Dinner at the Archipelago restaurant in Costa Toscana where you can taste the tasting menus of three great star chefs who are true works of art.
A dinner at the Archipelago restaurant in Costa Toscana (but also on Costa Smeralda), is a culinary and sensory experience that makes the cruise truly unforgettable. In the elegant and ovate atmosphere of restaurant Archipelago you can taste the dishes created by Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León, the exceptional trio of star chefs who went to discover the authentic local recipes of the places visited by the ship, proposed through Destination Dish and the menus of the restaurant Archipelago that are true works of art.
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Restaurant Archipelago of Costa Toscana
The refined ambience of the Archipelago restaurant, where every single table represents an island of taste, is bounded by a copper structure that embraces the unique pieces of "driftwood", installations of natural wood sculptures shaped by the sea and waves.
Unique works, recovered during the operations of safeguarding the marine environment made possible thanks to Coast Cruises Foundation and its environmental education project Guardians of the Coast, to which a part of the proceeds of the dinners are donated.
At the restaurant Archipelago Tuscany Coast the choice is between 3 tasting menus, one for each chef, inspired by the places crossed by the cruise, in this case the Western Mediterranean. Each menu consists of 5 courses and to make the experience sensorially even more engaging, you can accompany each dish with a specially selected wine glass.
Menu Hélène Darroze
I chose the menu signed by Hélène Darroze, the French chef who formed with Alain Ducasse and now boasts the beauty of 5 Michelin stars in total between his two restaurants in Paris and London. The ingredient to discover: Passito di Pantelleria.
Tartare di Tonno allo Zenzero – Gazpacho ai peperoni del Piquillo, cream mounted at the mustard of Dijon
Vol-au-vent to the red prawns Carabineros – Animelle of calf and champignon of Paris, emulsion to the Passito di Pantelleria
Baccalà confit allied oil – Plate artichokes, wild fennel, Bagna Cauda sauce with anchovies
Duck to the spices of the sultan – Citrus Carrot Mousseline, Sarawak black pepper reduction, fresh coriander and chives
Baba imbued with Armagnac Darroze – Cream chantilly at the Summacco
Menu Bruno Barbieri
The two colleagues who were at my table instead opted for the menu of Bruno Barbieri, one of the most brilliant Italian chefs, which boasts a record of 7 Michelin stars. Its cuisine is the result of its origins and travel: sensitive and simple at the same time, but also engaging, creative, experimental and provocative at the right point. The ingredient to discover: Cipolla di Tropea
Roasting pancakes with zucchini scapece – Marinated zucchini with vinegar and mint, crispy scallops fritters and aloli sauce
Gramigna with aubergines and sausages – Gramigna with peat with braised eggplants, bran sausage, oregano oil, pecorino powder and eggs
Salad of lobster with apple kanzi and bacon – Salad of lobster with apple Kanzi, bacon, onion of Tropea, herbal oil and small raspberries vinegar
Black truffle lamb chops – Grilled lamb chops and black truffle, roasted sauce and small Vichy vegetables
Rest of caramel milk – Rest of caramel milk with burned sauce, raspberries salad, mint and balsamic vinegar
I can’t unfortunately document the menu of Ángel León because none of my commensali chose it, although it is definitely intriguing, with plancton as an ingredient to be discovered. In fact, León's cuisine is definitely marinara: in addition to three Michelin stars with its restaurant Aponiente, the Spanish chef also earned the exclusive recognition of "chef del Mare".
Here is your menu:
Plancton roll & sea suppressed – Plancton blown bread and our sea suppressed
Real of sea urchins – Cotta cream of sea urchins, sea urchins, Dutch sauce with plankton and citrus acid cream
Potatoes & calamari – Ravioli di calamaro filled with sea, cream of potatoes and squids, potatoes confit
with Dutch sauce to sepia black
Risotto al plancton – Creamy rice with cuttlefish, moisturized plancton
Milk ice cream and biscuits – Biscuit whipped cream, milk and cocoa ice cream
