Altair

Altaír continues to be a recommended destination for those who love elegance and a chef’s cuisine that is based on excellent products. The setting is as impressive as ever: a minimalist aesthetic, dancing lights with translucent drapes offering lovely views of the Calatrava bridge over the river Guadiana, as well as disciplined and attentive service. Ramón Caso is a chef with a solid background and exquisite taste who, in his eagerness to please, has constructed an eclectic proposal where delicious personal creations, delectable regional dishes and more conventional, popular recipes find their way on to the menu.

His importance as a chef lies in the precision and delicate handling he gives to fish and mollusks, which are undoubtedly the stars of the menu. Excellent baby squid with artichoke and warm red onion soup, full of contemporary touches, however the onion soup was somewhat lacking in expression; memorable monkfish with “Iberian secrets” and almond soup, perfectly prepared with textural and flavorful contrasts; superb roasted scallops with truffles, a classic of this house which tends to treasure more primitive flavors. On a different note, but still in keeping with the overall feeling, an accurate tuna belly with tomato dressing, or the delicious cod with peas and garlic wafer.

It is peculiar that the greatest objections made about Altaír, a restaurant situated in one of the most extensive regions for hunting as well as raising Iberian pigs in all of Spain, are made in conjunction with their meat preparations. More likely than not, it is the fault of that cursed obsession with sous-vide and low-temperature cooking, something which is extremely laborious for the kitchen but does not work well with certain products: this is the case with the suckling pig confited with honey and pollen. Pertinence of the ensemble aside, the outcome is a very dry dish. Or the pigs feet with fruity rice that lacks the gelatinous texture and succulence sought after in the creation. The suggestion here is to restrict one’s ordering to the classics of the house, among which the deliciously dark retinto (Spanish beef) filet with smoked potato and sour grapes rank high, the ethnically tasty Iberian pork filet, or the well-balanced and juicy filet of steer with cauliflower and cinnamon.