After thousands of twists and turns, gastronomy returned to the most basic: the product. The first commandment of the new generation of chefs is to work around it, and so do María José Testa (formerly Atelier Fuerza and F5) and Branko Vaccaro (formerly Chila), owners of Reliquia. His first “famous” dish –much photographed by influencers– was the cauliflower ice cream with white chocolate which, although it may not sound tasty at first glance, demonstrated the possibilities offered by a good seasonal product to which creativity and techniques are applied. suitable. Today this ice cream is not on the menu, despite the success it had, due to the simple fact that the cauliflower season has ended. We’ll see if this fall returns.
In the Reliquia menu, the dishes rotate according to the season. Vegetables abound in fresh dishes such as tomatoes (the last of the season) with cucumber gazpacho, aguachile and black olive powder; and grilled green beans with huacatay, kiwi and amaranth; and more forceful like the roasted aubergines with lima beans purée, criolla and fried barley.
The dishes that have been on the menu since the opening, however, have meat as a base, and sauces and garnishes have been changing: the pâté (now with fig chutney, hazelnuts and pickles); the steak tartare (with almonds, fried quinoa and aguaribay); and the lacquered pork steak (with grilled onions and plums). In addition, there is always a homemade pasta, comfort food par excellence. On the autumn menu they are serving pappardelle puttanesca (garlic, anchovies, capers, black olives).
One of the house specialties are vinegars, ferments and preserves, which they use in a wide variety of dishes. The delicious plum ice cream for dessert, for example, is made with vinegar, something you won’t suspect when you try it but it adds a particular freshness. The wine list is dominated by young wines (orange, white, rosé).
The setting is simple and warm, very tasteful. The acoustics do not accompany them, but they promise to improve it soon.
