Opening just last month on Barcelona‘s Via Laietana, the road that separates the city’s El Born and El Gòtic neighbourhoods, restaurant Can Bo completes the reimagined Grand Hotel Central; the street-level gastronomic concept focussing on tapas and sharing plates that champion local Catalan produce, yet infused with an Italian twist and complemented by a wine list curated by sommelier Amador Marín.
Can Bo is led by chef Oliver Peña Luque who, following a childhood dream of being a chef, has found himself working alongside one Albert Adrià as head chef of his Michelin-starred 41º and executive chef of Enigma; this having cut his teeth in the kitchen of the now-closed elBulli Hotel in Seville before working with elBulli alumni Carles Abellan. Quite the CV. Here at the lavish Grand Hotel Central, the Catalan chef alongside the executive chef Lorenzo Cavazzoni offer a forward-thinking menu with quality regionally sourced ingredients that include free-range chicken from Cerdanya, artichokes from El Prat, red mullet from the Barcelona Coast, mussels from the Ebro Delta, and strawberries from the Maresme.
Designed by London-based studio Sagrada, the space unites local and travellers beside large windows that flood the restaurant with natural light and views of the bustling street outside. A central bar area serves as a gathering point and kitchen counter, whilst the Mediterranean-inspired interiors feature warm blue and terracotta tones along with an eye-catching mosaic floor in Catalan ‘trencadís style’, honouring the building’s cultural history.
Named after the building’s original owner, the politician and patron Francesc Cambó, Can Bo is open daily for lunch from 12.30 to 16.00 and dinner from 19.30 to 23.00, and presents an offering quite some levels above the typical hotel restaurant. Whatever the time of day, its humble yet exquisite menu is elevated when enjoyed with a glass or bottle of wine from the extraordinary wine list; curated by Amador Marín (former head sommelier of the Adrià brothers’ ElBarri Group) and featuring over 150 carefully selected references, from local and national wineries to international labels.
Combining a welcoming ambience with flavoursome food and wine, Can Bo is a welcome addition to the city’s old town, where a higher level of tourist offerings means such a discerning discovery can be more difficult to uncover. Beautifully designed and excellently considered by its esteemed team, Can Bo Barcelona is sure to be a hot ticket for the Catalan capital’s foodies in the know.
@canbo.bcn
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Restaurant Can Bo Barcelona Photography, courtesy Grand Hotel Central.
