This place is plucked straight out of the imaginary guide book of good taste and quality. With a Michelin Star and three Repsol Suns it describes its food as cosmopolitan with Mediterranean influences, based on seasonal produce.
The ever evolving menu only uses current and locally sourced ingredients, which means that you are getting the very best from your food. If you don’t buy into the theory that local and fresh is best, then you will after eating here!
On arrival to the restaurant, it will take you a little while to locate the door. Why? Because there is no handle on the outside. Instead, a doorbell which must be pressed for access. For me, this adds to the idea that this is something special and an inner sanctum of fine dining.
We had the private dining area, which has clear views out into the main restaurants through Bamboo. Again, this makes you feel as if you are being let into a secret or given special experience that is just for you.
The restaurant is modern with what I would consider a Asian/Mediterranean influence in its decor.
Simple yet highly effective gestures such as giving each person different shaped glasses for still and sparkling water and a variation of other glasses dependant on wines/champagnes, is again further demonstration of how they consider every single detail in making the experience special and bespoke…The Food:
With the option of 6, 9 or 11 Courses on a tasting menu (and having been treated to gargantuan Spanish portions for the previous two nights), we opted for the 9 Course menu. (Well… it would have been rude to go for 6)
Particular mentions need to be given to the Courgette peel on steak tartar with strawberries, cottage cheese and capers emulsion. This was a blue ribbon winner with everyone on the table. Even if you are not usually a fan of steak tartar, this was done with such flavour that it won over every guest….. Get This…. Just get it.
Another favourite of mine was the Oyster from Valencia, avocado and “horchata” of galanga. Truthfully, when simple avocado is so good and full of flavour that you have an actual conversation about it… either your conversation has dried up, or it must be something special. In this case, it was the latter.
I also loved the Roasted white asparagus with salmon caviar cream, coconut milk and keffir lime and also the Iberian pork shoulder blade sandwich with smoked eel and peanut.
A surprising addition was the unique Ripe mango, cold curry, herbs and seeds dessert, and it was a real hit with my table.
As usual, I am not a huge dessert fan but this berry, meringue and deconstructed biscuit with a dough like consistency was essentially eaten in silence, other than a couple of, “Wow”s and one or two, “Seriously, this is good”s.
I would add a mention that the 9 Course tasting menu is very seafood centric and there is only 1 dish that has no seafood or fish in at all.
If like me, you love seafood, then this is definitely not a problem. However, if your taste for the sea is limited, it is definitely worth calling ahead to let them know and they will happily create something different.
The Atmos:
In a restaurant like Ricard Camarena, the emphasis is highly placed on taking stock of what you are eating and so as is always the case, the atmosphere is what you make it for your table. You feel very much in your own little world and so while we were a group and so quite loud and lively, there were one or two couples that were really savouring each bite. Luckily for everyone else, we were in a separate area.
My advice? All of these points make it clear why Ricard Camarena has a star and so If you are going to Valencia for a special occasion, it would be criminal to not try this place….
Gin & Bone 