The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum |
Savouring a delicious recipe by one of Spain's most
prestigious chefs is always a delight. However, if you happen to be enjoying it
after looking at some of the world's most important works of art, then the idea
becomes irresistible. Find out which of Spain's main museums, besides
famous paintings and sculptures, also have high quality restaurants. The
culinary art awaits you. Is your palate prepared?
More and more people are looking for haute cuisine and
originality when it comes to eating out. If you are one of them and you are
also into art, then you will love Spain. Many of the country's main
museums, located in major cities such as Madrid,
Barcelona, Bilbao
and Valencia,
are also home to restaurants whose menus are pure imagination. Come and
discover galleries where the works of art are not only to be found on the
walls.
Madrid
One destination not to be missed is Madrid, the Spanish capital and one of the
world's most important artistic centres. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
is situated in the so-called "art triangle". A walk around this
gallery, which covers the history of European painting, is a wonderful experience
in itself, while savouring a dish at its café-restaurant, set in a beautiful
garden, is something simply not to be missed. Can you imagine trying dishes
such as "Majorca Abstraction" or "Catalonian Landscape"?
These are the names of two dishes that the restaurant created for an exhibition
on Miró. We would recommend a visit to this museum in summer, because on July
and August nights you can also discover its "Mirador" - a wonderful
rooftop terrace where you can sample delicious Mediterranean cuisine whilst
enjoying stunning views of the city.
Reina Sofía National Art Centre |
Also in Madrid,
and just a few minutes' walk from the Thyssen, is another of its most important
museums, the Reina Sofía National Art Centre. It has a restaurant with interior
design that fits in perfectly with the gallery's vision of modern and
contemporary art. Their promotional slogan says it all: "edible
creativity". To complete the visit to the "art triangle", don't
miss the amazing Prado
Museum, which also has a
pleasant restaurant - "Café Prado" - and a terrace that opens from
May to September. It is perfect for relaxing after enjoying the spectacular
artworks on display in this museum.
For one last proposal in Madrid,
we would suggest a restaurant that is very fashionable at the moment, at the Clothing Museum. After looking at its wonderful
collection of clothing (some items go back as far as the 16th century), what
could be better than savouring the flavours of its restaurant. The Bokado Group
runs this restaurant and is in charge of showing you the typical cuisine of the
Basque Country, combining tradition and modernity in original dishes such as
"king prawns making waves". Sampling delicious pinchos (tapas),
sitting on a pleasant terrace with the gentle sound of the piano washing over
you, you are sure to be delighted.
The coast, leading the gastronomic avant-garde
Guggenheim Museum |
We now head to northern Spain,
to the Basque Country, specifically to its famous Guggenheim
Museum in Bilbao. If the building, designed by Frank
Gehry, is in itself a tribute to the avant-garde, then its exceptional choice
of restaurants is no less. Come with your nearest and dearest and share the
gastronomic pleasures of haute cuisine at Nerua restaurant, awarded a Michelin
star and managed by chef Josen Martínez Alija. What would you like? An exquisite
aperitif or a dish of grilled red chicory, with shellfish consommé and
grapefruit cream? The restaurant staff has everything waiting for you. If you
prefer a more informal place, we recommend the Bistro restaurant in the museum,
which also opens from Thursday to Saturday in the evening
Valencia Institute of Modern Art |
Our gastronomic journey continues to the heart of the
Mediterranean coast, and the city of Valencia
with its Valencia Institute of Modern Art (IVAM). Succulent recipes,
innovation, and a select, minimalist atmosphere come together in its bright
restaurant, "La Sucursal", awarded a Michelin star. Chef Jorge Bretón
heads the team at this establishment where you can savour a shoulder of baby
lamb with sage yoghurt and parsnip "angel hair", or alternatively try
the exquisite gourmet set menu - each dish is a unique sensation for the
palate. Furthermore, we would suggest you order some wine because at this
restaurant, besides the wonderful reinterpretation of traditional Valencia
recipes, you can also choose from a full wine list, managed by Manuela
Romeralo, winner of the National Gastronomy Award for the best sommelier.
Picasso Museum |
Also on the Mediterranean, but now in Catalonia,
in the city of Barcelona,
there are two more museums with recommended restaurants for art lovers whose
palates are in search of new sensations. The first will bring you into contact
with one of the main figures in the history of painting, Pablo Picasso. We are
talking about the Picasso
Museum, which also has a
café-restaurant with an intimate, cosy atmosphere and an outdoor terrace you
will love. Make the most of your stay in Barcelona
to visit the Catalonia
National Art
Museum as well, with its Oleum Restaurant. Why is
it so special? Because its large windows offer splendid views of Barcelona, because it is
set in the old Throne Room of King Alfonso XIII, because it has a
climate-controlled wine cellar and because it serves delicious, creative
Mediterranean cuisine. There is no shortage of reasons…
Inland Spain…
delicious too
Museum of Contemporary Art |
The final place we would recommend to give your stomach a
treat is in inland Spain, in
the city of León
(Castile-León Region): the Vivaldi Restaurant at the Museum of Contemporary Art
(MUSAC). An example of what to expect there? Tasty miniature menus to taste the
typical products of Castile-León. Enough to make your mouth water.
As you can see, the main museums in Spain do not
only offer a wide range of colours, but also of delicious flavours and aromas
through the dishes served at their restaurants. To make sure you get in, we
would recommend you book a table in advance, and you can check average prices
at each museum's website. Come on! Try combining art and gastronomy. You will
be pleasing every sense in your body.
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