Valmas Barcelona

Walking through the neighborhood on my way to another restaurant. Saw the sign about custom meal of the day. The meal is prepared based on what is fresh in the local market. Excellent experience- I walked in, but did not have a reservation- so I sat with a glass of Monsant- a local red, awesome red by the way. So a dinner opening came up while I sat- perfect timing. I had 4 plates, 2 fish, 1 beef and desert. They also make their own cheese. All deliciously prepared and presented by the chef Melissa. Put this on your list. But make a reservation-it will be worth it.

This hidden gem does not have a menu. The chef Melissa creates up to 7 unique meals made of fresh seasonal ingredients. Each meal is a surprise to share with the table. Trust me, you will not be disappointed! Each entree will surprise you- when you think it can’t get better, it does! Each meal is a perfect balance of flavor, texture, and color. The chef is truly an artist! It is a beautiful modern restaurant with a chic vibe. There are hand painted poems on the walls that were composed by Melissa. She is the person who greets you, seats you, and serves you. It’s a very personal touch that makes you feel very connected to the culinary experience. This was an absolutely delightful experience!

Valmas, located in the Eixample district in Barcelona, offers surprises (sorpresas) from the moment one enters the well designed modern space on Carrer de Mallorca. Greeted by Natalia, the lovely front of house host, who explained that Valmas does not have a printed menu. Rather, each day the chef de cuisine, Melissa Herrera, visits Barcelona’s Boqueria market to select fresh fish, meat and other produce that she uses to work her magic creating delightful plates/meals grounded in Andalusian and Mediterranean cuisine while not being limited by traditional notions. Natalia checked with each of the 4 persons in our party for dietary restrictions in our case, one wasn’t eating gluten and another didn’t want blood sausage. She also asked us to describe the type of wine we preferred and then brought us several selections to consider. We built a consensus on a chilled Galician vino blanco which was the perfect complement to our dinner. With this knowledge, Melissa then created a series of expertly crafted dishes such as cheese with avocado cream and pomegranates, stewed chicken with a potato/turnip puree and jus as well as a several other dishes and dessert. Each dish was portioned for 2 and served at an appropriate pace. We thought the pricing at 10.90 Euros per dish was reasonable given the quality/presentation. While Valmas doesn’t have a Michelin star (yet), our meal and experience were better than many we have had at restaurants with Michelin stars. So, if you are searching for a fun, creative place to eat, grounded in but not tied to traditional Spanish cuisine, you are likely to have a memorable experience at Valmas!

We found this restaurant when we wanted a drink while we were on the waiting list to a crowded tapas bar in the same street. We ended up skipping our table and staying for one of the most memorable dinners of our trip. Its a restaurant with an all woman staff and there is no set menu, they buy fresh from the markey every day and prepare the food. Its a hidden gem, truly!

Lugar relativamente nuevo, decoración preciosa, el chef es melissa herrera de topchef, gente muy agradable que están detrás de cercas. tiene 3 menús, uno por 25€, otro por 40€ y el último por 60€. No tienen un menú fijo, te muestran un álbum de fotos, pero el menú varía dependiendo de la pesca y los productos del día, para que puedas encontrar cualquier plato. Esto es algo que algunas personas pueden gotear como otros que no lo hacen. un punto a favor es que pueden mezclar menús en la misma mesa, por lo que no necesitarán ordenar todo lo mismo. el precio del menú también parecía un poco excesivo para los platos que ofrecen. Es difícil que venga del interruptor que es normal, pero les deseamos el mayor éxito.