Atica - Review - Latin Quarter - Paris - The Infatuation

"Tell a Parisian you went to a restaurant with a concept, and they'll assume the experiential elements came at the expense of the food. Not so at Atica, an immersive restaurant housed in an old cinema that spotlights different cultures. Dinner here is both delicious and inventive. The meal, which is based on a particular region and cuisine and changes every six months (Basque Country first, followed by Corsica), unfolds in a series of acts downstairs, in what is essentially a large black box. You’ll sit at black tables surrounded by a 360° floor-to-ceiling projection screen that displays exquisite, moving images of natural landscapes, animals, and artisans celebrating the destination. Each course in the three- or five-step tasting menu begins with a short film that tells the story of an artisan or an ancestral tradition that complements the dish. As for the food, this is tweezer-level precision that honors the region—think a modern take on pintxos, pork belly with txistorra spices, and a Basque cheesecake filled with Patxaran grape compote." - Lindsey Tramuta