🇪🇸Cáceres🌟🌟🌟 - Atrio

🌹 The standard for a Michelin three-star restaurant is that it's worth planning a special trip to visit, and without a doubt, Atrio delivers. Located in a hotel at the heart of Cáceres' old town, the restaurant is in a region not widely known—except for its famed specialty: Iberian pork, which is practically legendary. The restaurant offers only one tasting menu, and every dish (except the pre-meal snacks) incorporates elements of pork. 🌹The first two appetizers arrived together: black olive crackers and ultra-thin potato chips. (See comments for details.) 🌹Next was a savory bacon-filled puff with a custard-like texture, served piping hot. The sprinkle of oregano on top was the dominant flavor. 🌹The following three courses took the little piggy to the seaside, featuring a fusion of seafood and pork. The flavors progressed from light to rich: tuna tartare, salmon mousse, and shrimp sashimi. (See comments for details.) 🌹The next four dishes heavily featured cured pork, which might have been my favorite part as a ham enthusiast. First, they reinvented the traditional gazpacho. At its center was a mayonnaise ice cream studded with diced ham, topped with a tomato jelly. The soup itself was built around these three ingredients. My personal highlight of the meal—the tomato and ham flavors blended perfectly, with the ham’s distinctive taste shining through. Every spoonful felt like eating an entire plate of ham. The next two dishes were sausage and pork pâté. (See comments for details.) Then came an absolute standout: a tartare made with thick-cut cured pork tenderloin. The meat was encased in a layer of lard, yet it wasn’t greasy at all. The pork had a satisfying chew, becoming more flavorful with each bite. The crispy cracker base added a delightful contrast. 10/10, perfection. After this, the main courses began. The first four were taro dumplings, "veal" with tuna sauce, pig ear buns, and scallops with lobster. (See comments for details.) Next was a signature dish: crispy fried pork cheek paired with langoustine. The pork cheek had a texture similar to Chinese crispy pork lardons, while the sauce resembled the creamy richness of French coq au vin. The combination of rich fat and seafood was divine. The following dish was less "pork pudding" and more like Spanish *dongpo pork* (braised pork belly). The fat melted in the mouth, the skin was tender yet springy, and the sweet glaze brought instant nostalgia. The only downside was an overly generous amount of caviar, making it slightly too salty. The final savory course was Portuguese partridge, shaped like a cake and stuffed with ham and dried fruit. The partridge sauce, infused with cocoa, added a hint of bitterness and nut. #CaceresSpain#ThreeMichelinstars