The Credentials:
ABaC Restaurant Hotel Monument, located in the exclusive Sarriá-Sant Gervasi neighbourhood, is one of the best-looking hotels in Barcelona. Located on the former site of the US Consulate, the exterior is bucolic hideaway meets cutting-edge modernist design: although the complex is plonked on a bustling crossroads, it is surrounded by a towering wooden fence and enclosed in a mini forest of cork trees. The building structure itself is unusual—the glass pavilion latticed with slabs of teak wood immediately catches the eye.
ABAC has just 15 rooms. As a result, it never feels busy and always retains a tranquil atmosphere and exclusive air.
Dine:
It’s called ABaC Restaurant & Hotel for a reason. Dining here takes centre stage, as the establishment is home to a two Michelin-starred restaurant. At the helm is experimental chef Jordi Cruz, one of the most important pioneers in the much celebrated Modern Catalan food movement.
Expect simple, locally sourced, fresh ingredients, which are meticulously vetted. The beautifully-conceived signature dishes include Chinese bread, fried brioche and grilled eel served with wasabi and smoked aioli, and chocolate earth served with cream of parsnip soup and baked tuber vegetable skins.
Sleep:
The reasonably spacious rooms were completely soundproof and slickly designed. There appeared to be no expense spared, from the Bang & Olufsen television and Treca de Paris mattresses to the bathrooms kitted out with Hermes products. I was very happy to see a Jacuzzi with chromo therapy and rainshower. The finishing was also beautiful—Gastón & Daniela textiles, rose-coloured velvet devoré drapes and exotic wood floors.
I slept extremely well, found the bathroom water to be consistently piping hot and the wifi worked splendidly.
Who Goes There?
A mixture of younger and older gourmands with an appreciation for smaller hotels that are big on design.
Out & About:
Rather aptly, the hotel is located in a neighbourhood that could easily be classified as a food shopper’s paradise. Head for the market on Pg Reina Elisenda de Montcada: it’s hard to miss, located in an imposing Modernista building of reddish-brown brick. It’s like a miniature, less touristy version of the Boqueria, with everything from offal to fresh seafood on offer.
The area is also known for its fantastic little food shops. The Chocolate Factory is the place to go for, well, everything chocolate, from lollies to jams. Foix de Sarrià is a tasty little patisserie prized for its elaborate pastries and singular macaroons.
The Worst Thing:
Some of the technology in the rooms was overly complicated. It took me a good five minutes to work out how to operate the shower properly.
The Best Thing:
The place is quiet and relaxed to the point where just a stay overnight here is probably as good for your soul as a whole day of pampering in the spa.
