Enigma

Visiting Barcelona, I had to try a restaurant by Albert Adria, a stallwart in the culinary field with roots back into elBulli (a restaurant doing Michelin food before anyone knew what Michelin food was). My first choice was Tickets - a restaurant made to be a circus, where the waiters are magicians and your food is the bunny and comes out of proverbial top hats. Alas, they were booked. So was Enigma, the newest of his empire. I added myself to the waitlist and was delighted when they called to say they could accommodate me.

This restaurant was aptly named. Every inch of the experience is designed to make you question reality. Cloud ceilings? Translucent bread? Milk skin as an entree? Smoked baby eels? Even the bathroom is so confusing that it took me a few minutes to find the door.

Within that backdrop, the food and level of cooking was incredible, with combinations, techniques and ingredients I had never even heard of before. The confusion was accentuated by the pace. Even over 4 hours, 40 courses is about one every 5 minutes, giving you little to no mental rest between courses. Totally on brand.

The meal takes place through 5 environments - a welcome area with appetizers, a sushi bar (type of thing), a grill, the dining room and then you are led to a secret speakeasy that you walk through the kitchen storeroom to enter.

Suffice it to say this was a unique experience. I dined alone and it would be far better shared, but I'm sure glad I went. This won't soon be forgotten.