Ready for take-off: Stagier Bar

The menu reads like a best-of tapas. Indeed, some dishes pay homage to famous restaurants all over the world. Joel Baeza gathered experience in 23 renowned, often Michelin starred kitchens as a stagiaire (intern). But instead of drawing attention to his cuisine with superlatives, he prefers to understate. Three years ago, he called his own restaurant in Santa Catalina Stagier.

Joel and his wife Andrea Sertzen surprise their guests with an exceptional selection of Latin-Mediterranean flavors. We choose five tapas. Para compartir, to share, as usual. The menu also includes very small dishes and main courses. But a joy shared is a joy doubled. Starting with a ceviche de corvina, prepared exactly the way I love it. Fine pieces of sea bass in a light, slightly spicy lemon sauce, garnished with corn and platano chips. The grilled artichokes with pumpkin seeds sauce, too, are subtly seasoned and the spiciness unfolds only slowly.

The crispy gyozas with Iberian pork are a true homage to Joel’s time at fab Dos Palillos in Barcelona. And the filled brioches with pork in Chinese-Peruvian style, just indescribably good, slowly melt on our tongue. A sure highlight, were it not for the dessert. Passion fruit with coconut foam and mint takes us to a tropical paradise before we end our culinary trip with a coffee. Especially in times when traveling has become so difficult, we are looking forward to setting off again on Staigier’s terrace, soon.