Sevilla, Claridges, Delhi: Art by Andreu Genestra

A wintery moonlit night, a super white upholstered dim candle lit table, sound of flowing water, live music in the background and to top it all, the table under a huge natural tree. If this is not the perfect setting for a great evening then perhaps the beautiful company and the food that comes from a Michelin star chef all add up to something that everyone has dreamed of and very few have experienced.

Michelin star chef Andreu Genestra was in town and he was doing a special menu at Sevilla at Claridges hotel. Given my earlier outstanding experience at Sevilla, I braved through the peak Gurgaon traffic to reach Claridges hotel on a weekday. Joining me was another talented and beautiful Chef Nira Singh from Chez Nini. The evening was a poem accentuated with the ambience, service and of course the food.

Young Michelin starred Chef Andreu Genestra is from Majorca, Spain and was visiting along with his beautiful wife. When he mentioned that he has been cooking for 15-years, we couldn’t resist asking him as to what made him decide his career as a chef. The answer that he gave would take most Indians by a surprise. “Chefs earn huge money and even though I always enjoyed cooking, it was a big motivator”. I hope Indian chefs are taking a clue.

The , bacon confit and black truffle soup (895) was done in a spicy vegetable broth where vegetables were removed before reduction to ensure there was no bitterness. The potato gnoochi were perfectly filled with goat cheese and it was a good beginning.

What came next was even more impressive. Delicately balancing the sweet flavors of coconut rice and fresh crab with anchovy (1995) in a savory dish is an art which the dish perfectly exemplified. What looked like black sauce was jus of Kuwaity black lemon which I tasted for the first time. The slightly sweetish-bitterish flavor complemented the dish very well.

Sobrasada is a sausage made of pork mince but either the description wasn’t sufficient or I could not gather as to what is Sobrasada egg (1695). It turned out to be a perfectly poached egg which had a flowing sobrasada permentier to resemble egg yolk. Presence of al dente vegetable and very little cooked foie gras was a welcome addition.

Starting with prosecco we moved to red of Andrew’s choice (I did not notice the name) with low tannins so as to not disturb flavor characterstics of the different dishes that we were enjoying. Nira by this time was completely in awe of Andreu’s skills. I am sure she was silently taking tips to incorporate some bit of it in her new dishes.

The mains consisted of Grilled Sea Bass (2295) and Suckling Pig (1895). The crust on the fish and crackling on the pork undoubtedly was the best I have ever had. Sea bass was grilled to perfection and topped with pistachio and cardamom sauce while suckling pork was served with dried tomato foam and was topped with onion juice concentrate.

The French toast brioche with crème brulee (895) and Vanilla sponge, vanilla cream, lychees and iced raspberry caviar (795) was a perfect ending of a delightful meal.  We tried hard to be nitpicker but alas, we failed. It was another beautiful meal in a perfect setting.

Many of these dishes from his menu will become part into the regular menu at Sevilla. The meal at Sevilla isn’t cheap but worth it for the special days. Don’t miss it!

Ratings (out of 5):

Food: 4.5 | Ambience: 5.0 | Service: 4.0 |Overall: 4.5

Meal for two: Rs. 8000+ with alcohol | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes

Timings: Dinner only (7.30-11.30 pm).

Address: Sevilla, The Claridges, 12, Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi | Telephone: +91-11-39555000