Moments

Moments is the Catalan fine-dining restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona. Chef Raül Balam leads the kitchen.

Balam is the son of Carme Ruscalleda, who grew up in a farming family in Sant Pol de Mar and built her name with the restaurant Sant Pau there and its sister in Tokyo. Mother and son created Moments together in 2009, with Ruscalleda as manager and Balam at the stove. A first Michelin star came in 2010 and a second two years later, on the restaurant's third birthday. The guide now lists it with one star.

Balam cooks in a creative, fresh and light style, inspired by Catalan food culture and built on seasonal produce. He reinvents Catalan dishes, and a long and a short tasting menu change with the market. When Catalonia was named a World Region of Gastronomy, the restaurant prepared a seasonal menu rooted in local traditions and ingredients. The tasting menu can also be adapted for vegetarians and vegans, which suits a kitchen that sets much store by vegetables. Each season brings a new set of dishes, so returning guests rarely meet the same menu twice.

Patricia Urquiola designed the room, and an open window lets diners see into the kitchen. A private chef's table looks straight onto the cooks. Wines come partly from some of the coldest vineyards in the world, and a non-alcoholic pairing was created with producers in southern Catalonia. For a restaurant inside a luxury hotel, the family story behind it gives Moments a personal character that hotel dining rooms rarely have.