We had the privilege of attending an extraordinary event that can easily be considered the culinary event of the year in Gdańsk, if not all of Poland. It was a remarkable signature tasting dinner at Arco restaurant, located on the 33rd floor of the Olivia Star skyscraper in Gdańsk, prepared by three masters of the culinary arts! Albert Adrià, Paco Pérez, and Antonio Arcieri created a meal that will stay with us for a long time.
Albert Adrià, chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant Enigma in Barcelona, and formerly co-creator of the legendary El Bulli, is widely regarded as an innovator in the culinary world. Paco Pérez, honored with multiple Michelin stars, is the Chef Patron at Arco by Paco Pérez, and also leads restaurants such as Miramar on the Costa Brava and Enoteca in Barcelona. Antonio Arcieri, the recipient of the first Michelin star in the Pomeranian region, is the head chef at Arco by Paco Pérez.
This evening could not fail to impress!
The dinner began with a small snack in the adjacent Treinta y Tres restaurant. We had the choice between Arco’s signature beetroot-infused oysters and seaweed cones. A glass of Spanish Cava (or Macallan whisky, if preferred) complemented the anticipation.
Once seated, we eagerly read the menu, which featured six appetizers, six savory dishes, three desserts, and petit fours.
The first dish was a crispy, fried, freeze-dried egg white with yolk and caviar, prepared by Chef Albert Adrià. It resembled a simple fried egg but offered a far more intense flavor. Alongside was “The Void” by Chef Paco Pérez. Despite its name, the dish was a hollow pastry topped with caviar and a caviar paste. Next, we were served a “cheesecake,” which was a crispy, cloud-like cracker topped with aromatic Spanish Valleoscuro goat cheese, along with wafers layered with slices of fragrant Portobello mushrooms. The mushroom Milefoglie was so ethereal yet full of flavor that it made us rediscover the familiar taste of mushrooms.
A cocktail made of zubrowka and lime was served as a palate cleanser, in the form of frozen sorbet cubes on spoons, disappearing so quickly we didn’t have time for a photo. The last appetizer featured beautifully cleaned, fresh, and fragrant mussels. All snacks were paired perfectly with Cava Torello Kripta Brut Gran Reserva from 2016, served from an elegantly oval bottle.
Starters followed. We began with chirlas clams served with a single, beautifully arranged spaghetto made from sea herbs (algae), hence the use of laurencia in the dish’s name. The dish was complemented by a rich, aromatic sauce characteristic of Paco Pérez’s cuisine and tapioca pearls that visually resembled sea foam.
The next two dishes were created by Albert Adrià. First, a smoked eel, adorned with edible gold, was served on a yucca cracker. The cracker was light and crisp, while the eel was delicately smoky, perfectly fatty, and surprisingly fluffy – perhaps the best version of smoked eel we’ve ever tasted. Another highlight of the evening was the wagyu beef tartare terrine with truffle and foie gras filling, covered with an aromatic jelly and served on a crisp wafer. The balance of flavors was impeccable, with each ingredient harmoniously blending together, and the dish was paired with a fuller-bodied Alsatian Pinot Gris.
The following dish was a perfectly tender, aged baby squid, coated in a black sepia sauce with a slightly salty, fishy, marine flavor. It was followed by a small green raviolo filled with chicken and spider crab, accompanied by an aromatic sauce and crispy chicken skin. It was so delicious that we wished there had been more than one on the plate.
The main course, by Paco Pérez, was Alfonsino fish cooked to perfection – delicate yet with a superb texture. It was accompanied by a marine minestrone, where vegetables and seafood – including our favorite percebes and shrimp – were submerged in a flavorful sauce and surrounded by a subtle, herb-infused green border. The dish, aptly named “Garden and Sea,” beautifully captured the essence of both land and ocean. It looked like an abstract painting and tasted nothing short of brilliant, combining freshness with depth. Chapeau bas!
Now for the desserts! Chef Albert Adrià’s two creations kicked things off. The honey meringue (or honey cake, as the name was still being debated), topped with fig sorbet, was another light, airy delight. Next came seasoned peaches, paired with unsweetened yogurt with tarragon, refreshing almond ice cream from raw Andalusian almonds, and marzipan. The dish appeared simple, but the combination of ingredients provided an extraordinary experience. The final dessert was a chocolate cake served with whisky – ethereal, airy, filled with light-as-clouds cream, it felt like eating chocolate-flavored air made from Ecuadorian Pacari chocolate. Poetry on a plate!
How could we sum up this dinner? Above all, the flavors and styles of the chefs blended brilliantly, contrasting at times but also complementing one another perfectly. There was a lot of lightness in the menu – voids, wafers, meringues… It felt as though we were eating flavorful clouds. All of this was accompanied by aromatic sauces, herbs, our favorite seafood, and wagyu beef.
We must also acknowledge the entire team who made this dinner possible. Such an event is not an everyday task, and it’s a challenge to perfect every detail. This kind of special dinner is also a great improvisational art, performed so flawlessly that we didn’t even notice the improvisation. We appreciate the wine pairing, which successfully highlighted exceptional wines that complemented the flavors of each dish. We’ll remember this evening as a truly unique experience.