Ricard Camarena Restaurant

Modern Valencian gastronomy delight

Tuna belly with coffee and tomato

To finish off my Valencia trip with a bang, I knew Ricard Camarena would be my choice for a proper feast. Ricard Camarena is also the name of the chef-owner, located outside of the city centre, it is the only 2 Michelin starred restaurant in the city, and there aren't any 3 stars in Valencia. The restaurant is built within an art gallery and the interior is modern with heavy usage of wood. There are only 2 choices of the menu for dinner, either a short or a long tasting menu. You would not know for you would be having in advance, so is best to inform the restaurant should you have any special request. Once you arrive, you will be seated in the lounge area first to enjoy some canapes and wine, before your waiter takes you to your table.

Ricard Camarena

Daikon, radish, onion, anchovy, black garlic

Cold squid soup with yogurt

White asparagus, eel, yeast

Celery, chicken, mustard

Courgette, steak, capers

Cod pancake, roasted cauliflower

Open kitchen

Oyster, hake, vanilla

The tasting menu was long and full of surprises, at the start, we were taken to the front of the kitchen, where Ricard would explain to you the concept and cooking approach, before serving you three canapes directly at the kitchen counter. The cod pancake was especially special, the mild sweetness of the cauliflower uplifted the freshness of the cod brilliantly, all rested on a well-excited pancake. Bluefin tuna belly had an unusual combination of coffee, the robust and smoky tone of the coffee balanced off the oiliness of the tuna, with the addition of tomato offered a light sour touch to tone down the sharpness, I was impressed. The lobster meuniere pie was the best dish of the meal, it had everything from an inviting umami aroma, the richness of the lobster, to the cleanness of the lemon and shellfish sauce.

Seafood minestrone

Artichokes, caviar, potatoes

Lobster pie

Shrimp, green beans, sage and fig

Parsley rice, cod and wine

Glazed aubergine, beef ribs, mustard

Biscuit cake and petit four

Mango, herbs, curry

Fig, fig jelly, fig leaf

In the end, I had about 20 dishes in total, mostly in miniature sizes with state of the art craftsmanship. I have been to Spain a few times but I have yet to experience something similar to Ricard Camarena's offering. Everything was really refined and loaded with so much freshness, nothing was creative just for the sake of it, everything had a reason. The service on the day was also very professional, and I would rate it a lot better than many 5 stars hotels elsewhere. It was easy to understand why the restaurant has 2 Michelin stars, and I can see no reason why he can not aim to the next level given he is such a talented chef, with such a beautiful and elegant restaurant.



Food 4.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£150

Av. de Burjassot, 54, 46009 València, Valencia, Spain

ricardcamarenarestaurant.com

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