Cipollino

A lavish restaurant that reflects the point to which luxury forms a part of the Russian spirit. The service, the cellar… everything is impressive. The guests dine in giant throne-like chairs to make them feel like Czars. Already conquered by the space, there is little doubt that the guest will not also be conquered by the cuisine. The man in charge is Adrian Quetglas, an Argentine forged by his professional career in Spain, something that one clearly sees in his style, plainly identifying with the current trends in use in Iberian haute cuisine.
A single appetizer suffices as testimony to the technical scenes and Adriatic concepts here. Frozen yolk with French fry cream and frozen bacon powder–a deconstruction of textures, temperatures and galactic shapes that loyally reproduce the flavors of the typical egg with French fries and bacon. It not only reproduces them, it refines and beautifies them. A second flashy creation: the creative version of classic borscht. It preserves the identity of the dish, strengthening it in its freshness, its immaculate sapid quality and its color, with the beetroot shining in all its splendor: a consommé of the beet with vegetables and meat with beet jelly ravioli stuffed with sour cream, potato and onion, served with carpaccio, dill and potato chips, among other delicacies. The Mediterranean spirit has its first glorious moment with the seared scallop, pure, juicy, accompanied by a broth of smoked tuna and a creamy rice impregnated with hibiscus flower and salicornia, combining originality and flavor. A second moment came with the monkfish, confit in virgin olive oil, with dark, consistent, powerful meat, served with chopped black olives, fragrances of oregano, crushed violet potato puree and a slice of tomato roasted down to its essence–exquisite and complex. The squab of Bresse, impeccably cooked, with bloody meat, buttery and brimming with flavor, offered with its juice, carrot… a carrot puree with a few drizzles of kefir.
The desserts also speak of the solidity of the chef. And not only the savoir-faire of Adrian Quetglas but also his sense of taste, both palatal and visual–beautiful compositions that convey remarkably elegant flavors. The chocolate cream with pseno and ice-blended chocolate manages to idyllically pair the best of the universality of Russian culture. It is a sophistication that reaches its zenith of magnanimity with the “Dukka” over lemon cream in brine with ras el hanout spiced caramel and a sorbet of roses and cherries… a planetary rainbow.
In short, a solid, intelligent, creative and colorful cuisine that produces fine emotions in the mouth and asks the mind to go on a journey.