PUR: Pure Cooking

Anyone with an eye on international foodie hotspots will know that Barcelona has for some years now had a growing reputation as a powerhouse. Pur, in the heart of the Catalan capital, is a case in point.

A sister restaurant to the Michelin-starred Can Jubany, the emphasis is on simplicity with an uncluttered contemporary interior and a similarly uncluttered approach to food.

“The entire design of the restaurant revolves around the open-plan kitchen,” explains award-winning Chef Nandu Jubany. “We want diners to be right in the thick of the action by giving them the chance to see exactly how their meals are prepared.”

Simple materials such as wood, marble and leather create a warm natural-feeling environment, reflecting the philosophy that lies behind the cuisine: to use the freshest possible ingredients and bring out their intrinsic natural flavours.

“Our cuisine is light and simply prepared,” says Jubany, whose illustrious career has included stints at world class Basque establishments such as the three-Michelin-starred Arzak and Martin Berasategui, “using fresh ingredients. Dishes are intentionally simple to bring out the true flavours, textures and aromas of the produce.”

Left: Hake cheeks.

Star dishes are the large grilled lobsters, Mediterranean tuna belly, and Cantabrian anchovies served on a bed of stracciatella cheese and candied almonds. But the focus is not only on fish. There is also bone marrow with caviar, grilled wagyu loin with fresh wasabi, and grilled foie gras served on roasted onions and drizzled with onion jus.

“We source the best available produce from Spain and beyond. We want to play around with high-quality ingredients to produce dishes bursting with flavour,” explains Nandu.

Where possible, ingredients are sourced from the surrounding parts of Catalonia, including sea cucumbers from the Costa Brava, foie gras from a small, family-run farm nearby, and red lobster from Cap de Greus near the French border. Lamb is from central Spain, while prime cuts of wagyu beef come from Japan.“We use three techniques in our cooking: charcoaled, griddled or boiled. Most dishes we cook are prepared this way. We do not use sauces or gravy as we feel they mask the true flavours of the ingredients. We want to bring out the natural flavour of food,” says Nandu.

Pur also prides itself on a serious wine list, not to mention a choice of cocktails from Impur, the adjoining cocktail bar in the basement.

Web: www.purbarcelona.com