Restaurant Quique Dacosta, Denia*** – Returning after 8 years

In 2007, only 1 week after a memorable dinner at Ferran Adria’s El Bulli, my brother and I had a meal at Quique Dacosta’s Michelin-starred restaurant El Poblet. Back then we found many parallels to the just-discovered molecular gastronomy of master Ferran Adriá but also, in comparison to El Bulli, we found the meal at El Poblet to be much closer to a regular meal, with slightly bigger portions and more time to savour what’s on the plate. We agreed that in a week we just had one meal representing the very foundations and another meal probably representing the next step of molecular gastronomy.

Only in March 2015, 8 years after that meal, I made it back to this place. A few things have changed. Mainly: the name of the restaurant isn’t El Poblet anymore but simply Quique Dacosta. Plus, it now carries 3 Michelin stars. According to many, a well-deserved distinction that chef Dacosta had to wait for far too long. Read the rest of this entry »

Categories: Fine Dining,Spain

Vuelve Carolina – Quique Dacosta’s Gastro-Bistro in Valencia

When in Valencia, one has the opportunity to dive into the cuisine of Quique Dacosta, without a doubt the most acclaimed chef of the region – especially since he finally managed to achieve a well-deserved third star for his flagship restaurant in Denia (in between Valencia and Alicante) for which he’s been waiting far too long. His gastronomic bistro Vuelve Carolina is located in the center of  Valencia and offers high end bistro and tapas cuisine. It is a laid back place where beer on tap goes side by side with fine wine and where people go both for ordering several course menus as well as quick tapas bites. Quique Dacosta manages to put his personal stamp on quite a few traditional tapas dishes, but also offers modern creative cuisine based on fine-dining ingredients. Another important thing to know ans probably a must-try: There are always a few “arroz” dishes on the menu. As Quique Dacosta is also known as a master for arroz, the typical rice dishes of the region, one can expect quite some tasty things there. Read the rest of this entry »

Impressions from Mercat Central in Valencia

The city of Valencia has many attractions such as the ciudad de las artes y las ciencas or the marvelous old part of the city. But as a foodie, if there’s one thing not miss, it is a visit of  the city’s central market. The booths are displaying produce of such richness and variety coming from the earth and  the sea, from the orchards of the surroundings and from the rest of Spain (such as the Pimenton from Murcia pictured above) – it tells you much about the city’s economical strength in the past, but foremost about the importance of good food for Valencianos. Obviously priorities are well set here. Read the rest of this entry »

Categories: On the Road...,Spain

Casa Montana Tapas Bar Valencia

Valencia really is an exciting city with lots of change happening there in these last years, with the construction of impressive edifices such as the Palau de Les Arts de la Reina Sofia or the modern Port for the America’s cup.
Of course it is also very appropriate for a night out with dinner, drinks and nightclub. But for now I’d rather focus on tapas. We’ve had several good tapas in the city, but in the end one has the impression that each tapas bar has the same offering, and most of them rely on tins when it comes to serve anchovies or seafood. There was one tapas bar though we found to be different. Casa Montana is a bodega and tapas bar located in the area El Cabanal next to the port. It’s a bit hidden in a rather residential area but worth the detour.
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El Poblet: New Spanish Avantgarde

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Although I’ve been several times in Denia before, it is only OAD’s post that informed me about the existence of a gastronomic hotspot there. So one week after we’ve been to EL Bulli, we spontaneously went to EL Poblet – that’s the name of chef Quique Dacostas’ restaurant on Las Marinas road km3 in Denia – Soon to be one of the better-known culinary destinations of Spain and Europe. Quique Dacosta is known as a young, 35 years old chef who Read the rest of this entry »

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