Quique Dacosta in Denia, South of Valencia

[AlexForbes]

Just had the most amazing dinner at Quique Dacosta in Denia and was very surprised not to find a topic dedicated to the place other than an ancient one that still bears the old name it had, El Poblet.

How come?!

Has anyone been recently?

Comments??

[Txacoli]

Not sure what is going on with eGullet....but Quique and El Poblet had acres of photos and comments back in the day. My friends and I once drove from Mugaritz to El Poblet, then drove back to Mugaritz, then drove back to El Poblet. Trying to figure out which was the best restaurant in Spain. One of the group owns a Michelin two star restaurant of his own.

Quique inherited the old place from his folks, and supposedly never worked elsewhere. I think he is a stone genius. His maitre d', Didier, is an ex Mugaritz person, and was voted best young maitre d' in Spain in 2010. Super smart, speaks a handful of languages perfectly, knows all the inside baseball of every restaurant in Spain and France....but do not screw around with him. My wife calls him the French Pekinese...because we got bit when we tried to pull a fast one on him few years back. The sommelier is a super sweet, kind, humble soul who has given us the best pairing we have ever had anywhere. He first turned us on to a single vineyard sherry with Quique's fish course that was mind blowing. We had the same wine two days later at Sant Pau from the more famous and much less humble wine couple there. Tasted better in Denia.

I have had the best appetizer and the best dessert of my life in Denia. When a professional chef cannot figure out how the dish is even made.....it is a singular restaurant. My son sneaked a photo of me contemplating the "Walk in the Woods" appetizer....I look like I was hit with a mallet.

Great call....don't wonder why there are no posts, it is all about the site...not you.

Best,

Txacoli