Calpe (Alicante). The start of a new academic year always generates a multitude of emotions. It is common these days to look back, to assess the road travelled and to take a look at new horizons. In the case of Orobianco (1*), the trajectory of the last year has been full of successes, especially in terms of awards. In addition to the Michelin Star in November 2023, it has been awarded the Sol Repsol in March 2024 and, of course, the consolidation in the Ranking of the Best Italian Restaurants outside Italy, according to 50 Top Italy, where Orobianco is ranked 37th and reaffirms its position as the only Italian restaurant in Spain with this prestigious ranking.

However, this does not alter the course of the restaurant, which faces the new season with the intention of increasing its quality standards, in order to offer an unequalled experience to the diner. This is why it is also immersing itself in new experiences, such as the four hands with other haute cuisine teams, or participation in major gastronomic competitions and events.

Autumn will begin with two stellar culinary encounters. The first, with Smoked Room (2**), Dani García’s omakase proposal in Madrid, which is also known for its brilliant achievement of two Michelin Stars. Next, it will be the turn of Atalaya (1*), a restaurant that shares more than expected with Orobianco, as not only is it located in another neighbouring province of Valencia (Alcossebre, Castellón), but it also achieved the Michelin distinction practically at the same time. Alejandra Herrador and Emanuel Carlucci’s restaurant won the Star in 2022 and the Sol Repsol in 2023.

The exclusive dinner with Smoked Room will take place on 24 September at the restaurant in Calpe. For the occasion, Andrea Drago, head chef of Orobianco, will open the doors of his kitchen to Massimiliano Delle Vedove, chef of Smoked Room (2**). The event will also be attended by Orobianco’s gastronomic director, Paolo Casagrande, who has the highest rating of three stars at his restaurant Lasarte (Barcelona). “It is a great honour to welcome one of the most innovative restaurants in Spain to our home”, says Andrea Drago, who has led the preparation of the menu, halfway between Orobianco’s own Italian haute cuisine influences and the Japanese technique passed through the coals of the original omakase in Madrid. Thus, there will be a 10-course Tasting Menu, with very limited seating, which will include dishes such as the following:

Grilled thin shell, tosazu sauce beurre blanc and fresh wasabi. Created by Smoked Room (2**), it uses one of the finest products of the Mediterranean, accompanied by an exquisite sauce from the Loire Valley, based on butter, white wine and tosazu vinegar. The icing on the cake is fresh wasabi, a complex finishing touch.

Marinated rabbit, herb and tiger nut pesto. This dish is an impressive example of the spirit of Orobianco (1*): starting with rabbit meat and tiger nut, two emblematic foods of the Comunitat, it incorporates the Italian imprint, thanks to the herb pesto, one of the most recognisable sauces from the other side of the Mediterranean.

For its part, the gastronomic encounter with Atalaya (1*), which will be held on 23 October, will also take place at the restaurant in Calpe and will have very limited places. It will be a unique opportunity to enjoy the culinary fusion of the provinces of Alicante and Castellón, with two restaurants that have been recognised and achieved great repercussion in recent years. The menu, which will also be collaborative, will balance Italian cuisine with sea and mountain products from the north of the Comunitat. Orobianco and Atalaya not only share technique and precision, but also their origins, as both Paolo, Alejandra and Emanuel are disciples of the famous Martín Berasategui. This four-handed course will have a second round, for which we will have to wait until the second half of the course, but this time it will be Andrea Drago who will travel to the kitchens of Atalaya in Alcossebre. In this way, diners from different areas of the autonomous region will be able to access both kitchens, which, in reality, were never so far away.

A course full of great encounters

The four hands of Orobianco are the starting signal for a course that aims to be full of great encounters, such as L’Aplec, the immersive experience around rice, organised by Santos Ruiz, which will take place on 22 September and in which Andrea Drago and many other chefs and disseminators of the Comunitat will rediscover the richness of the Valencian rice culture. Of course, Orobianco (1*) will also be present at Alicante Gastronómica, one of the main fairs in Spain, whose programme is made up of 120 Michelin Stars and Repsol Suns. Specifically, it will be on 30 September when the Calpe restaurant will give a culinary presentation, under the title ‘La lonja en la alta cocina’ (The fish market in haute cuisine). It will share the space with great references, such as El Invernadero (Madrid), Frases (Murcia) and Cal Paradís (Castellón). Finally, Andrea Drago will be at Retiro da Costiña (Galicia) on 11 October to cook with his team and take part in the celebrations for its 85th anniversary.

While the gastronomic restaurant is preparing for the new academic year, O-B Rooftop by Orobianco is preparing to bid farewell to a summer full of eternal sunsets and endless activities. The guests of Citrus Cocktail Bar and Euforia Coctelería, various live musical performances, the theme parties by Sunset Affairs, as well as a special event to present four cocktail champions of the Valencian Community have passed through the rooftop of Calpe. This season will be rounded off with a surprise farewell party, which will take place on Sunday 13th October, and will leave us with the last memories to treasure for the rest of the year. This year, the Calpe restaurant will also continue its strong commitment to its recently inaugurated private events section, where there is room for all kinds of celebrations: weddings, corporate events, birthdays, private parties. For this new year, Orobianco (1*) continues to set the standard for its high standards in the cuisine and service of all of them.

There will be more, although we can’t tell yet. “I would very much like to apply four hands with restaurants in Italy to consolidate our concept”, says Andrea Drago. “In fact, the collaboration with Massimiliano Delle Vedove (Smoked Room, 2**) arose from the need to create a connection between us and to continue in the line of Italian haute cuisine. Although Smoked Room has a very different concept to ours, he (Vedove) is also from there, and we want to start strengthening those ties between us,” he adds. This expansion to the other side of the Mediterranean means its consolidation as one of the best restaurants, also in Italy. After all, from the hill of Orobianco (1*), at the top of Calpe, Italy has always been on the horizon.

Report by ‘24/7 Valencia’ team

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

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