Eating at the Worlds Best Seafood Restaurant (2026 Full Review)

I ate everything on an insane 20 course tasting menu at what's been called the world's best three Michelin star seafood restaurants. Run by the most radical chef in the world that even has his own documentary film on Netflix. This is a fine dining experience. Like you've never seen before. Welcome to taste, Bud. I'm a sommelier with 20 years of experience eating at some of the best restaurants around the globe. On this channel, I provide honest reviews of financing restaurants based on my own 100 points rating system. So make sure to subscribe as I have tons of amazing restaurant reviews coming up. In today's episode, I give you an exclusive look into the magical seafood world of this Spanish temple of gastronomy. And make sure to stay with me to the end, where I'll provide my honest opinion and reveal how tonight's score came out. Let's go to restaurant. End. Enter. And to get there, I drive from Malaga, along the beautiful sunshine coast of Spain, towards Gibraltar, and eventually into what's actually the oldest city in Western Europe, the beautiful coastal town of Cadiz. Located on Spain's southwestern coast. Cadiz is often celebrated as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe due to its strategic coastal position. Cadiz played a vital role in trade, exploration and military history, especially during Spain's Golden Age, when it became a hub the Spanish Empire's trade with the Americas. Today, Cadiz is known not only for its deep rooted history, also for its vibrant cultural life and picturesque scenery. The city is a blend of old and new, with historic places, lively bars and a broad range of restaurants focusing on the amazing seafood this region has to offer. My restaurant for tonight, a poignant, is located in El Puerto de Santa Maria on the Bay of Cadiz, northern shore. It's part of the Sherry triangle, region famous for its production of the sherry wine alongside Juarez de la Frontera and San Luca. The barometer. The location in the sherry triangle is going to play a significant part of my experience, one that I was not quite prepared for. To be honest, I'll get back to that. El Puerto. It's known for its historical charm and maritime heritage, and serves as an ideal location for chef Angel Leon's ambitious restaurant project, often referred to as a chef of the sea. Leon is a culinary innovator renowned for his groundbreaking work with Marine ingredients. Born in Juarez, La Frontera, Leon's profound connection to the sea was cultivated during his childhood fishing trips with his father the Bay of Cadiz. This early exposure ignited a lifelong passion for marine life and its culinary potential. Leon's culinary philosophy centers on sustainability and the exploration of the oceans untapped potential. He's dedicated to transforming overlooked marine species and byproducts into gourmet dishes. His innovative approach includes the creation of marine casualty such as sea bass, mortadella and mackerel sobre asada, which reimagines traditional meat products using fish. a hallmark of Leon's work is his pioneering use of marine plankton as a culinary ingredient, introducing it to haute cuisine and highlighting its rich mommy flavor. Additionally, he has developed techniques to extract marine sugars and create bioluminescent dishes, offering diners a multi-sensory experience that emphasizes the beauty and diversity of the sea. I've been looking forward to visiting this restaurant for a long time, and calling me excited for tonight's dinner be an understatement. I arrived in El Puerto just after dark, running a bit behind schedule as usual. In a hurry, I parked outside the restaurant, quickly changed into a clean shirt right there in the parking lot and headed straight for the entrance. I was warmly greeted by the host manager, the incredible, friendly and professional Mr. Pascal Galley style. Since the other guests were still enjoying their snack in a separate area, Paco offered to give me a tour of the main dining room. The restaurant is absolutely stunning, with an entrance that's nothing short of spectacular. But what truly captivated me was the building's fascinating history. This 18th century tidal mill, which the restaurant took over in 2015, was little more than bare concrete walls when they began restoring it was basically abandoned and ruined. It was a huge heritage of industrial heritage for for us. we'll give you a picture of what we found. up until there was basically like this. Remarkably, those original walls were preserved and now serve as a centerpiece of the space known as oyster bricks. They're made with shells embedded in a material offering a unique connection to the sea, and the restaurant's story. We move past the open kitchen. What is chef's are fully immersed in their preparations for the evening service. The energy in the room is palpable. every movement exudes focus and precision. It's truly impressive to watch them at work, knowing that many of the highly innovative courses being served tonight are completely unique and can't be found in any other restaurants in the world. The main dining room is spacious, with excellent lighting and plenty of space between the tables. The design and interior strike a perfect balance. Elegant and stylish, yet comfortably informal. Finally, it was time to begin the dining experience. I was escorted to the snack area situated between the entrance and the main dining room on the left. A dedicated team of chefs was busy preparing an array of snacks, visible through large windows, that allow the staff to monitor the guests inside while the guests enjoy a sense of undisturbed privacy. Unable to see through the windows, the staff maintains full control and empty glass or a finished plate and never goes unnoticed, with someone from the team attending to you within seconds. The professionalism and attention to detail are remarkable. The first course is about to begin with tonight's menu divided into chapters. Salty snacks. Salty. Sea. Sweet sea and coffee time. Petit falls in a unique twist. Even the desserts and pedicures are crafted entirely from seafood. One dessert paired with an unforgettable beverage. Completely blew me away, but more on that later. The menu is priced at €310, with a standard wine pairing for €180. There's also a non plus ultra wine pairing at €300, but I always up for the standard. As a sommelier, I value the creativity and hidden gems often found in these thoughtful excess parents. And this pairing didn't disappoint. Expect some truly fascinating wines as we return to the main dining room later. For now, we begin in the snacks lounge with a glass of sparkling rosé, a small batch wine made from a native grape. Unique to this region. Created exclusively for the restaurant, it showcases the team's commitment to working with the local community to offer the finest ingredients and wines. the first snacks arrive. It's a crispy biscuit roll made of the skin of the sea bass. a light, fluffy bite with wonderful texture. Next up, oysters served two ways. First, a frozen oyster leaf. Deliciously fresh, With a delicate oyster aftertaste, though undeniable. Icy. Then an oyster emulsion topped with plankton hollandaise and caviar. This dish offered a rich, creamy texture with a more concentrated taste of oyster and the ocean. An innovative presentation with striking contrast between the two preparations. The final snack is a chef's signature shrimp fritter served with parsley emulsion and baby onion. Think of it as shrimp chips elevated, airy, ultra crispy and bursting with a delicate yet precise shrimp flavor. Absolutely loved it. With a snack finished. Paco escorted me back to the main dining room. Waiting at my table is the menu, affectionately called the Book because of its rich history and detailed information. I'll save that for later. Choosing instead to sit back and let the evening unfold in the capable hands of two wonderful ladies. Ana Maria, my main server, and Cristina, the head sommelier and body. This service here, friendly, smiling and highly professional. The atmosphere strikes the perfect balance. Relaxed yet attentive, never stiff or overly formal. The team is also generous, fully staffed, allowing them to engage warmly with guests throughout the evening. The next chapter of the menu begins with the first course from the salty sea port. This is green crab. The white meat is cooked while the rich, dark inner parts are transformed into a flavorful sauce. But what's in the glass? Well, Cristina promised something extraordinary with the standard wine pairing, and she wasn't exaggerating. In the first glass of tonight, we have brandy. I don't think I've ever had brandy as part of a pairing, at least not in the beginning of the meal. So this is a really bold move, but is also an exceptionally clever move from the sommelier because this is not an ordinary brandy. we make our own brandy with the shell of the crust. we take a berry or or lambda. This is the base brandy from the army that we 93 years old, and we distillate the shell entirely. The crab meat is delicious, with an concentrated but still elegant flavor of the crab. I followed Christina's recommendation. the best way with a spoon in one bite. When you finish sweet, just drink the cup drop to improve What a fantastic start of the main part of the meal. Has some. Christina is back at the table with what seems like a more traditional white wine. We want to start with this wine completely exclusive for us. It's very, very special to Made with 98% Palomino Fino, the main grape used in sherry and 2% Muscat. It's been fired without oxidation, resulting in a dry, fruit driven wine, a beautiful wine on its own and an excellent match for the next course, which Anna-Maria presents us. over is the embryo of the week? Coop? inside I roasted funny. And here, I discover from the onion. And I'm going to mix it with. I shall be going. This case is a mixture of an emotion of shame. Serum with a special parsley oil on the top. This was a really interesting dish, mellow flavors that blended well together, making it a bit hard to define the exact taste of the embryo itself. I was also missing some texture here, but luckily Anna Maria is back with the first bread serving. We're going to start with a brioche made with flank this brioche. We're going to have our butter. Maybe flatten. Choose from that same variety While I enjoy the embryo and plankton, the chefs were busy preparing my next course with all the guests. Now seated in the main dining room, the kitchen was operating at full speed. It was impressive to watch the efficiency and precision, especially given the complex ity of the dishes being served. The next dish arrives sweet prawns or striped soldier shrimps marinated in manzanilla sherry that's served with a sauce made from chlorophyl and plankton, topped with vibrant green leaves. This was a standout dish. The raw, tender shrimp had incredible flavor, perfectly complemented by the sauce and greens. The floor on the side added just the right texture, elevating this course to the best of the night so far. Next up we have gray mullet ro served with a corn emulsion, almond and whole corn. The dish is finalized on the table, but Anna Maria is grating spices that are being burnt on the fire. This is an excellent dish with an amazing aromatic intensity from the spices. The texture from almonds and corn was also a wonderful contrast to the rich and smooth emulsion. The wine pairing to this course was yet another interesting sherry. This time unique fino sherry from a Grand Cru quality vineyard made as a dry, natural, unfiltered and most importantly, non fortified way. This is high quality stuff and had some air, Christina explains. you will drink once the best sherry? No, 45 of the one. As I savor this fantastic wine. The second bread serving arrives, this time a loaf made from spelt, which is one of the world's oldest types of grains. The timing is perfect, as the next course features a soup that's practically begging to be mocked up. Here we have one of my favorites of the night sea urchin and marinara, which is a special soup of the region. It is topped with a variety of mushrooms and herbs, then finished on a table with a perfume of intensely aromatic bitter orange, a dish that was elegant and intense at the same time. I love this one. Before, in the next course, Christina is pouring yet another glass on my journey through the complex sherry landscape. Here we have a barrel aged manzanilla sherry, and you probably already guessed it. This is not an ordinary wine. This bottle is unique They don't see it anymore. To go alongside this unique manzanilla, we have baby squid coated in a white emulsion and decorated with a black squid ink, served with a nori seaweed triangle macerated in ink to give it the black color. A really beautiful and well executed dish, but flavor wise, I wasn't too impressed about this one. The next course, on the other hand, was something else. A reimagined casserole inspired by Spain's traditional meat and vegetables stews adds up on the end. Chef Angel Leone replicates the look and flavor of sherry, so and cashew today, using seabass, cuttlefish and other seafood on the side, there's a take on bacon crafted from flaky fish meat and a final bread serving of the night. A classic wheat loaf perfect with a rich, complex stew. This dish, with its bold, concentrated flavors, exemplifies the chef's innovative approach to the pairing. Another exceptional sherry, this time a 40 year old barrel aged lifestyle exclusive to the restaurant with only 300 bottles produced, next is one of the most unique tuna dishes I've ever had. Tuna tendons found in the tail and weighing only about 30g on a 300 kilo tuna, this ultra rare cut is rarely used. Here, it's coated in a butter made from tuna fat and garnished with coastal leaves from around the restaurant's. While the dish was more interesting than flavorful, I found myself missing some texture and contrast. The wine, however, was fantastic a blend of Petit Vado, Syrah and a local grape aged ten months in oak. Fresh and mineral driven with excellent concentration, it was a welcome change to finally have a proper red. My red wine heaven was short lived as the sommelier returned with yet another sherry, this time a palo cortado. To pair with it came a remarkable course. A traditional Spanish soup, reduced from 72 hours to achieve an incredible depth of flavor. Inside were cuttlefish layers of potato, and on top lemonade. Add coconut and shiso leaves. The intense, concentrated flavors completely blew me away. A stunning dish and a perfect way to conclude the salty Sea chapter. Off the menu. And with that, we entered the final phase of the meal. This sweet sea. I wasn't sure what to expect, to be honest. Seafood based desserts seemed hard to imagine, but I trusted Chef Leon to challenge my assumptions. The first dessert introduced by Anna Maria was cinnamon mochi with sea silk. Admittedly, some details were lost on me at this point, thanks to all the sherry and the wine, but the cinnamon flavor was pleasant. Though I missed some contrasting elements. And the wine pairing is, you guessed it, another sherry. 100% Pedro. She is surprisingly fresh, with bright acidity and notes of green apple, nectarine and apricots. It was a delightful complement to the dish. The second dessert arrives, featuring an unexpected duo of chocolate and a member of the macro family. This is dried tuna prepared in the Japanese Katsu Bucci style. Also known as bonito flakes. Casa Bucci is a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine made from smoked and fermented tuna. It has a striking umami flavor at the end. They macerate the tuna with chocolate powder for up to four months, then freeze the loin and shave it thinly using a mandolin. The dish is topped with caramelized Kotzebue leaves, highlighting the simplicity of its two main ingredients. Tuna and chocolate. Despite the minimalism, the preparation is incredibly complex and time consuming. The first bite was stunning. An intense yet elegant chocolate flavor, followed by a subtle, intriguing hint of tuna. A truly unforgettable dish. And what about the wine pairing? as promised. It's tuna both on the plate and in the glass. This is karma, the attune up pony and its own version of Baileys, made from a base of milk and roasted tuna bones. The flavor is so distinctly tuna that the sommelier even advised against drinking it without the food. So my recommendation is not to try it. Now I just want that this is on the table. It's a little bit of the disperse and then drink a little bit of the bass I took my time enjoying this dish, appreciating the bold and unique combination of tuna and chocolate. It was different, intriguing, and undeniably delicious. As a sommelier, I truly appreciate when the kitchen and beverage team collaborate to create such thoughtful pairings. This was an outstanding match and one of the most memorable dessert experience I've ever had. Great job guys. Before the final dessert, the sommelier pours the last glass off the pairing. Or should I say sherry pairing? This is a blend of oxidized and sweet cherries aged between 60 and 90 years. The wine is deeply impressed with dense, caramelized flavors. It pairs beautifully with a dish titled Murray Soya, made from beans of coastal plants that grows along the shores of Cadiz. The dish features ice cream made from the beans milk topped with a delicate film that forms during boiling. A fascinating and flavorful creation. And with that, my meal at opponent has come to an end. It's time for my final scores and overall impression of this incredible restaurant. Before we dive into the ratings. I want to thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this video and found it valuable, please hit subscribe to support our mission of showcasing chefs and sommeliers at the world's best restaurants. Now for the scores. And we start with the interior and atmosphere category. The design and layout are stunning. beautiful entrance. A well thought out snack area and a spacious main dining room. While I appreciated the overall esthetic, the lighting felt slightly too bright at times. A small detail, but it brings the score to nine out of ten. Next up is service. service here is truly exceptional. The team is attentive, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, with a clear passion for what they do. A flawless performance earning 20 out of 20 points. Then, for the wine and beverage category, Divine Selection, particularly the innovative range of Sherries, was outstanding. Each pairing was thoughtful, inspiring and expertly presented, reflecting the beverage team's dedication and expertise. This category also earns a perfect 20 out of 20 points. The last and most important category is the food. Upon the enter offers one of the most unique and arguably the best seafood dining experiences I have ever had. While a few dishes didn't fully meet my expectations, and I occasionally missed a more classic approach, some is the experimental flair. The creativity and technical brilliance were undeniable. The food scores an impressive 47 out of 50 points. That brings the total score for opponent to 96 points, placing it firmly in the overall class category. This is a truly unforgettable dining experience, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to explore the boundaries of seafood, cuisine. So what are your thoughts on this restaurant? I love to hear your opinion, so feel free to drop a comment below. And if you wonder how it stack up compared to other Michelin star restaurants. Well, to find out, I highly recommend you watch my review of this restaurant's right here. Thank you for watching and I look forward to see you in the next one.