Ricard Camarena - Review - La Saïdia - Valencia - The Infatuation
"Ricard Camarena feels like a high-class psychedelic tea party grounded in serious technique. Inside a beautifully restored art deco factory, Valencia’s most legendary chef redefines local cuisine without gimmicks, using ingredients straight from the on-site garden—and yes, Ricard is there for every service. The experience begins with a glass of lemonade that sounds absurdly overthought—aged lemon pith reduced to molasses, frozen lemonade ice cubes, topped with soda water—but it’s stunning and sets the tone for the six- or 11-course meal. Expect wild flavor combinations that somehow feel familiar, like raw shrimp with coffee and coconut, or a slow-cooked onion topped with caviar and a shimmering hollandaise of caviar and gold leaf. If you do the longer menu, you’ll get to move to the standing tuna bar for an omakase-style tasting of cured bluefin belly, collar, and loin. RESERVE A TABLE" - David Neimanis
