Mont Bar (*) – Barcelona, Spain

Mont Bar was highly recommended to us by Redditors in this sub, with many mentioning it was one of their favourite fine dining experiences in Barcelona. Unlike most other fine dining restaurants, Mont Bar offers an à la carte option. However, since it was our first time dining at Mont Bar, we chose to go with their tasting menu at 145€ per person.

Food (9/10):
The food was tasty with a strong mix of familiar flavours, good textures and elements of Asian influence and little bit of molecular gastronomy which we felt enhanced the dishes. As you’ll see from the photos, most of their menu consists of ‘snacks’ – small 1 or 2 bites dishes meant to be eaten with fingers. Each of these packed a ton of flavour and were all delicious. The ‘main’ dishes were all tasty, with elevated takes on classic combinations. No misses, but as with any tasting menu, some dishes weren’t as memorable as others and there were a few standouts being the sea bass ceviche snack, sobrasada and cheese mochi snack, and tuna belly. Presentation of the dishes was contemporary and aesthetic.

Drinks (N/A): We just had water, so not much to report here.

Service (9.5/10):
We really enjoyed the service at Mont Bar. The service team was warm and friendly and certainly not ‘stuffy’ which is sometimes the case in fine dining establishments. They were talkative and interactions felt genuine. The service staff would often express their excitement about dishes they personally liked the most, which was fun to see. As expected at a 1-star restaurant, the service was also professional and attentive. If there’s one thing to be picky about, it’s that sometimes we had to ask the service staff to repeat dish descriptions because they spoke a bit fast and with their Spanish accent, it was difficult to understand at times. They were happy to provide extra details when asked. We only speak English and their English is much better than our Spanish, so maybe this isn’t a reasonable thing to be picky about.

The co-owner of Mont Bar came by to chat with us mid-meal and at the end of the meal. He was very friendly, and upon hearing that we’re from the same place as his wife, gave us his personal number and offered to give us restaurant recommendations for the next locations on our trip. This was a highlight for us, but may also be unique to our experience. Regardless, it shows the owner’s friendliness and we saw him chatting up other diners as well.

Atmosphere (8/10):
Upon entering the restaurant, the space is intimate and the vibes are upscale but casual at the same time. The interior of the restaurant is nice but isn’t anything special, with a few bar seats (this is where we sat), and some dining tables. The restaurant’s atmosphere, while not ‘stunning’ by any means, pairs well with the upscale but approachable style of the food and service.

Overall (9/10):
Mont Bar was an excellent dining experience that I’d describe as ‘fine dining in an approachable setting’. The food was great, with a few standouts, and the service was some of the friendliest and most genuine we’ve experienced in a fine dining setting. Nothing about the dining experience felt pretentious, especially with all of the finger food ‘snacks’ and main courses where fingers were the best option (the shrimp head and the pigeon wing). At the price point of 145€, we felt that it was great value and would recommend Mont Bar to anyone in Barcelona. Mont Bar is one of the better 1-star restaurants we’ve been to, but wouldn’t say it has the level of refinement needed to earn a second star. That being said, with the way Mont Bar has crafted their dining experience, we think they should just keep doing what they’re doing because it was excellent as is.