Jiribilla

"Taco joints might be ten a peso in Barcelona, but Jiribilla does things differently. This Catalan chef spiced up his craft in Mexico City, so while the ingredients and many of the recipes are local, they’re prepared with plenty of Mexican flair (by which we mean pungent flavors that whack you in the mouth, right where you want them). Like the salsa macha-laden steak tartare stuffed in a corn tortilla, or the lentils—arguably the humblest of winter casseroles prepared by Catalan octogenarians for their reluctant grandchildren—made here with a base of Mexican carabinero stew full of marinated chili and boiled shrimp heads. This place is like Spain’s Mediterranean coast and a Mexico City street food stall had one too many mezcals one night and the result is Jiribilla." - Isabelle Kliger

"Here, next to the Sant Antoni market, they say that the “Jiribilla”, a Pacific wind that is common in Mexico, is blowing strongly in Barcelona! After almost two decades in Mexico, Catalan chef Gerard Bellver has returned to his native region to showcase his cooking, which shows evident Mexican influences but with a nod to the cooking of his homeland. His various highly seasoned mole sauces, corn tortitas, and aguachiles, among other dishes, are often accompanied by a Mezcal-based cocktail. Dishes that stood out for us included the red prawn aguachile, with a chilli and jalapeño sauce, and the intensely flavoured crab “tetela”." - Michelin Inspector