Alkimia

Alkimia Review

Chef Jordi Vilà is making news here with his inventive creations and tasting menus at €65 and €84 that still manage to pass for a bargain at the top end of Barcelona culinary culture even in this current economy. And if those meals sound like a steal, the €37.80 midday menu is grand larceny. The place is usually packed, but the white-on-white graphic decor, reminiscent of a Mondrian canvas, keeps things airy. Vilà's deconstructed pa amb tomaquet (in classical usage, toasted bread with olive oil and squeezed tomato) served in a shot glass is just a culinary wink before things get deadly serious with raw tuna strips, baby squid, or turbot. A dark-meat course, venison or beef, brings the taste progression to a close before dessert provides a sweet ending. Alkimia, as its name suggests, is pure magic.