ABAC

Plenty of drama for the city's top restaurant of late, with the departure of busy chef Xavier Pellicer. It turned out that the kitchen - and its supplies - was also used for his catering business. Oops. It lost one of its two Michelin stars, but with Jordi Cruz - the youngest Spanish chef ever to have been awarded a Michelin star - having taken over the reins, the restaurant's well-deserved stellar reputation is in good hands.

The restaurant is now located in a moneyed uptown neighbourhood at the foot of the hills, housed in the former American embassy, and although we liked its former location smack in the middle of the El Born shopping district, a more appropriate base from which to advocate its classic cuisine. The owners have used the additional space to add fifteen luxurious hotel rooms for those who have overindulged on the gastronomic delicacies, like the suckling pig with mango tatin or the bamboo-steamed foie gras. Enquire about special dinner-hotel packages.