Cráter is the restaurant that leads the Royal Hideaway Corales Villas, inaugurated several months ago in Costa Adeje and managed by Barceló. At the helm is chef Eduardo Dominguez, who spent over ten months before opening thinking, designing, and, above all, seeking suppliers to construct a menu that pays tribute to the island of La Palma and the dance of the dwarfs. The initial idea was to rotate menus evoking each of the islands, but in the end, this one from Isla Bonita has been so successful that it will remain fixed for the time being.
It is essential to emphasise the work carried out by Eduardo Domínguez and his team, who have travelled to La Palma several times to closely meet the producers and explore the immense opportunities offered for gastronomy by the produce cultivated on that island, which, it must be said, is at risk of disappearance.
The tasting of each dish, perfectly executed, has been a pleasant surprise. In total, there are 15 dishes, the longest menu, with 100% of products from La Palma. Eduardo Dominguez previously worked with Adriàn Bosch at San Hò, also in the same hotel chain, where they received the award for Best Restaurant at the XXXVIII National Gastronomy Awards of DIARIO DE AVISOS, presented in July 2023.
Beginning this solo journey, Eduardo Domínguez starts the menu with several bites known as the cardinal points, consisting of yam, almond, cheese, and vintage, followed by bread with goat butter, avocado oil, and olive oil. Next is La Galga tomato (tomato, goat whey, fig leaf, and caviar).
Other dishes
The next course is the escachón palmero, with corralera potatoes, smoked cheese, gofio, and mojo verde. Other dishes, which by their names evoke Isla Bonita, include El millo del país, La pimienta palmera, and the ever-evocative Sopa de picadillo, with hen and beef.
The wheat stew, the mantecosa bean (with morena and coriander), or the Fuencaliente caldero (cherne, seaweed, and marciala potato) demonstrate that Domínguez is more than in fine form.
In the meat section, the borrallera potato with sweet potato, black pig, and salted bacon, as well as the goat with black pig cheek, pumpkin, and truffle, are strong and tasty nods to the livestock of La Palma.
The desserts include the sweet goat (kefir, pineapple, and Aldea rum) and El chocomojo (palmera pepper, chocolate, gofio, and honey). To top it off, a replica of the iconic dwarf figure of La Palma, accompanied by petit fours (banana rapadura, bienmesabe, and saline rock).
This proposal is firmly linked to the territory, its culinary history, and the recovery of agricultural biodiversity at risk of extinction, in this case from La Palma, which from these early steps is already generating much conversation.
An emotional tribute to over 15 producers from Isla Bonita
The Cráter restaurant and the Royal Hideaway Corales Villas, the new hotel project by Barceló Hotel Group in the Canary Islands, organised a dinner to thank more than 15 producers, artisans, and partners from Isla Bonita who have played an essential role in shaping the gastronomic identity of this restaurant.
The dinner included participation from institutional representatives, historians, winemakers, researchers, and key figures from the agricultural and cultural fabric of La Palma who, in the words of chef Eduardo Domínguez: “have been individuals who, with their knowledge and their generosity in sharing it with us, have been key to making what initially seemed a madness a reality: developing a gastronomic restaurant in Tenerife based on the products, preparations, and culinary traditions of Isla Bonita.”
Barceló Hotel Group wanted, with this gathering, to convey its philosophy of constant commitment to the territory and its deep social roots.
