A tasting menu of Andalusian dishes from the 17th century contained more misses than hits. Without the historical context of the dishes, it was hard to appreciate them fully

A dramatic dining room with a centrally placed kitchen is the location for a culinary tour through Catalonia and Spain. Some amazing appetizers and desserts surrounded the good, but not stellar regular courses on the tasting menu

A tasting menu where every dish includes Iberian ham. While this leads to some fun results, more often than not this gimmick works against the kitchen

A menu that takes virtually all ingredients from the ocean is an intellectual and culinary tour-de-force, and a foodie’s dream come true. The rest of us will get mostly excellent dishes, but also the occasional one that’s more experimental rather than tasty

A few excellent dishes and a great wine pairing don’t justify the trip to this out-of-the-way restaurant in Northern Spain. Much of the food and the service were underwhelming

Modern Spanish food with interesting ingredient combinations and creative presentations. For the most part delightful, and worth the trip to the outskirts of Barcelona

Modern Spanish cuisine that features some excellent dishes, but pales in comparison to chef Martín Berasategui’s eponymous restaurant near San Sebastian