Most of the 26 most luxurious hotels among almost half a thousand establishments in Barcelona have prepared proposals for gastronomic and well-being celebrations worthy of their five stars, such as the Eurostars Grand Marina in the Word Trade Center overlooking the port. … Barcelona or Mandarin Oriental in the heart of Paseo de Gracia. But It is on the hills of Barcelona’s two mountains that the experience of a Christmas getaway in the city itself is most enjoyable..
In addition to the renovated METT Barcelona, which reopened its doors at the Tibidabo cinema with a high-quality gastronomic and wellness offer, on the city’s other mountain, Montjuïc, the hotel InterContinental Barcelona invites visitors and locals to experience the spirit of Christmas this December with gastronomic, solidarity and well-being proposals with close views of the city. Under the motto “Celebrate the magic of Christmas in Montjuïc”, the hotel presents a festive agenda that brings together star-studded dinners in Quirat by chef Víctor Torres, a very complete Sunday bruch or well-being rituals that illuminate the body and face, as well as family proposals for charitable purposes and the traditional menus for Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and a large New Year’s Eve buffet as generous as it is refined for 285 euros. All this with previews or highlights, if you wish, of Gebre cocktails.
And the luxury cocktail bar InterContinental also joins in Christmas celebrations with a close-up experience, consisting of a gourmet table designed for two people that combines artisanal Catalan and European-inspired products – such as Vic’s sausage or truffled brie -, perfect to accompany a signature cocktail or a glass of champagne. The proposal is supplemented by a festive cocktail collection designed for the occasion, which capture the essence of the season: notes of cinnamon, citrus and nougat aromas intertwine in unique combinations like the Negroni d’Hivern with its bitter and deep elegance or the seductive and enveloping Nougat Old Fashioned, winter reinterpretations that invite you to savor winter from a new perspective.
Solidarity Sunday Bruche
This Sunday, December 7 and next December 14, the Arrel restaurant is hosting two events to inaugurate the Christmas festivities with the Christmas Brunch & Decoration Workshop. It’s ainvitation to families and friends to enjoy a gourmet brunch buffet while participating, on December 7, in a creative and sustainable origami workshop. An experience which, for 75 euros for adults and 45 euros for children under 16, combines gastronomy, art and festive spirit, ideal for sharing the emotion of the season and taking a souvenir home in a warm and family atmosphere. In the case of Sunday 14, already a prelude to Christmas, will take place the Solidarity Brunch with a visit from Santa Clausa day which is intended to be endearing and which combines enthusiasm and social commitment, since part of the profits of 90 euros for adults and the other half for those under 16 will be donated to the Trini Jove Foundation to deliver toys to children in vulnerable situations.
And to prepare body and mind for the excesses of Christmas, nothing better than undergoing two new Exclusive InterContinental Spa rituals inspired by renewal and the light of winter. This is Morjana’s She Light Christmas Ritual, a 60-minute body treatment that combines the warm energy of amber with sensory techniques to reconnect with the body and inner well-being. And the Casmara Christmas Radiance Ritual, a 45-minute facial treatment designed to restore the face’s natural luminosity, combining revitalizing, oxygenating and moisturizing active ingredients. Both experiences include access to the water circuit and are designed as an ideal gift to enjoy or share during the holidays.
The treatment begins with a deep cleansing which prepares the skin to receive all the active ingredients, followed by a gentle glycolic peel which renews the skin surface and stimulates cell regeneration. Next, an oxygen mask is applied, which revitalizes the skin and improves its oxygenation, providing immediate freshness and luminosity. The ritual ends with a highly hydrating hyaluronic acid mask.which leaves the skin smooth, radiant and perfectly balanced.
Haute cuisine of Christmas in Arrel
The two restaurants of the InterContinental Barcelona, Arrel and Quirat, are dressing up this month to offer menus that reinterpret tradition with a contemporary touch. At Arrel, their menus evoke the familiar flavors of Catalan cuisine, enhanced by the restaurant’s technique and care. In the case of the Christmas menu (December 25, €75), it begins with a delicate crayfish tartare with lime and cucumber emulsion, followed by a Gillardeau oyster with roasted tomato foam and a semi-cooked liver and port gel sandwich. Before continuing, a pebble soup with small truffled meatballs and Carn d’Olla with seasonal vegetables. For the main course, the classic roast turkey with truffle chipolata and roast juice. The sweet end is accompanied by a Christmas log with nougat ice cream, accompanied by nougat and neulas.
The San Esteban menu (December 26, €75) brings homage to Catalan tradition with dishes that bring back memories of the family table: Roasted chicken cannelloni with plums, light béchamel and demi-glace, coastal turbot with squid ratatouille and cava velouté, and the Montserrat dessert, an exclusive creation by the chef, also accompanied by the essential nougats and neulas. And the New Year’s menu (January 1, €95) celebrates the start of the year with a sophisticated touch: lobster salad with Vall d’Aran caviar, monkfish coated with bacon with spinach, raisins and pine nuts, and goat’s cheese confit in rosemary oil with apple textures, crowned by a Dubai chocolate dessert to close with sweetness and elegance. All menus include wine cellars, coffees and infusions.
For its part, the grand New Year’s Eve buffet (December 31, €285) celebrates exuberance and gastronomy with an offering that is as generous as it is refined. The experience begins with a visit to the buffet called “De Nuestro Huerto KM0”, with local and seasonal products such as tomato tartare with burrata, old beets with apple and Moët Chandon, green asparagus with yuzu and winter sprouts and crab salad. Next comes the Boqueria Market Buffet, with a careful selection of Iberian ham and local cold cuts, national and international cheeses from Vila Viniteca, Mediterranean smoked meats, pickles and steak tartare, as well as a De la Mar corner offering special Guillardeau oysters, crabs, crayfish and shrimp. Among the main dishes, a risotto with mushrooms and truffles in a 20 kg wheel of parmesan, veal shank glazed with Robuchon puree, sea bass, monkfish and squid romescada, Wellington sirloin and roast suckling pig with applesauce. The sweet finishing touch is a tempting selection of truffles and chocolate stones, homemade French toast, cream and truffle cannolis, mini tartlets, macaroons, artisan cakes and a special New Year’s Eve dessert, accompanied by nougat and neulas. All accompanied by a selection of high-end wines and Moët & Chandon Brut champagne, to welcome the new year with elegance and flavor.
Quirat: the elegance of a table with Soleil et Étoile
For its part, at the Quirat restaurant, chef Víctor Torres, Michelin star and Repsol sun, signs two unique experiences that turn every bite into a celebration. The Christmas Eve menu (December 24, €160) is designed to pay homage to the Mediterranean pantry in its most refined version: Gillardeau oyster with Iberian broth and caviar, carabinero with its juice and tempura, seasonal mushrooms with perol and hazelnuts and pork legs with lobster and samphire, among other dishes that combine sea and mountain in perfect balance. The desserts – sobrasada and anise with mel i mata and pear and chocolate – close a warm, intense and deeply wintery proposition. And as for the December 31 event, the New Year’s Eve menu is offered (€405), with a luxury gastronomic experience to say goodbye to the year with a taste of excellence. On the menu, dishes such as grilled oysters with onion and Comté soup, lobster tartare with oscietra caviar, scallops with Melanosporum truffle and porcini cream. The main dishes are turbot with grilled pepper and Lourdes water and oxtail with liver and truffled parmentier. The experience culminates with desserts such as Grape and Cava and Vanilla with Melanosporum Truffle, accompanied by a curated selection of premium wines and champagnes. And don’t forget that you need to join the gym on January 2 and, if you are already registered, remember that you will have to go there to burn such a large amount of calories.
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