Albert Adrià Reveals Details For Mexican Restaurant, 41 Degrees Reboot

On Saturday, Albert Adrià closed out the Mesamerica festival by revealing details for two Barcelona projects: his forthcoming Mexican restaurant and the new incarnation of 41 Degrees, the cocktail bar that is now a 16-seat restaurant with tasting menus.

The Mexican restaurant's working name is Jaguar, and Adrià says that it will be similar to his other restaurant Tickets. That means shareable plates, a bustling, casual dining room, and a relatively fast procession of dishes. They've yet to sign a lease, but they are eyeing a two-floor space in the El Raval neighborhood, right off of Las Ramblas. The space will have a store ("That way we will be able to supply our own restaurant") and a mezcal bar, and they will be able to nixtamalize in-house.

Among the dishes Adrià and his partner Paco Mendez showcased were a plantain empanada, mole chicken wings, oysters with tequila, a quesadilla, and guacamole that will be prepared table-side. All of the preparations were reminiscent of Tickets in that they were fairly simple, with a couple of contemporary twists here and there. "We don't want to make the best restaurant in the world," said Adrià. "We want to build a restaurant for everyone." They're gunning for a February opening.

The other aspect of the presentation focused on 41 Degrees, the space adjacent Tickets that started as a cocktail bar but has gradually transitioned into an intimate restaurant serving 41-course tastings. The most recent development is the addition of an audiovisual installation from Javier Milara, as well as a menu that "finally has its own style and doesn't reflect elBulli as much." The 41 courses can all be eaten with your hands — there are no longer dishes — and the experience is designed as a trip around the world, with preparations and flavors from different countries and an emphasis on mixology.

That menu is served until midnight, when the space goes back to being a cocktail bar until 3 AM. See a sample menu here and a video on the project that appeared in La Vanguardia over the weekend:

Video: 41 Degrees Experience

· Ideas muy exportables [La Vanguardia]
· All Albert Adrià Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All Ferran Adrià Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All 41 Degrees Coverage on Eater [-E-]