This elegant 25-seater restaurant in the heart of Gràcia district made quite an impression, both with its inventive fusion cuisine and selection of wonderful local wines. When we first walked in, I thought we had intruded on some kind of silent dining experience as there was not a peep from any of the tables. But apparently it was just one of those freaky moments when all conversations paused simultaneously and relatively robust exchanges were carried out throughout the rest of the evening.

Instead of a la carte options, Con Gracia offers two tasting menus of five proper courses  – traditional or the surprise “Experiencia”, both €65. Optional wine matching with five Spanish wines sets you back another €35.

It was surprisingly difficult for us to decide whether to choose the surprise menu or not. I think we were unexpectedly enticed by the traditional menu, but refused to accept we could be the kind of eaters that would ever go the traditional route. We flipped a coin and it came up tails, which we had designated the traditional side. Unconvinced, we tried to surreptitiously glance at what the other diners were sampling and were so tormented by the decision I flat-out asked the strangers at the table next to us, who looked to be quite advanced into their meals, what they chose. They had gone with the surprise menu and were having a good time, even pulling out their phone to show us photos of their preceding courses, but were also quick to point out that we may or may not be getting the same dishes.

The waitress came by to take our order and, as we were still undecided, suggested we go with the “Experiencia”. Done, shutting the menus and moving on. Or maybe not…the first edible thing didn’t hit the table until about 35 minutes after we sat down, giving us rather a lot of time to contemplate and regret our menu choice. Thank goodness it tasted alright: some kind of cracker with nori seaweed and two different sauces. We woofed it down and couldn’t wait for more. The next course was steamed cod fish with oyster sauce, fish roe, bonito flakes and a coriander foam. Good combination of flavours, quite tasty, and the fish was very well cooked. The hangry anxiety was starting to die down, and the waitress took pity on us and poured our first glass of wine – the pairings don’t actually start until the next dish but she rightly deduced that we were getting a bit antsy with thirst.

The steamed fish appetizer was, surprisingly, followed by another steamed fish course, the first of our proper five courses. This time, it was hake with teriyaki sauce, vegetables and tomato caviar. Thank goodness the hake was perfectly cooked because the dish reminded me of something from a Chinese joint in a shopping mall. The sauce was way too salty and the waves of panic about choosing the wrong menu were re-rearing their ugly head.

Oxtail risotto with chanterelle mushrooms, aioli and chocolate sauce followed. A lot of emphasis was placed on the chocolate sauce by the waiter just in case we didn’t adequately appreciate how inventive this was. You’ll love it(!), he assured us. I’m sure I will(!), I assured him. Chocolate sauce is used extensively in savoury Mexican dishes and I know we speak with heavy Australian accents, but we’re really not that uncultured. Anyway. The chocolate sauce was indeed a yummy addition, and helped to temper the extremely sharp raw garlic taste of the aioli. Disappointingly, there were only a few barely there strands of oxtail meat and the risotto itself was a bit too chewy. It just needed an extra 60 seconds to be al dente.

Next was spinach cannelloni with a seitan filling, cheese sauce and beetroot sauce. My cannelloni was so undercooked it was still covered with a dusting of raw flour. And why even bother pointing out the beetroot sauce when it is merely brushed on for aesthetic effect and you couldn’t actually remove any off the plate to taste it? The seitan filling was delicious though and almost convinced me that I wouldn’t die of wanton bolognese cravings if I ever converted to vegetarianism.

At this point I was nursing some disappointment and slight puzzlement. The dishes all looked and sounded amazing. And all the elements for a smashing meal were in place: professional service, fantastic ingredients, inventive combination of flavours. And the wine pairings were a revelation. I honestly cannot think of a time when I enjoyed white wines so much, let alone three different Spanish whites in a row. But every dish so far had something I would have tweaked.

I was on the verge of logging this as an experiència gone wrong when we were presented with our final main: slow-cooked duck with salsify, mango sauce and chimichurri. The waiter evidently thinks we’re food simple and again took pains to explain what salsify was. My ego was truly dented as I proceeded to cut through the duck. But all was forgiven the moment I placed a slice of pink duck meat with crispy skin and a healthy layer of fat into my mouth. It was simply stunning. The vegetables, the sauces, the duck itself. Faultless, memorable and, sigh of relief, this dish was not on the traditional menu. I felt vindicated. Just for this dish the evening was all worth it.

Luckily, we were in for another treat. Pre-dessert was placed in front of us, a very unassuming bowl of citrus foam, which apparently masked some yuzu cubes and honey jelly. Next to it was a soup spoon with a single, tiny flower. The instructions for eating were extensive: spoon the flower into your mouth first, let it sit on the lips before it goes inside the mouth, macerate on top of the tongue and below. Then follow with the contents of the bowl. I follow the instructions and WHOA…The flower is bitter, really bitter. It also numbs the lips and parts of my tongue that hosted it as I moved it around my mouth. I quickly scoop the contents of the bowl into my mouth to try and get over the bitterness. The effect is remarkable. What is this sorcery?! The honey jellies were lovely and soothing, and the citrus notes served to calm my confused taste buds.

The actual dessert was very run-of-the-mill by comparison. Chocolate mousse with mint and a bunch of accompanying pebbles that added texture but no additional flavour. Good textures, not too sweet, and the freshness of the mint and berries broke through the richness and made it nicely more-ish. But I couldn’t help but feel envious of the diners who got the other dessert of mango tiramisu. Three petit fours rounded out the meal, the orange cookie and the chocolate truffle with ginger bites were particularly scrumptious.

All in all, there were strokes of genius throughout, including with the wine pairings, to make up a unique and memorable evening.