Located in the historic center of Caceres, Extremedura, far from the Spanish culinary centers of Barcelona and San Sebastian, Atrio sports a crisp contemporary interior that contrasts with the narrow cobblestone streets outside. Atrio's attempt to bridge the divide between classic and modern has earned it attention not only from restaurant reviewers (two Michelin stars) and architectural critics, but from culinary peers, including Ferran Adrià who notes in an interview in the book, "Atrio is one of the few restaurants in Spain finding its way." The cuisine embodies dichotomies that reflect the contrast between the restaurant's location and its interior. Dishes frequently oppose humble ingredients with elegant ones, matching subsistence foods with fine dining hallmarks: pig trotters with caviar; doughnuts with pancetta; pig tails with truffles. The contrast between low cuisine and high creates an exciting tension that the restaurant's first book captures very ably. Hardcover. Color photographs throughout. Bilingual Spanish and English.
