Xerta has earned a coveted star from the Michelin Guide, making it the first Kosher restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin-starred certification. The typical menu at Xerta, which is fully adapted to the Kosher guidelines, offers an haute-cuisine experience for the Jewish community. Kosher is a term to describe any food that complies with a strict set of dietary rules in Judaism.

Under the supervision of a local Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi (a title of respect for a Jewish scholar or teacher), the restaurant will prepare meals in a separate kitchen following Jewish dietary laws. Xerta has become a popular spot for Barcelona’s small number of kosher-keeping Jews despite the difficulties brought by the pandemic, according to Jpost.

“At the moment, we cannot account for [kosher] supply-demand relationship, but we believe it is because of the difficulties brought on by the pandemic,” Xerta press officer Irene Montagut told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “We will have to wait and evaluate what happens from now on once tourism resumes and the country’s travel freedom improves.”

According to the European Jewish Congress, approximately 45,000 Jews live in Spain, with the majority located in Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona is working hard to attract more Jews by launching two campaigns — “Shalom Barcelona” and “Barcelona Connects Israel” — to brand the city as a perfect destination to discover Jewish heritage.