In flipping through photos of my recent trip to Europe, quite possibly one of the most memorable things I consumed there was a cup of Spanish-style hot chocolate at Granja Viader, a more than century old cafe in Barcelona:
Luckily the pic at the top of this post does the bulk of the work, because the combination of that fat cloud of whipped cream and the puddle of hot, slightly bitter chocolate is something that can really only be experienced, not explained. In addition to a glass-like crust and a rich texture, the crema catalana had a unique spice flavour that I don't think any of us was able to identify.
Amazing stuff.
Granja Viader C/ Xuclà, 4, Barcelona, Spain 933 183 486