1b: 'Panot de Galet' | Josep Lladonosa Giró
The classic version of the soup above is often served with snail-shaped pasta by the name of galet, which was transformed into a super crunchy cracker for this application. It actually had an almost livery taste to it, and I ended up breaking it up into the broth to provide some extra texture.
To drink, I went with the Raventós i Blanc, Mas del Serral 2007 Gran Reserva [225€ ($245.16)], which was actually the wine's inaugural vintage. The sparkler comes from the Clos del Serral vineyard, planted with Xarel·lo and Bastard Negre vines from 1954, and was disgorged in 2021. Initial sniffs brought concentrated orchard fruits and yeastiness, with a wonderful citrusy backing and traces of mineral. Taking a sip, this was bright and acidic and palate-perking, yet still offered up delectably nutty, caramel-y, and oxidative notes that really spoke to me. With some time, the wine became more restrained on the nose, while on the tongue, things got lighter, silker, but with an earthy astringency making itself known. This then led to what I'll call an "apple juice phase," which itself was followed by a smokier chapter to close things out. A superb effort from winemaker Pepe Raventós.
2a: 'Piparras' and Smoked Anchovy Bonbon | Appetizers
Next came a trio of canapés. This first one incorporated a liquid filling that burst immediately upon mastication, releasing a wave of peppery, piquant flavors that meshed masterfully with the long-lasting brine of anchovy. Nice temperature contrast, too.
2b: Bread with Tomato and Iberian Ham Fisan | Appetizers
Here, a happy marriage of salty, satisfyingly-textured slices of jamón and tart, chewy shards of tomato appeared in sandwich form.
2c: Crispy 'Rubia Gallega' | Appetizers
A steak tartare highlighting the Rubia Galega breed displayed some amazingly deep, savory flavors that coated the palate and lingered long. Meanwhile, that shell made for a delightful crunch.
3: Cured Squid, Poultry Consome and Caviar | Surf and turf
Set in a mild poultry consommé, a quenelle of squid tartare demonstrated a gratifying chew and a gentle salinity enhanced by the growing brine of caviar. A smart take on mar i muntanya.
4: Bread and Oil | Les Borges Blanques
The bread was fantastic, with its sweet-smokiness and ultra crusty exterior that made it nigh impossible to eat cleanly. The pa was paired with an unusually fragrant-n-fruity extra virgin olive oil that imparted further enjoyment to the experience, and I also used the bread to mop up some of the dishes below.
5: Galician Crab, Seaweed, Sour Apple, Vanilla, and Herbs | Estuary's King
In this rather striking course, the mouthwatering sweetness of king crab was proudly highlighted, set against a bevy of herby, zesty elements and sour pricks of citrus. I even got some coconut on the back end.
6: 24 Naturally Grown Vegetables, Autumn Broth, Truffles, and Mushrooms | Autumn 2024
A new dish on the menu, this next course set two dozen veggies in a wonderfully heady, autumnal mushroom broth. An even headier mushroom-truffle cracker imparted further oomph (though it could've been crispier), and overall, things came together seamlessly and really spoke to the season.
7: Cod Collagen 'Suquet', Tender Garlic, Veal Tendons, and Fermented Lemon | Tradition
This thoroughly reimagined fish stew was a favorite of mine. I loved the sour-spiciness of the liquid here, which actually reminded me a bit of chorizo, while an even more pleasant surprise was the textural contribution from the tendons. And the icing on the cake? That crunchy web of potato on top.
8: Escalivada Vegetables Ravioli in Its Juice, Aged Pork, Horseradish and Sago | Catalunya / Extremadura
Stuffed "pasta" played smoky veggie wrappers against a mouthwatering filling of acorn-fed pork chop, with horseradish and what seemed like citrus lightening the mood. Also a welcomed surprise: the chewy texture of sago "pearls."
9: Ray Fish, Piquillo Peppers, Mangetouts and Pickled 'Piparras' | Mediterranean
The stingray was another winner. I was a big fan of its slightly gelatinous consistency, as well as how the fish was complemented by contrasting forces of a buttery sauce and the tang of piquillos. I also appreciated the pickle-y and olive-y bits present, but my favorite thing here might've been those thin cuts of snow pea, which provided both brightness and crunch.
I requested a glass of local red to go with the lamb below, and was given the Partida Bellvisos, Priorat Vi de Villa Gratallops 2004 [55€ ($59.93)], poured from a magnum. On the nose, this showed off powerful dark fruit and a wonderful tertiary mustiness that made me think of an old Bordeaux. Palate-wise, the wine drank soft and silky, its lush berry flavors commingling with peppery, earthen, and tobacco-fueled notes in utter harmony. Pretty fantastic I have to say.
10: Matured Suckling Lamb, Zucchini, Mint and Black Garlic | Torres Brothers 2024
Lamb arrived juicy and delicious, with more complexity than most, I'm assuming from its aging in Ibérico pork fat. Black garlic imparted a pungency to the mix, but more crucial was the counterbalancing freshness of that mint.
11: Shiso Leaf, Citrus, Green Tea, Yogurt and Herbs | Origin
This palate-cleansing pre-dessert combined clean, herby, refreshing flavors with the creaminess of yogurt in expert fashion. There were some pickle-y, crunchy smidges in there that I liked, too.
12: Calanda's Peach, Vanilla Rum and Indonesian Long Pepper | Childhood memories
In this next dessert, rich, sugary stone fruit was melded with fragrant vanilla and the zing of long pepper to make for a very cohesive whole.
Dessert wine duties were handled by the Tradición Cream 20 años VOS [27€ ($29.42)]. This was pleasingly thick in the mouth, and offered plenty of dark-toned dried fruit notes juxtaposed against a plethora of oxidative, nutty nuances.
13: The Cocoa Age | Cacao Barry
This homage to cacao presented chocolate in multiple forms and textures, with a bit of a hazelnut-y edge, but what I didn't expect was the dish's intriguingly sour, fruity element.
14: The Jewel | For you
Sitting in a box from jeweler Joyería Rabat was a chocolate bonbon with a (non-liquid) sherry wine center.
I requested a dessert cocktail at this point, and was subsequently provided with a spot-on Espresso Martini [32€ ($34.87)].
15: Orange Flower | Citrus
Set in an actual flower, this first mignardise course conveyed refreshing, slightly bitter citric notes.
16a: Rosemary ice cream sandwich. Catalan cream. Black sesam ice pearl
Going left to right, we have here an unabashedly herbaceous rosemary ice cream, a citrus-tinged crema catalana, and a sweet-nutty sesame bonbon that reminded me of tangyuan.
16b: Sergio's Cara crakine & Javier's yogurt and almond
Finally: the petit four on the right merged chocolate and fruit in a crunchy package, while the other had a much "grittier" mouthfeel along with a savory, citrusy character.
The bill arrived in a rather handsome box.
The staff was also gracious enough to provide a printed list of their recommended restaurants and bars in Barcelona. Click for larger versions.
I'm happy to report that my first "fancy" meal in Barcelona was a success. There's was a lot of refinement, a lot of elegance in the cooking at Hermanos Torres, while flavors were well-thought-out, deliberate, creative, but never too "out there." Service was also on point--relaxed in that Spanish manner, but with the proper level of seriousness that you'd expect at a restaurant of this caliber. Indeed, as I was leaving, I thought to myself: "yeah, I can understand why this place got three Michelin stars."
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