A delicious and memorable 1 Michelin star experience: Restaurant alkimia (6. August 2021)
The Restaurant alkimia is not easily found since the entrance is in thus far hidden that there is only a door bell – upon ringing, the door would be opened and you have to walk to the first floor where the restaurant is located. Once you arrived, you’re brought to your table and seated right there. Ask for a table close to the kitchen since this allows you to see the whole spectacle while enjoying your meal. We went for the “tasting menu alkimia” (EUR 168.00) with the matching “wine pairing” (EUR 105.00) and it was a good decision to do exactly that.
The amuse bouche from the kitchen was “sardines and olives” which was perfect to get your palate started with some intense flavors.
The first course of the evening was the “gazpacho blanco de almendra con aceite de haba tonka y presa ibérica de arena” which was refreshing and really resembled a gazpacho as you know it but in a somewhat deconstructed form.
The “suquet cru de gamba” is something which is – apparently – usually made with meat. This version was made of raw gamba and I must say it was incredibly appealing and just delicious.
As a little “plus” you would get the “three times fried head of the gamba” which is something I would have been skeptical about until a few years ago but since I’ve had eaten the skeleton of a triple-fried fish in Hong Kong (Ronin) in 2015, I was excited to try this. And yes, it was crunchy, but yes, it was delicious!
The “ensalada de entremeses del mar” was interesting due to the fact that you would get a nice combination of really delicate and smooth seafood – no flavor explosion though.
The “mussels” which were served as part of the dish though, they were really outstanding and provided the intensity I truly appreciate.
The “cim i tomba de sepia con garo de olivas” was one of my favourite dishes that evening. The potatoes in combination with the smooth and not chewy sepia pieces really made for an amazing dish creating happiness in one’s mouth.
The fact that the waiter shows you the thing you will eat later is something I can appreciate very much – and it looked as delicious as it turned out to be.
The “langosta con comesco de huevo y macadamia” was just a feast. The langosta itself was tender and rich in flavor. And the macadamia nut eggs on top really added to the dish.
The “cogollos rustidos con paraguayo y recuit” on the other hand were the downfall in terms of taste experience. It was really just not living up to the standards of all the other dishes – sadly so. Especially after the high of just before, it was kind of a hit and I was really hoping that they’d recover …
… which they luckily did with the “pescado salvaje con ostra y berenjena”. Tender and aromatic fish and great eggplant. The oyster, however, was not something I needed on this plate.
Luckily, it got even better again. The “patata emmascarada con conejo de Almatret” was truly delicious and made my taste buds dance.
Again, it was time to see what we’d get …
… and the “cordero con romesco de tomate” turned out to be as delicious as it looks. The meat is tender, the sauce is intense and flavorful, and the combination with the romesco, it was a really exquisite dish.
The dessert is an elaborate preparation in three steps – getting something from the first bucket …
… from the second …
… and finally adding some lime …
… to then finish it off with some cucumber liquid. The “menjablanc con melon” turned out to be quite good.
What was definitely too much for my personal gusto was the “fondant de chocolate con sorbete de cereza escabechada”. Not that it was bad but since I am not into chocolate that much, it was just too much. And it was way too intense. I mean, the dish per se was great and the cherry sorbet really rocked my boat but after one bite of the intense chocolate, it was time to stop for me.
The “buñuelos à la minute con crema de vainilla” which were the final end to the menu turned out to be delicious – so, a perfect ending really.
As initially mentioned, if you manage to get a table by the kitchen, try to do so since it’s interesting to see how they are preparing the food and watch the whole spectacle …
… but even if you don’t manage to do so, you’ll see that the interior of the restaurant is generally quite nice. The good thing if you are in the kitchen room is also that the waiters see you quite well leading to a very limited amount of waiting time which is great.
So, all in all, the Restaurant alkimia definitely deserves its Michelin star. The food is great (besides one dish), the price is fair, the atmosphere is nice, and the service is attentive, friendly, and actually also quite jovial (but not too much). Booking way in advance highly recommended!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant alkimia
Ronda de Sant Antoni 41
08011 Barcelona (E)
Tel.: +34 932 07 61 15
E-Mail: reserves@alkimia.cat
Homepage: http://www.alkimia.cat
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
