Valentine's Day in Barcelona

The Winter Garden restaurant at the El Palace hotel lives up to any expectations you might have when you enter one of the great hotels in Barcelona. The exclusivity is in the views as well as in the kitchen. The restaurant boasts spectacular 360-degree views of Barcelona, and  you get to choose between two tasting menus (November to April) with an air of French haute cuisine that are perfect for trying a bit of everything along with wine pairings. In the warmer months (April to October), the Jardín Diana garden is transformed into an urban oasis. The hotel's top floor offers signature tapas and Mediterranean cuisine, a selection of cocktails and good music with DJ sessions. Year round, this is an idyllic space away from the noise of the city streets, with one of the best panoramic views in town.

There's a saying in Spanish that translates roughly to 'Small house, big heart', and the owners of Casa Xica (which means Small House in Catalan), Marc and Raquel must have very big hearts indeed. The easiest way to describe what they do is to call it fusion cooking. But that term has become so overused, and in their case it's more of a compilation of tastes they've learned in faraway lands with their own touch added to tempt even the fussiest of diners. Take, for example, the tabbouleh: it's delicious, healthy, made from local ingredients and enhanced with fish practically taken right from the sea. Casa Xica provides that little push you might need on your date to make the all-important first move.

Catalan chef Alain Guiard, with French roots and education, calls his restaurant 'playful, straightforward and affordable dining option in a five-star Relais Chateaux hotel'. The restaurant, which overlooks one of Barcelona's loveliest squares, is pure magic. The brilliance of the dishes allows for them to be mixed and matched with anarchy. The medium-sized portions are made for sharing, though you might not want to: the egg with parmentier, smoked eel, carbonara foam and tobiko is something you'll want all for yourself. Guiard shows off his strengths with a series of seafood and shellfish dishes, such as a sea bass ragout, cockles and mussels with orange and coconut, which is both a classic dish and at the same time a type of hot ceviche. The crunchy potato tacos with crab, sour cream and caviar are unforgettable.

Most of us think about eating by the sea to get a really authentic paella in Barcelona. So it might surprise you to know that when you're talking about Casa Àngela, you can get the real thing in the vicinity of the Sagrada Família. Here rice dishes reign: they've got eight on the menu and all are powerful and tasty. Also in their repertoire is a selection of classic tapas that will satisfy tourists looking for something near Gaudí's cathedral as well as locals looking for quality: garlic prawns, 'patatas bravas', croquettes and cod fritters. The owners say they want to be in there among the top rice dishes and tapas to try in Barcelona, adding that they cook everything from scratch with quality products, and they don't overcharge customers. And a tapas bar and rice speciality restaurant in the Sagrada Família neighbourhood can also be a great place for a date: you'll find phenomenal views of the Sagrada Família itself in intimate and cosy surrounds. 

Kenia Nakamura and Anna Peray go hand in hand in this welcoming space where 'kaiseki' rules. This Japanese cooking concept varies throughout the year depending on the season and you’ll find the essence of the product on every plate. The pair have developed a harmonious menu, one that is thoughtful, aesthetic, ceremonial, and stripped of any pretentions. It’s not only a gastronomic project but a life project. 

Passing by El Pla you'll see that it's a romantic spot by definition. As you make your way amid the dark and narrow streets of the Barri Gòtic, the scene is being set for your arrival into this restaurant with exquisite low light and an informal yet elegant decor that pairs perfectly with the cuisine. The wines and desserts also go well with the starters and mains, and they're outstanding. El Pla has been open for two decades now, and the work of chef Andrew Smith has lifted it to an especially sweet spot, with dishes charged with flavour and creativity, like the grilled carrot carpaccio withelderflower and horseradish.

It's great for lunch, sure, but dinner at Le Cucine Mandarosso with a friend or family member might be a bit strange. Because the ambience emanates an intangible intimate and cosy quality that's just right for a romantic date. It's all subtle, casual, with retro furniture, and products and books on the shelves that line the walls. Plus the Italian cuisine itself raises the bar on sensuality. If your dinner date still isn't clear on your intentions, Le Cucine will help you out in that capacity. A word of warning (or advice): the burrata cheese can make you lose all your inhibitions.

In the game of seduction and coupling, the element of surprise and a certain blast of excitement can mark a turning point in a relationship. You could meet your partner at the door wearing just sexy underwear and a rose between your teeth. But inviting your sweetheart to a restaurant inside the tower of a funicular could win you even more points, given that it's a frivolous whimsy of sorts in itself. This is when you're ready to bring out all the heavy artillery to say: 'I'm starving, but I'll sell a kidney for you to have a stunning meal.'

You'll find Catalan cuisine prepared more with a focus on ingredients and seasonality than on sticking to the letter of a recipe. For example, the 'fricandó' is thin slices of stewed veal stuffed with Jerusalem artichoke, with a creamy sauce of 'rossinyols' (chanterelle mushrooms) and a picada that's much more than just your typical garlic and parsley. Another memorable dish is one that may seem basic, but it's prepared with the accuracy of sniper: sweet potato with feta cheese. You get the sweetness of autumn with the fresh acidity of the Mediterranean, combined with a savoury sauce of caramelised vinegar and hazelnuts. Wow. They've also set out to revolutionise the vermouth hour a bit – the mussels with bacon wake up your mouth and throat – and at any time of the day you'll find excellent Roman-style pizzas (a crispy and light crust that's fermented for three days) and a pasta of the day, like an incredible meeting of the traditional Catalan galet shell pasta and the traditional Sardinian culurgione stuffed pasta – a burst of freshness, basil and more-ish sauce.

The Grup Confitería have reopened the old Beltxenea (a Basque restaurant that once stood on the same spot and closed in 2012) and renamed it Rilke. Decadent romanticism sticks to the place like syphilis to Baudelaire: it's a stately building that dates back to the early 20th century, boasting an imperial dining room with views of the interior courtyard that's presided over by a Venus de Milo, a fountain with lions, and exquisitely dense vegetation. You sit down with a glass of burgundy, sigh, and have the feeling that any minute a character out of 'Madame Bovary' will appear. If the person you're wooing has goth or ethereal leanings, ask for a table in front of the garden and recite Baudelaire's 'A Carcass' to them. And what the hell, if they're not a goth or a weirdo, the amazing dishes that come out of Rafa Peña's kitchen will win them over nonetheless.