My sister and I had a one of a kind dinner at Spoonik making it one of our favorite dining experiences.
From its humble exterior, Spoonik seems like an unassuming restaurant with nothing special to offer. However, the moment you step in, you are immediately transported into a colorful and bright interior with furnishings that match the uniqueness of the restaurant's name.
A typical dining service requires guests to sit in a shared table seating that replicates the family style eating. However, my sister and I were fortunate enough to be the only guests signed up for that serving so we were able to have a special one-on-one dining experience with Chef Jamie. He was more than personable and explained the dishes with such passion that you could not help but fall in love with the food.
Chef Jamie also made notes on making dining a sensorial experience. There are definite exciting bits throughout the meal that are surprising and fun unlike any other restaurant. Plus, not only was all the food good, but also very filling! Sometimes you can leave the restaurant feeling like you paid a lot for fancy food but something was not quite there. It helps that there are food items that are meant to mimic typical Spanish comfort foods that really feeds into the soul. We also did the wine pairing which may have also helped!
When making a reservation, you do have to put in a deposit. At the end of the meal, you pay the balance and/or for the wine pairing. Friendly reminder to show up on time, but if you show up too early, they will not seat you! This is mainly because they take extra precautions to prepare for the guests because once you are inside, you feel like you are part of the family. Spoonik is located not too far from a bus stop or train station.
Overall, Spoonik transports you to another world that makes it a must visit if you are in Barcelona!
It is always nice to see a restaurant that doesn't take themselves too seriously. From the eclectic and funky decor to the creative use of mirrors and dentures for plating, Spoonik manages to strike a great balance of high end and playful.
The decor is kinda nightclub meets your living room, with book shelves, colorful statues, a bit of Aztec art, dayglow, and flashing lights for effect during the meal - it's an assault on your senses. Seating is family style, which can make for some great conversations with neighbors. When you arrive, they take each table on a tour through the kitchen, introducing the staff and doling out a couple of small bites to start off the meal.
The menu isn't really up for debate. Everyone is served the same items. We actually never saw one, and may never remember exactly what we had, although the staff does explain the dishes once they are served. Compared to other similar gastro-style restaurants, the pricing is very reasonable, as is the additional wine pairing option. One of my biggest complaints is probably with the wine pairing though. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the local options served, they were brought out haphazardly and not exactly one to one with each course. As a result, we were never really sure which wine went with which dish, nor if we should try to save more for the next plate. Simple to remedy, but I think would improve the overall experience.
As for the food, it was bright, colorful, and they definitely implemented some unique techniques. The items overall were a bit hit or miss for me, with some having more show and less flavor than I would prefer. Again, I didn't have a menu, so working solely on memory...My favorite was an assortment of shelled seafood (oysters, clams, etc.) served with different preparations. They were fresh and each one had a great flavor. There also seemed to be a couple of dishes inspired by Central and South America, like a mini arepa. Being from Miami these were more familiar, and I tended to prefer the items that were more authentic to Spain, like a traditional Catalan soup with shell-shaped noodles and meatballs, which a fellow diner told us is typically served around the holidays. Also, one of the dessert courses was a chocolate item dusted with edible gold pop rocks that was a lot of fun.
Throughout the entire meal, the passion of the staff was evident (sometimes erring on the side of overzealous), and the chefs clearly paid a lot of attention to detail. Definitely a different from your average Fideuà restaurant or tapas bar for those looking to try something new.
Very unique dining experience. Seating is family style shared table. We didn't expect this and asked for a different table separated from the other groups and the chef accommodated this for us.
We were welcomed by a glass of champagne, followed by a few appetizers served in the kitchen where all the food was prepared, and then we went back to our table to enjoy the rest of meal. Along the way we were accompanied by music and lights that kept changing as the courses proceed, which was interesting. There were a few courses that we really liked and a few that were mediocre, but overall I think it's a good experience that differs from other fine dinings we've had here. 3.5 stars.
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