Ávalon by Ramón Freixa (Barcelona)

Located in the bowels of Via Laeitana in Barcelona, Ávalon is a trendy, informal and pleasant restaurant by Ramón Freixa in Barcelona.

Service: 13,5/20
The waiters were nice, but the service was overall slow, not attentive and clumsy (and the restaurant was not even half full).

Ambiance and décor: 17/20
Trendy and well decorated. With a more skillful kitchen, energy and ambiance and the place would definitely be a "must go" in Barcelona. As this is not the case, it is only another not-so-fantastic-restaurant sponsored by a well known Spanish chef. 

Food: 14/20

The worst thing you can find in a restaurant is inconsistency in food, in particular, in a place orientated by a reference of the Spanish cuisine. Our dinner had to two different parts: (i) the tapas - best part - and (ii) the mains - a tragedy. 

The tapas were modern, but not completely unfaithful interpretations of Spanish classical dishes, such as patatas bravas ("Las bravas del Ávalon"), croquetas ("croquetas de asado"), pan tomaca ("coca de cristal con tomate") and the "canelones gratinados de tres carnes". These were all great, nothing exquisite or complex, but simple and well executed small dishes.

The mains: that is what I call a disaster. My "Arroz meloso con sepia y butifarra", the squid and rice is a great combination but undoubtedly without the addition of butifarra that made the dish so much more intense and unbalanced, where the fat and meat flavour completely overcame the sea flavour of the squids. The "Atún con coca fina de “recapte” al carbon vejetal" and the "Hamburguesa de pato con helado de mostaza" were also quite mediocre, despite the catchy and appealing name of both dishes.

Overall: 14/20
Pros: Reasonable price for tapas in a trendy place, access to the Skybar on the top of the hotel
Cons: Food inconsistency, service

Ávalon by Ramón Freixa
Via Laeitana, 30, Barcelona, Spain
http://www.grandhotelcentral.com

Genre: Modern Spanish Tapas
Price: Approx. €25/person
Michelin: N.A.
St. Pellegrino World's Best Restaurants: N.A:
Date of visit: Summer 2012