L’Estanyol  Yesterday following my amazing golf experience was the best meal I have had in Barcelona to date. I must say I have cooked some delicious food however I do not have the expertise nor the ingredients that are in the kitchen of Chef Joan Font.

The restaurant is upstairs in the clubhouse of the converted 15th century manor house. The tasteful renovations made me very comfortable, I also happened to have great company and some good golf chat to accompany my lunch.

There are a few different spaces so you can be set apart from other diners or opt for a private room.

I have had maybe one glass of alcohol in the last two years and when I told the chef I didn’t drink he looked at me perplexed and asked how would I enjoy my food without the wine. I decided I would have a taste of the rose wine he felt best complimented his meal and was pleased I did.

Just delicious

Post golf snack – L’Estanyol

To start we had a thin wafer topped with grilled apple, a roll of foie gras and a balsamic dressing. My tastebuds were dancing with delight. I looked at my lunch companions and we grinned at each other after tasting this amazing dish. The tart flavour of the apple with the creamy foie gras and the balsamic just worked and I couldn’t wait to try what I could see on the next plate.

This tastes as good as it looks. 

The flavours on this cracker (for want of a better word) were out of this world. There is a lot going on but everything has a delicate flavour that compliment each other well. There is raw tuna, mango, strawberry, mushroom, some delicious sauce, baby herbs, fish eggs and olive oil roe – which I had never heard and certainly hadn’t eaten before.  The cracker is made of squid ink and I still cannot believe how tasty this was.

I didn’t need to eat anything else I was in food heaven – but I wasn’t complaining when I tasted the next treat – avocado cannelloni stuffed with raw salmon.

Salmon tartar

Following this was salmon tartar that melted in your mouth, then a plate of arroz con gambas, and some alcachofas fritas (fried artichokes) and to top it all off smoking octopus.

Fried artichokes – L’Estanyol

gambas con arroz – L’Estanyol

When the lovely waitress brought a plate with an opaque cover I had no idea what to expect. I was trying to take photos on Guillem’s phone while she lifted the lid and the smoke wafted out unveiling smoked octopus on a bed of creamy mash.

How could my day get any better? With dessert of course!

I am usually a cheese plate girl for dessert but how could I not devour every last morsel of the apple flan with peach sauce topped with vanilla ice cream?

Not only is the food amazing, I love the food philosophy as Chef Joan tries to source all his ingredients nearby, preferably locally. He changes the menu regularly to include in season produce – now that is my kind of thinking.

I was happy after the wonderful round of golf, then to have these amazing plates set before me – I was ecstatic.

What a way to spend a day – great golf, fantastic food and a good solid golf chat.

Post lunch hug with Chef Joan Font