Diverxo

Diverxo is a well known name in the world of the gourmand and we were very excited to get a reservation. It is often found at the top of lists naming the best restaurants in the world. Dabiz Munoz opened the restaurant in 2007 and, at 33 years old, became the second-youngest person in the world to earn three-star Michelin status. With all its numerous accolades and subsequent awards, a critique of quality is not only redundant but also banal. Diverxo is excellent as expected more importantly it is unique, surprising, and at times, bizarre. 

The menu is a fun hadj across the food world. It pings from Spanish food where the restaurant is housed, to a play on Thai curry, to English pea soup, to even tropical items of Hawaiian origin. The restaurant avoids the trap of ‘the authentic’; these inspired dishes are present in a way that is unique to this restaurant. 

The plating and presentation of the restaurant right up to the line of ostentatious. Pacing a slab of A5 wagyu on the table, serving a dish with a “forest” to live table side cooking of a protein is daring but effective.

This is an important and recurring motif, dishes reaching back to their source. Tuna presented with bones from the animal, the wagyu with the steak bone it came from, soups and cocktails within the leaves that flavor them. All these remind us these are real foods and not a chemistry demonstration.

Diverxo’s handling of ingredients is also probably what impresses the most. The team presents a beautiful contrast between the ingredients in pure form, and what were transformed into, means it as not just a feast for the mouth but also for the mind. Transforming an ingredient into an unrecognizable form while maintaining the flavor and essence of its origin is a delicate balance, the process risks over-processing, which can lead to flavors being muddled or lost entirely. it doesn’t happen here.

At times, the ostentation almost feels like they are making fun of fine dining. Simply put they absolutely nail “over-the-top,” turning what could easily be overdone into a simply unforgettable unparalleled dining experience.