Some gleaming, towering modernist glass monolith just wouldn’t play in lovely, historic Barcelona. That’s why the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona makes its home where it does, in a classic bank building that’s the better part of a century old. The stately facade blends well with its tony Eixample surroundings, on the Passeig de Gràcia — and it’s not until you’re inside that you enter another world entirely.

The fine-dining restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona hotel is run by Raül Balam, son of the legendary chef Carme Ruscalleda. In addition to his own undeniable individual talent, you’ll note several culinary traits he has inherited from his mother. Dominated by amber and gold tones, the modern dining space also features a window through which it’s possible to watch the team at work in the kitchen.

Monument Hotel is an elegant five-star hotel that’s opened on the same premises as Restaurante Lasarte, a three-star restaurant by Martín Berasategui, the Basque chef who holds more MICHELIN Stars than any other chef in Spain. Lasarte is a landmark, considered one of the best places to eat in Barcelona, and now it has a hotel to match. But should you crave something a bit more casual than a world-class eleven-course tasting menu, there’s also a Mediterranean-inspired eatery, the one-star Oria.

It's unusual to find spin-offs that manage to live up to the standards set by the original, but that is exactly what has happened in this incredible restaurant, named after the town in which legendary Martín Berasategui chef has built his culinary empire. Here, Paolo Casagrande, the protégé of this San Sebastián culinary maestro, puts his own spin on exquisite dishes first conceived by his mentor, showcasing them in a more avant-garde setting.

The luxury Monument Hotel, occupying a late-19C, neo-Gothic-inspired mansion (Casa Enric Batlló), continues to place fine dining at the centre of what it offers, hence the Oria restaurant in addition to the award-winning Three MICHELIN star Lasarte. Incorporated into the hotel lobby, the Oria is a spacious, elegant and unique restaurant run by Xabi Goikoetxea and overseen by master-chef Martín Berasategui, who stamps his indelible hallmark on an updated take on traditional cuisine.

Barcelona, already one of Europe’s hottest destinations, has in recent years consolidated its position as a worldwide culinary capital. It’s no longer just about tapas bars that stay open long after other countries have gone to bed, it’s about cutting-edge culinary experimentation as well, pushing high-end dining beyond its traditional limits. And so we see hotels like the Àbac Restaurant Hotel, hotels that quite literally put the restaurant first.

Tradition, cutting-edge, flavour, attitude and passion, along with a consistent approach, define to perfection the cooking of Jordi Cruz. In his elegant restaurant boasting views of a tranquil garden dotted with some amazing works of contemporary art, he offers diners a unique gastronomic experience that constantly evolves in line with ingredients from the changing seasons.

A hundred yards from the Mediterranean, Barcelona’s Hotel Arts was tied with the Torre Mapre for the tallest building in Barcelona until the continued construction on Gaudí’s Sagrada Família placed the church just a couple of meters higher. Despite its singular name, it’s a Ritz-Carlton hotel, with the high standards of comfort and service to match. There are numerous places to eat and drink, although the star of the show is the two-MICHELIN-Star Enoteca Paco Pérez.

Located in the luxurious Hotel Arts and overseen by award-winning chef Paco Pérez, this restaurant serves highly nuanced Mediterranean cuisine that is enriched with international influences and the occasional nod to Asian fusion cooking. The governing principles in the kitchen are underpinned by an utmost respect for seasonal ingredients and a clear goal to elevate traditional dining concepts such as “sea and mountains”.