Sergio Herman is one of the most innately talented chefs we have come across in the last three decades. He is there, at the summit, elbow to elbow with all those who have made recent history. In his direct, swift trajectory to glory, he already finds himself among the five great new chefs, which at the tender age of thirty, are presenting the world with the freshest, new intelligent cuisine on the planet: Quique Dacosta, Massimiliano Alajmo, Andoni Luis Aduriz and Pascal Barbot. We find ourselves before a privileged mind and sensibility, offering flavors of the new generation, conveying a completely different message from before and, moreover, one that is without references. Autodidactic, Sergio transmits immaculate sensations through his work, proposing light formulas that exude imagination, radiate beauty and never cease to astound the guests. The flavors, as exciting as they appear to be, enchant us with their elegance and harmony, lending themselves to complexity without confrontation. The rupture is not present in the flavors, but rather in the avant-garde manner of expression. This break from the norm, accentuated by astonishingly creative undertones with countless virtues, among which we must highlight the chef’s proverbial good taste, has a final challenge to overcome: to avoid a certain tendency towards mannerism and the denaturalizing of some of the more stellar products (oysters, razor clams, Norway lobster, etc.) that are frequently served chopped. If he is capable of concretizing his message and conveying it in a shaper manner, his already remarkable ranking, which is most certainly deserved, could see itself increasing in the future. Everything seems to indicate that he is heading in that direction: year after year his progression is manifest – art, effort and self-criticism abounds in his work. All in due time, Sergio. Another immense merit of this establishment: the menu changes constantly, which means that the dishes we describe will almost assuredly be off the menu at the time of your visit. What you will find are the ingredients that serve as a foundation in the chef’s work, those products that reassert themselves time and time again in new constructions: jets d’houblon, oysters, Norway lobster, lobster, turbot, squab… donning new robes, but with the same original and perfect impact as always. The frozen pastille of wasabi, sake and lime is the first creation called upon to astonish the guests. Afterwards, a succession of appetizers: pumpkin wafer with gorgonzola ice cream, foie gras and green apple sphere… cosmopolitan vanguard. Among the dishes, a Baroque gastronomic wonder: crab served over brioche with oyster emulsion (in gelatinized balls made with liquid nitrogen), caviar, avocado cream, citrus… ; a real daring. Another brilliant proposal bursting with original nuances: Norway lobster tartar with herbs, yuzu and virgin olive oil pastille. Magnanimous in their size, freshness and accompaniments: the oysters, poached in their water served over chlorophyll with Parmesan cream. Majestic for its quality, doneness and resolution, the turbot with marinated scallops, endives, pumpkin, apple and, among other details, a fascinating air of toasted butter. The lacquered squab with truffle is truly virtuosic, served with cabbage, celeriac puree, potato sphere… yet again, grandiose culinary architecture. And from there we arrive at the desserts, which confirm the excellence of the house. Few chefs have so resoundingly awoken our interest and admiration. We must keep our eyes and palates tuned to the future work of this artist.

Stanislao Puzzer, a chef of Slovenian origin, demonstrates the perfect symbiosis of tradition and relevance in his cuisine: creative, intrinsically tied to the geography of the area and to the Adriatic, refined, light and soberly dressed with the touch of a contemporary hand. In the place of pretense and imaginative boasting, we find here a sensible knowledge at work that effectively reproduces recognizable flavors. One eats well, elegantly, and always in harmony with the style of the chef which is studied but also infused with personal nuances.

Jonnie and Thérèse Boer’s restaurant has a look that matches the Dolce&Gabbana style, and that says a lot. Elegance, sophistication, ornateness, originality… a very distinguished cuisine and space with an enormous amount of personality. Even the service, very young, beautiful, confident and, curiously enough, with the professionalism that one would expect from a 10/10 restaurant. The cuisine here has gone through a dizzying evolution recently. If one were to look back, there is only one way to describe the qualitative leap forward: astonishing. If the style of the house was always more daring than groundbreaking, now these attributes are equal, gaining in creative depth and moderation in dazzling formulas. Imaginative maturity coupled with perfection in practice. Behind each dish one appreciates the titanic mental and physical effort. The work they do delivers the professional generosity of that of a person who has ascended to Mount Olympia and met with the Gods. Jonnie and Thérèse Boer stand among the greatest in the culinary world. And they have achieved this because they have preserved their personality, a personality in development, and because they have always blindly believed in themselves. They keep valiantly, even daringly, to their ideals, and they feel they are in a state of gastronomic grace. Their dishes convey happiness. The guest perceives his and her security. A security that allows them to irradiate an almost childlike illusion… even if the intelligence is that of someone who has learned much from life. They approach each construction like a challenge to the guest, proposing unprecedented pathways. Non-conformism sustained by intelligence, class, refinement… eternal values that the Boers make their own. They have given depth to the style initiated last year, with five articulations presented in two spaces, to be eaten in two times. The scallops carpaccio and grilled medallions with green beans, Pata Negra Spanish cured ham and tomato juice bring together two very different recipes using what are basically the same ingredients: exquisite and very intellectualized. The lobster with a fascinating “omelet” of beef kidneys… and the cooking water from potatoes that adds a natural, light and stylized touch to the potato puree, demonstrates with unquestionable wisdom and even to unsuspected extremes the planning and work that goes into the dish. In this case it is offered in the same plate, on two levels, one in plain view and the other hidden, both marvelous proposals. The articulation style is confirmed with the cod: filet, cheek and jaw, conceived as a salad (with sliced asparagus, soufflé potatoes impregnated with vegetable powder and vinegar, and an egg yolk covered with a basil sphere) over a broth of dry sausage. Their version of king crab with mussels is doctoral. On one hand, a brilliant new way of displaying aspic: a bed of carrot jelly where, along with the cited shellfish they add razor clams, cockles, green beans and miniature carrots; and on the other, accompanied by a white butter perfumed with lemon geranium leaves. The oysters wrapped in foie gras, surrounded by an oloroso port wine jelly constituting the cold part of a proposal whose hot part presents the oysters with a fennel-perfumed foie gras cream. The appetizers and desserts show a strong dedication to avant-garde art. There is no good reason in the world to miss the crisps of ginger, apricot and cheese with mustard; the beet toast with beet jelly, sprouts, flowers and cardamom; the lemon macaroon with eggplant and smoked sole roe; the cherry gazpacho with three pepper and bacon spheres and the sweet peanut crocante filled with horseradish… all of them provide brilliant contrasts in virtuosic symphony. Ah! And don’t forget the asparagus with sea anemone, served in an eggshell painted black, upside down, without the contents falling out: real gastronomic magic. The same goes for the dessert, bursting with magical sensations. The rhubarb with strawberries and lemon verbena is superb. Even more exciting was the lychee shot with passion fruit and coffee. And a daring, impeccable and unprecedented gem, the Epoisse cheese spheres over potato water emulsified with olive oil, dates and aniseed air. But the classics shouldn’t make us forget about other specialties of the house. In short, the Boers are crossing through a peak moment in their career.

Gualtiero Marchesi inspires grandiose descriptions. He was the leader of Italian nouvelle cuisine and thus inscribed his name in gold in the annals of Italian culinary history. He created a body of work that was clearly different, personal and very Italian, with dishes whose glory has withstood the passage of time. His spirit and knowledge culminated in the opening of a school, with disciples including Paolo Lopriore, Carlo Cracco, Enrico Crippa, Davide Oldani, Andrea Berton, etc. In accordance with everything said, he enjoys universal fame in the culinary world.