Uma, Barcelona

It’s no secret Barcelona is becoming as famous for its culinary ingenuity as its inventive architecture. I wanted to explore this during a recent trip to the city and made a reservation at Uma, the No. 1 restaurant in Barcelona on TripAdvisor at the time. The restaurant maintains an impressive 5-star rating with nearly 1,000 reviews.

Walking into Uma feels as though you’re entering the dining room of an eclectic and sophisticated friend. The setting is warm and welcoming, creativity offset by intriguing light fixtures on the ceiling and contemporary paintings on the wall. There is only one lunch and one dinner service per day starting at 1:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively. While the restaurant is relatively spacious, only about 12 people can reserve to dine during each time slot, allowing Chef Iker Erauzkin to dedicate his full attention to every dish served.

The focal point of the restaurant is the exhibition kitchen, where you can watch the chef and his small team create each dish from the fusion tasting menu. Each new item is a different journey: a golden egg you shatter to reach the creme inside, a soup hiding inside a hollowed-out rock, a vibrant dessert plate with a chocolate tower reaching a foot in height. The dramatic and playful plating is a large part of the restaurant’s pull.

Uma is a value play. It’s the place to go for (almost) Michelin-style dining at less than half the cost. For $112 per person, you can feel like you’re inside an episode of Chef’s Table. While it may not ever be listed in the Michelin Guide, each dish is created with precision and passion.