SANTA

So close, and yet so far from Paradise is what you could say about the setting of Paco Guzmán’s Santa. It’s only a stone’s throw from Santa Maria, his better-known tapas place in the trendy El Born, and right next to the greens of Parc Ciutadella, but also sits at a busy five-street intersection at the cusp of a decaying industrial neighbourhood. However, step inside and you’ll find a minimalist, yet cosy, culinary oasis.

It’s Paco’s first attempt at a ‘real’ restaurant (Santa Maria is tapas-only), but the dishes are still best enjoyed when ordered by the handful and shared and, like Paco himself, the atmosphere is laidback and informal. (How many El Bulli-alumni would profess to employ only “call boys, lesbians and fags”?) Don’t miss the Dracula, the signature dessert of raspberries, vanilla custard, coca cola foam and Pop Rocks.