2024 European Food Crawl - Barcelona……A flamboyant lunch at a 3, 2, 290, 28, 5, 6 restaurant!

THECHARLES · May 5, 2024, 6:29pm

Today’s luncheon extravaganza was supposed to be the gastronomic highlight of our European trip. With 3 Michelin stars, voted #2 in San Pellegrino’s 2024 World’s best 50 restaurant list, a luncheon menu costing 290 Euro, 28 courses, 5 hours duration……this hard-to-come-by

reservation was secured over 6 months ago!!

Totally unexpected, to me, the most memorable moment during our entire meal turned out to have nothing to do with the food, but when my son commented that ‘ his buttock hurts ‘!! That was after our lady server announced to us, after 2.5 hours, that we have just reached ‘ half-time ‘!!

Seriously, the meal indeed started off with a parade of eye opening, whimsical and fun, interactive creations that were absolutely gorgeous and mind-blowing. These master-pieces not only wow the palate, they also excite both our oral, olfactory and visual senses. Sadly, the novelty began to wear off after the first 14 courses or so. And with diminishing appetite, the latter part of the menu started to become a protracted, lethargic routine…….and the whole experience was made worse when our buttocks started to hurt!

By that time, we have lost interest in learning that our ‘ golden egg ‘ dish was not from a goose but eggs of crustaceans or that our ‘ Black’ Apple dessert was from a Spanish Golden Delicious apple that had been fermented for 2 months in order to concentrate the taste!

For me, this dining experience turned out to be one of the most challenging and difficult ones to critique and review……so many conflicting factors to evaluate and consider. If only they would incorporate intermissions and allow patrons to take a breather?!

Was it worth the time and money for this unique and award winning experience?! Oh Yeah!! You bet!

Will I return? That’s a tough one to answer!..maybe, if they seat us in massaging arm chairs?!

Note: Photos of dishes were posted in chronological order. Please refer to the posted menu for description.

honkman · May 5, 2024, 6:42pm

The old cultural difference between people used to European vs North America dining experiences. Five hours doesn’t sounds so unusual for European fine dining restaurants but unfortunately rarely happens here where most tasting menus are a 2.5 - 3.5 hours rushed night. One of our great experiences was an extended French Laundry tasting menu which lasted 6+ hours and was one of the best we ever had

THECHARLES · May 5, 2024, 7:18pm

My meal at the ’ Pre-Veggie era ’ Eleven Madison Park was nearly 5 hours long. However, that included a kitchen visit with a cocktail break.
In the Disfruta case, quite a few tableside services involved minutes long narratives and preparation.

Harters · May 5, 2024, 10:48pm

You’d like to hope that the days of the interminable tasting menu are numbered. Six or seven courses I’m fine with. Sixteen or seventeen, I’m not.

erica1 · May 5, 2024, 11:33pm

Yes, indeed…quite funny comments, Charles!!
Maybe they could offer a “tastes of tasting” menu…we could come the first day for a couple of courses and return on days two and three for the rest! Once a meal veers into the territory of an ordeal… Who can eat all of that, and concentrate on all of the details? You did a fine reporting job and you deserve a nice stint in a massage chair for your efforts!!