Hidden above the kitchen of the three Michelin-starred Lasarte restaurant in Barcelona is an exclusive and luxurious penthouse where two of the best chefs in the world take diners on a gastronomic journey that goes beyond the limits of excellence. Welcome to Il Milione.
Imagine a small and intimate private dining room decorated in a dark mocha color, whose lighting makes you lose the reference of the space. A large iroko table seems to float in the center and the glass wall, like a large window, allows you to contemplate the magic that happens four meters below, in the kitchen of Lasarte, the first restaurant with three Michelin stars in Barcelona.
If you are one of the lucky ones who have made it to this vantage point from which to see without being seen, you have embarked on Il Milione: one of the most elegant, luxurious and exclusive dining experiences in the world. 
HONEST COOKING VISITS IL MILIONE – THE HIDDEN PENTHOUSE ON TOP OF LASARTE
Il Milione, starting point
Two years ago, Martín Berasategui (11 Michelin stars) and Paolo Casagrande (4 Michelin stars), asked themselves what they could do to further elevate the culinary perfection they execute daily at the three-starred Lasarte restaurant, whose helm they have shared since 2012.
They then began to develop Il Milione, an ambitious project that would combine a tasting menu prepared with the most exquisite ingredients and the most innovative techniques; a pioneering and elegant dining room experience that stimulates the five senses through the intensity and temperature of the lighting, a soundtrack tailored to the menu; aromas that accentuate the tasting of the food; the most extraordinary tableware and glassware and a cultured and expert service that will entertain you for about four and a half hours.
The place that Il Milione occupies today – or rather, where Il Milione takes place – is the same space where the coveted Chef’s Table in Lasarte used to be. That private room, which at the time was already exclusive, is now the setting for a gastronomic trip in which everything is designed to stimulate the five senses of the diners.
Il Milione was the title of a book that Marco Polo dictated to his cellmate while he was imprisoned, shortly after returning from the famous 24-year journey that took him from Venice to the Caucasus, Mongolia, India, China, the Arabian Peninsula and back to his home, the Veneto.
Berasategui and Casagrande – the latter also from Veneto – took as their inspiration the book by the legendary Marco Polo to begin their own exploration, one in which the horizon is perfection, for which they have spared no means and in which they use the ingredients that have had the greatest impact on their culinary travels around the world.
Thus, throughout a tasting menu of 13 courses, the two chefs make constant nods to their native places (Basque Country and Italy), but also to the Mediterranean, the Caspian Sea, China and India or Japan and Latin America, a region that Marco Polo did not even dare to dream of, but the truth is that we are not in a history class but in a temple of pleasure.
In the footsteps of a culinary journey
Just as Marco Polo recounted the wonders of distant lands, Il Milione’s 13 dishes span centuries and continents. Paolo Casagrande draws on his Italian roots, blending them seamlessly with his Basque heritage, received from Martín Berasategui, the flavors of the Mediterranean and influences from Asia and Latin America.
The journey begins with Land is linked by the sea, a sequence of appetizers beautifully plated, hypnotic and geometric, which intertwines seas, lands and cultures. The lightness of the Jerusalem artichoke origami, the intensity of the delicate crispy lotus flower of carabinero -evolution of an iconic dish of Lasarte- or the false razor served with a shot of stimulating chipotle aguachile dazzle.
The next dish, Silk, consists of a simple and wonderful croissant with caviar and butter, something like the deliciously decadent breakfast a Caspian prince would order every morning. Next, Il Milione takes a turn to The Origin, a version of the famous foie gras, smoked eel and green apple millefeuille that Martín Berasategui offers in all his restaurants, although here it is presented in two delicious bites flambéed a la minute and in front of your eyes.
The next stop, Jewels of the Sea, is a delicious declination of oysters in different preparations, cooked in different textures and combined with unexpected ingredients such as coconut milk or black sesame, which also refer us to Asia and the Middle East.
An oyster with a pearl? It is part of the oyster triptych. Photo by Carles Allende.
Next, Il Milione takes us to the shores of the Atlantic. Marea Alta is a lush dish that brings together aromas of the sea and the forest and is presented with a play of light and sound that puts you in a powerful northern storm.
Another standout dish is the exciting A Thousand Years of History, a risotto made with ancient Chinese and Indian rice varieties and red cabbage, a combination that alters geography to unite Asia with the Veneto… and beyond.
Surprise and discovery are essential ingredients of any trip, so I don’t want to reveal all the details of the magnificent menu. However, the last two dishes of the savory section, the kingfish and the roe deer, deserve a mention, they are a waste of technique and product, two magnificent examples of the highest gastronomy that combine academicism and advanced culinary techniques with the elegance that characterizes Paolo Casagrande.
The sweet episode
When the savory journey reaches its zenith, Xavi Donnay proposes the dessert sequence. Recognized as the world’s best pastry chef in 2020 by The Best Chef Awards, Donnay makes such surprising desserts as Hoshigaki. This trompe l’oeil, which mimics the appearance of a dried persimmon using an ancient Japanese technique, is an unexpected combination of blue cheese, olives and dates, blurring the line between sweet and savory.
The Pear is a dazzling composition of miso, almond, pear and yuzu that refreshes by combining Asia and the Mediterranean, and the grand finale, 100% Cacao, is a love letter to the king fruit of the tropics.
An unbeatable crew
Behind the magic of Il Milione is a team that works in perfect harmony. At the helm are Martín Berasategui, whose culinary empire is worldwide in scope, and Paolo Casagrande, who brings precision and preciosity, but beyond the culinary Joan Carles Ibáñez orchestrates the service with an elegance that seems almost like a performance.
Their attention to detail – from choosing natural table linens to flowing the arrival of each dish to the table – are an essential part of the experience while the pairings, ranging from a selection of local jewels to a luxurious harmony of Krug champagne, are a story in themselves.
For a privileged few
Il Milione is not for everyone, nor does it pretend to be, it is an experience reserved for those who crave the extraordinary and who can afford the €490 per person tasting menu and wine pairings ranging from €340 to €810.
For those fortunate enough to embark on this journey, the starting point is a question: What lies beyond excellence?
And this is the most inspiring thing about Il Milione, the will to explore and discover, the desire to go beyond perfection of a team that was already at the top of its game.
Il Milione
Carrer de Mallorca 259, L’Eixample, 08008 Barcelona
www.restaurantlasarte.com/en/il-milione
