BCN Taste & Tradition

First class date-​night experience. The waiter gave us a fantastic recommendation for wine pairing. A little pricey but great food, drink, and service

This is an amazing dining experience. The customer care and hospitality from the minute I made the reservation, Paco took great care of us, to when we were leaving it was like being a honored guest at a family dinner.
The ambiance and attention to detail is excellent. It is a classy and beautifully designed interior. The food was beyond what we expected. We had heard that the restaurant and food was good, but everything was extremely delicious and with impeccable presentation. The fish special, overnighting it in from the Mediterranean, was so fresh and light, the rabbit was prepared perfectly. We were table of 7 and all of us raved how great our meals tasted. To begin, we all enjoyed the restaurant specialty drinks which were refreshingly unique and quite good. before having a well priced, delectable few bottles of wine that were recommended by Paco and paired well with all our meals. We ordered appetizers for the table, the octopus-​delish, the pea soup was passed around as well everyone loved it. All the appetizers were a hit. For dessert we tried the gypsy’s arm and the almond tart with lemon marmalade both fit for a king. Our waiter Martin was excellent and attentive to everyone. He spoiled us, gifted us with a taste of a fabulous Spanish digestive, which was the perfect way to end our experience.
We all said we would return to BCN soon to enjoy another wonderful meal there. I highly recommend BCN and am grateful that Houston has a diverse community that provides us with the opportunity to enjoy such authentic, delicious food.

celebrated my friend’s birthday there, really enjoyed enviroment and the food, staffs are super friendly. we wanted to order the egg with black truffles, the chef said it is not in season right now, so they have taken it out from the menu, so if you are here for the truffles, you are out of luck. the chef said the truffle season will be in October, the quality will be good. we ordered the seared foie gras, it seems to be one of the popular dishes, it was wonderful. another must have is the bombo rich with seafood, a very traditional Spanish dish i heard, and we ended with chocolate molten cake. for my friends birthday, they gave us a dessert the Gypsys Arm for free.

I had really high expectations for BCN and those expectations were almost met for the food and exceeded for the service. The food was generally excellent — we loved the gazpacho. The foie gras, tartare, beet salad and mussels were excellent as well but I can quickly rattle off clearly superior dishes from other restaurants around town. 4 star food. BCN however has 5 star service. It’s that good. Dine there and see for yourself.

I had been waiting to try BCN for a while and always struggled making reservations. I finally got smart and made a reservation several weeks in advance to make sure I could actually get one. Success!
My husband and I went with another couple on a Friday night. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem too crowded. It appeared to be a converted house, and the upstairs (where we sat) was intimate and cozy.
We started with the Spanish ham and seared foie gras for appetizers and they didn’t disappoint. The ham was perfectly salty and the tomato bread gave it just the right kick. On top of that, the bread service was amazing! As soon as we finished a slice of bread, a waiter was right there serving us more. Hot and freshly baked– we couldn’t get enough!
For dinner I had the 8oz filet mignon which was fabulous! I’m pretty sure I devoured every last bite because it was too good to save for leftovers. All around it was a memorable experience. I’d definitely come back!

Be careful with this place! Absolutely OVERPRICED! The food is regular, MISERABLE portions, service BAD ! and really SLOOOOW!
Obviously never go back again! really, really BAD EXPERIENCE! Trust me be careful with BCN !!! :-S

My second time here solidified BCN’s five star rating.
The first time I visited I would have ranked it 4 stars but it was right after they opened and they could have still been working the kinks out. This time everything was on point and perfectly prepared from the BCN Gin and Tonic to the dessert.
One should note that this place is very expensive… The plates are small and the prices are high. Luckily the quality, service, presentation, and flavor are all there to justify high prices. (Although with the latest price increase BCN is really pushing the price limit – Branzino is $ 58 while Tony’s has Branzino for «only» $ 38)
The Boquerones, Pulpo, Bomba Rice, Branzino, and the Gin & Tonics are all spectacular!

Definitely one of the top 5 «fine» dining spots in the area. Further, I contend BCN would do well on the national stage.
The plusses:
— A neat space
— Although tables are close, the chopped up rooms (especially upstairs) keeps the noise level down so you can converse
— Service — impeccable
— Gin and tonics — probably best in town (not even the artisan bartenders can top these)
— Food! Limited but ample menu scope. Always a few specials. The food and presentations are simple but elegant and most importantly tasty.
Our party of 3 had drinks, appetizers of mussels, Iberico ham, and gazpacho (heavenly), and entrees of branzino, «Spanish noodles, and duck breast. Two of us had a glass of wine with the entrees. We were too full for desserts.
A memorable meal.
Negatives:
— The duck breast was very tough (approaching the texture and chewiness of octopus); disappointing. Bad prep or breast?
This is fine dining and the price is commensurate. Damages with tip were $ 360.
So for a great meal or even better a great evening celebrating a special occasion, go. And book weeks in advance.

Nope. Not what would you expect to find if you are looking for a tapas restaurant.
On the good side, service is impeccable and wine list well sorted out, with large selection.
Tapas are weird. Again, nothing typical, it is a different approach, looking for innovative dishes.
However, quality results impacted, with nothing really memorable coming out of the kitchen.
Some dishes are definitively bad.
Cherry on the cake, very expensive.
Go try something easier and really traditional, like El Meson.

This is as good as it gets. BCN Taste + Tradition is a relatively new restaurant in Montrose. Located in a residential neighborhood, the restaurant is in a converted home so it’s intimate with only a handful of tables and valet parking. You can find parking on the street pretty easy if you prefer. The architecture is Spanish-​style and they have real Miro paintings on the wall.
We came on a Wednesday at 6 and by 7 all of the tables and the bar were completely full. The service was excellent but the food is out of this world. This is not a restaurant where the portion sizes are huge, this is a restaurant where the food resembles the Miro paintings on the wall. Art. I’ve been to Spain and BCN is as close as I’m going to get to authentic Spanish cuisine until I return.
We started off with the lavender gin & tonic which comes with elderflower tonic water. There are seven or eight gin & tonics on the cocktail menu so this is one of the specialties of the house. We also shared the iberico ham croquettes which were sublime and melted in your mouth. With that being said, the suckling pig was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life. Let me qualify this by saying I went to the most famous restaurant in Barcelona which has suckling pig as its specialty and BCN was better. While not a large portion by any means, and pretty pricey, the crispiness of the pig and the flavor was out of this world. Paired with some BCN potato wedges, perfection on a plate!

WOW! I am in love with this place and I cannot stop thinking and talking about it! My boyfriend took me here for my birthday. Upon arrival we drove underneath this beautiful cover thing and then up to the valet. After we got out of the car we walked up the beautiful stairs into the restaurant. At first walking in, there was no one there to greet us but that’s ok. The hostess came back quickly and said she was going to check on our table. It wasn’t ready yet so I just asked her to take pictures of us outside.
One of the first thing I noticed was that everyone was dressed up. Men were in suits or dress shirts, women were in dresses. This made me feel good about me dressing up. You know how sometimes you go to a restaurant that costs a lot and you’re thinking everyone should look nice but then they are just wearing jeans and you’re thinking hmmm… is this place really fancy? But not this one! The waiters were in suits and you’re just thinking wow!
After we got seated, there was a cute little oil and salt tray there for the fresh hot bread they were going to bring out. They also had a complimentary plate of Spanish ham. The waiter came around and we asked him for a recommendation of drinks and they were perfect! I got the lavender gin and tonic and my boyfriend got the ginger gin and tonic and both were great!
We started dinner off with the poached quail egg with truffle foam. It was just a perfect amount of truffle and flavor. Very unique dish! For the entrée I got the «sea bass» (It’s called something else on their menu). The fish was cooked so well and the sauce that came with it really topped it off. My boyfriend ordered the special, lamb racks. Oh. my. goodness. I usually don’t like lamb because of the gamete taste, but the chef did so well to get rid of that. I kept picking off of my boyfriend’s dish. Yum yum! During dinner, the chef came and asked if everything was wonderful. I loved the fact that the chef went table to table.
At the end of the meal the waiters kept asking us if we wanted desserts so that I can get it for free, but I didn’t know that but we choose one anyways. We got this roll looking dessert and it was great! Not too sweet because I don’t really like super sweet desserts. Overall, my experience there was amazing and I can’t wait to come back.

Perhaps one of my new favorite restaurants in town.
Authentic and exquisite gin and tonics (house specialty) and great wine selection.
Service was impeccable. From the serving staff to management.
Flavors take you back to Spain (The jamón ibérico to start the evening is a must).
All in all, an intimate, cozy evening full of fantastic food and cocktails. Perfect for a date night or a nice evening.

To be honest, I don’t know how to successfully write this review. I feel like I will fail at explaining how amazing this restaurant is. I’m talking one of the top meals of my life time amazing. I could go and list every item with an explanation of the plate, thoughts, and feelings. But there is not one negative thing about any ingredient that went into my belly, plus… It saves you from reading a bunch of fancy words. I rather let the pictures describe the meal instead. Do yourself a favor, visit the bartender for some cocktails before sitting down!
The experience as a whole was astonishing. If I could use a shrinking device, create a mini-​me, then jump in the bowl of Bomba rice and swim around, I would. Few meals have left me with a loss of words and positive lasting impressions, this is that meal. Epic. Come here for the top notch service, impeccable food quality/​presentation, oh and the flavors! The communication from Paco the GM and his crew from reservation to paycheck was a delight. Chef Luis Roger comes out and talks to you at the end. I think this man might be God actually. Their plate of Seared Foie Gras will change your life.
Below is the list:
* Spanish Ibérico ham croquettes
* Lobster salad, mixed greens, mango, avocado, papaya and spicy mayonnaise
* Bomba rice cooked in cuttlefish’s black ink with clams, mussels and scampi
* Grilled 8oz filet mignon with BCN potatoes and glazed pearl onions, served with Grandma’s sauce
* Anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea
* Seared foie gras, wild berries and cassis reduction
* Crispy fillo dough, Catalán vanilla brûlée and aged rum raisins

Now this was a memorable evening. it was our anniversary dinner and those are always well researched and planned so it was no coincidence that we ended up here. I’m always on the fence about which country would be my food paradise between Spain, France and Italy. BCN helped solidify Spain’s lead in my heart after a Barcelona tour for dinner, a city with nine Michelin stars mind you, Catalan at its best, and it was. Plus we got to meet the executive chef Luis Roger, who had a lengthy conversation with us even! so two firsts for us me, one, the finest dining experience of our (my) life (because we are not posh ;)), and two, talking to a world renowned chef for real (another first for me, not my wife). for sure one of my favourite meals ever.
how can an appetiser get any better than the simplicity of olives, olive oil, salt bread and cheese? of course all of those Ingredients were the finest: manzanilla olives; a fine, spicy evoo in a precision pouring, tiny syringe-​like glass; crazy huge elegant pyramidal crystalline salt, and a fluffy moist ciabatta looking homemade bread with a thick crunchy crust. Then the best part, at least 6 month aged perfect temperature manchego in just the right sized slices. I could have this appetiser as my last meal and die happy!
but of course it got better. how about an entire plate of jamón ibérico de bellota, which is in the upper echelon of fine cured meats in the world. I mean there is a ton of jamón! and the bread rubbed with a ripe tomato is so simple it is magical with the meat. insanely good it goes without saying! so if we stopped here I was good, but we were just getting started.
then the duck. it was served with quince, which is interesting because I’m so used to seeing it with a strong cheese like manchego. it’s tangy and basically the original Apple from the Middle East but is common is Spain as membrillo, and appears on our dessert cheese plate later. plus it looks cool with the contrast of sauce on the plate. also the dish has an Idiazábal cheese sauce, pine nuts and a balsamic vinegar reduction. the duck is perfectly cooked medium rare and succulent. all the flavours and textures compliment each other and complete a masterful plate.
and then the foie gras. first time for me, and I will always want it after this experience! wow, crazy amounts of flavour! it’s so rich and melt in your mouth it’s outrageous. the berries with it help bring out its little bit of sweetness. the scoring and searing was perfect, leaving the middle light and the outside with that smokey touch of fire. and the sauce for it is cassis, a syrupy black currant tang with a kick of booze. again, masterful and brilliantly paired, we’re humming now son.
unparalleled to this point, we kick our courses a notch with some cocktails to jumpstart our idea of desserts: a nice, fairly young and syrupy 3 year aged tawny port and their Mediterranean cocktail with the cheese plate. the Mediterranean gin&ton was soo good it has inspired a serial pining for these flavours for months since my BCN trip now, specifically for example, a long embattled search to find the fabled Schweppes bitter lemon (thank you Phoenicia), which of course refers to the quinine from the bark of the cinchona tree, better known as fever tree, the star ingredient, in my humble opinion, to this outspoken drink. not to often a freaking cocktail is that memorable. nonetheless, I do recommended trying one of their many gin and tonics if you know what’s good for you, if you have anything to drink. but on to the cheese plate. it pains me to say I can’t remember the names of all the cheeses but to say there was a suggestively sequential barrage of ascending pungentness that dictated a right to left flow on the board, each dairy paired with a complementary flavours like honeycomb, berries, quince paste, mint leaves and light bread crusts. I loved how chef Roger sees these details like clearing the palate with the quince paste (something tangy and acidic) and bread; and also preserving the palate with the sequence since the strong cheeses are last, thus your mouth isn’t numb and tingly first! brilliant. certainly it had manchego, maybe a mahon, some brie, and not sure for the blues but best guess a Blau de jutglar, a Catalonian blue which I thought it could be since it seemed almost spicy. but one might have just as easily been a Stilton of roguefort. the cheese plate alone was legendary, but when you pair all these courses and drinks together, it’s in the top meals of my life no doubt, thank you chef!
and the atmosphere is really Mediterranean, tight and personal too, beautifully modern place! and service goes without saying was the most posh I’ve experienced, I mean the cleaning table with a crumb scraper was old school and unique for these times. the waiters sounded as knowledgable as the chef, they knew their stuff too. very impressed and expect to return!

What an interesting discovery in Houston. A catalan restaurant. I jumped on the opportunity to eat some jamón iberico. The best ham ever in the world. And i’m french, not catalan.
And not that pricey as i cOuld imagine. Knowing a kg is about 90 $… I was thinking buying my 100gr plate at 60 $. But not at all.
We were lucky because you need to bOok your table befOre getting there. But the bar was offering several seats and a nice idea of the barman work. Which was having a really nive set up. And looking at the cOcktail getting Out of his hands, it gave will tO try sOme. But we were driving.
After the jamOn iberico we tried the seared foie gras with berries. Again. I’m french and i know a lOt abOut fOie gras. This One was excellent and still in a reasOnable price.
Then the ambient is certainly oldest than i thOught. Usually Spain culture deals with yOung and beautiful people. At that time, on a saturday night, peOple were older than expecting, nOt bringing the brOuhaha if an expected Barcelonian restaurant.
Let’s change that!!!

If you’re looking for a relaxing, elegant, yet fun environment for diner with your date, family or business partner, BCN is where you want to go for a special evening.
We sat at the bar to try some of their appetizers and desserts: jamon iberico, foie gras and a fruit dessert. Everything was delicious and overall reasonable in terms of price (for this type of restaurant).
The wine selection is amazing and fits (almost) all budgets. The service was great too.
I’ll be back…

Definitivamente el. mejir restaurante español auténtico de Houston. Calidad de comida y de servicio. Un Must go in houston

Another fabulous meal at BCN…
One of the few top-​notch restaurants in Houston that actually follow through on service and taste.
The appetizers are all tempting — the four of us shared the Iberico ham, eggs and potatoes, and octopus. The octopus is v tender, which is so hard to do.
Everyone enjoyed the Iberico ham — I’m not a huge fan myself but the plates were finished!
For mains I got the duck breast ($ 32) which I really recommend. It comes w a light cheesy sauce and pine nuts that really complement it well. Honestly it’s cooked so well it tastes like steak. My husband hates duck and he finished my plate.
Hubby got the beef tartar w waffle chips, which is always good. A light seasoning that flavored the meat well.
My friend got the salmon w/​blue cheese risotto ($ 32). I tried only the risotto, but it was delish! Didn’t try the salmon but she did clear her plate ;)
Her husband got ribeye which I did not try but he loved it.
Had espressos at the end and I have to say it was a great meal. They actually have really reasonable bottles of Spanish wine on the menu — we had one for $ 40 and it was great — reminiscent of a fruity Pinot noir.

Setup: small dinner with strangers; holiday private room dinner
The good: impeccable food and great service! Jamon iberico, tender octopus, amazing lamb, pickled anchovies, etc…
The bad: parking — complimentary valet or find street parking in the neighborhood
Observations: light and airy décor, nice wine list, personable chef
Overall recommendation: a bit pricey, but worth it! Excellent for private parties, date night, or even a bite at the (small) bar

My husband and I had a spontaneous date night here. We wanted to get a gift card for my in-​laws and decided to have dinner here on short notice… kill two birds with one stone.
The ambiance was really nice.
Must try dishes — croquetas (we order this at every tapas restaurant and it was one of the best we’ve had), pulpo a la gallega (octopus) (very tender and delicate flavor), pan con tomate (so simple but I loved the bread here!), and the crema catalana was amazing. They put it between the same pastry that’s in milhojas and it’s heavenly. The quality of the food is great and service is spectacular.
We weren’t a huge fan of the main courses. I had the Roasted angel hair pasta «fideua», monkfish, clams, mussels, shrimp and «alioli». I think my expectations were of a paella with fideua (angle hair pasta), so it was a bit of a let down with the flavor. Besides the alioli, it was bland.
My husband had the Lobster «caldereta de Menorca» with rice. The waiter said it has coral in it, and perhaps that was the flavor I did not like about it. It was as if rosewater were added to the broth.
Overall, we still liked the restaurant a lot. I think we would be perfectly happy with making dinner out of their appetizers /​tapas.
Reservations are a must but if you go early, the bar is usually open and you can call 15 minutes in advance to reserve a bar space.

The entrance to the restaurant was very confusing to me. It’s right next to a car wash place and then normal homes. You can easily find parking on the street since the restaurant is located in a neighborhood.
The place itself was a bit cramped. Very clean restrooms. Servers are very attentive and nice.
They give you this complimentary little item. I can’t recall the name but it was creamy and very good. I wish that was an option for what you could order
Clams: very simply and well made. The sauce did not overwhelm the clams. Great flavor and great for dipping bread into it too (⁴⁄₅)
Grilled Octopus: my favorite appetizer of the night. It was on a bed of potato purée. The octopus was not over cooked and chewy, which can happen way too easily and frequently. (⁵⁄₅)
Spanish ham: this was served with some bread. Not my favorite item because the ham was already dry and you’re supposed to eat it on top of Spanish bread, which was fairly thick itself. Nothing to wow me. (³⁄₅)
Lobster salad: it’s lobster with avocado on top, which makes it look like a sushi roll. Dressed with spicy mayo and has a small fruit salad surrounding it. I normally do not like fruit with my savory food, so I could have done away with that. Other than that, the lobster was cooked well. (³⁄₅)
Lamb chops (specials menu): must have!!! You get 4 little juicy chops. Probably the best lamb I’ve had. It was cooked perfectly. I had to resist the urge to pick up the bone and bite the rest of the meat off. It’s served with a mayonnaise sauce, potatoes and some artichoke. I didn’t think the mayo added any flavor. Just creaminess. (⁵⁄₅)
Whole branzino (specials menu): for those that do not know, it’s just a white fish. You get the whole fish, but the filet it for you. Dressed like the lamb with the potato, artichoke, and mayo sauce on the side. I feel as though it was seasoned only with salt and pepper, so you get just the taste of the fish. (⁵⁄₅)
Kumquat gin and tonic: apparently this is their specialty and a must have. I’m not a huge fan of gin and tonic, so this was not my favorite thing to drink. You get a personal bottle of tonic to control how you like your drink too. (²⁄₅)
Would I come back? Yes. Good food that lets the protein shine and not masked by breading and over seasoning