Inside the WORLD’S #3 BEST Restaurant – Diverxo

#3michelinstar #diverxo #dabizmunoz

Welcome to Madrid. In the city’s north end you’ll find the NH Collection Eurobuilding hotel.
Inside is DiverXO. The Chef responsible for this wild and crazy place is Dabiz Munoz. It opens in 2007, and in 2013 becomes the first 3 Michelin star restaurant in Madrid. In 2023, they sit at number 3 on World’s 50 Best Restaurant list.

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My name is Alexander. I’m the co-owner of a ONE Michelin star restaurant, and I’m on a mission – to find inspiration in gastronomy. I love fine dining, good wine and sharing what I know with other people.
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Check out my restaurant:
https://www.instagram.com/42restaurant/

Start with the punk mentality:
reject conformist society
challenge the status quo
and always push the boundaries
Then take the essentials of fine dining:
exquisite ingredients
highly trained chefs
and attentive service
Now, put the two together, and
Dios Mio!
You have our restaurant for today
DiverXO
Welcome to Madrid. 
Known for it’s rich traditions, 
party nightlife and football fever.
In the city’s north end you’ll find 
the NH Collection Eurobuilding hotel.
Inside is DiverXO.
The Chef responsible for this wild 
and crazy place is Dabiz Munoz.
Born in Madrid in 1980.
He was inspired to become a chef after his first 
fine dining experience totally rocked his world.
He was just 12 years old, and from that 
point on, Dabiz was fascinated with cooking.
After culinary school, he ended 
up in London and for 6 years,  
worked at top Asian restaurants 
like Nobu and Hakkasan.
It was here he had a big, bold idea.
Open a restaurant with groundbreaking 
cuisine where anything is possible.
He calls it DiverXO.
Spanish for ‘diverse’
with the XO coming from the famous XO 
sauce from Hong Kong that Dabis loves.
It opens in 2007.
and in 2013 becomes the first 3 
michelin star restaurant in Madrid.
Ten years later DiverXO is still 
the only 3 star in the city.
and on World’s 50 Best Restaurant 
list, they sit at number three.
In 2019, Chef Munoz adds sommelier 
Miguel Ángel Millán to the team. 
In 2023, he won the Beronia 
World’s Best Sommelier award.
In 2021, Dabiz was named Best Chef 
at the Worlds Best Chef awards.
He took the title again last year.
From the outside, the building doesn’t scream 
fine dining, and that’s kinda what we expect.
We find the revolving door and make 
our way into the Diverxo dimension.
First impression?
It’s bold.
It’s bonkers.
and it’s f***ing brilliant.
We are welcomed to our table by two gentlemen,
two ants and a waving pig with 
a mohawk and spiked caller.
The mood is set to light and playful.
You can’t see it, but I’m smiling from ear to ear.
Kitsch, creative and courageous
is how I would describe the interior.
The punk mentality is in full force.
The tables are really nice, but 
everything else has a grunge feel.
The clothes of the staff are 
as extravagant as the place.
The dining spaces are separated 
by floor-to-ceiling curtains
that put you in your own area with lots of room.
The champagne list is in a league of its own.
They have almost anything you could want.
Some heavy hitters like Dom Perignon P3.
Some rare veterans like a 61 Compte de Champagne.
We start with a glass of Krug from 2006.
There is only one option on the menu.
It’s a tasting menu is called 
The Flying Pig’s Cuisine.
It’s described as a journey 
through the hedonistic,  
greedy and creative world of Dabiz Muñoz.
It’s avant-garde cuisine where 
everything is possible for 365 euros.
There are two wine pairings to choose from.
The Wine Pairing Selection for 300 euros
and the High Flights Wine Pairing for 600.
Here I need to come clean.
I went to Diverxo with a friend who 
is also a good friend of the chef.
So they didn’t let us pay for this experience.
I know that nobody around the Christmas tree 
is completely honest after they open a gift,
but I will try to be objective 
and give my honest opinion.
Our first appetiser is called Wok on Coals
a Veggie Rollercoaster
It’s spinach glazed and wok toasted on hot coals
with burrata, kale, watercress 
and sorrel with sansho pepper.
On the side is organic Riofrio caviar.
It’s finished with a floral cream sauce.
At first bite, I’m hit with a flood 
of flavors, textures and temperatures.
Impressive first dish.
They bring out the wok to show us, how it’s done.
Sommelier Miguel pairs it with a high 
quality Chenin Blanc with tons of acidity.
Before our next course, we are 
invited to try a special sake
available exclusively through DiverXO.
It’s Junmai Daiginjo, the highest grade of sake.
It has notes of cotton candy 
and melon and it’s super smooth.
Our next course is called Spicy Pizza Margarita
It’s frozen mozzarella from goat’s milk
drizzled with a sour and spicy consomme of 
tomatoes, aged sherry vinegar and thai basil.
It’s acidic, cold, crunchy and pure genius.
I love this added touch of 
service here at DiverXO.
Before every dish they give you a 
card with all the ingredients listed.
Our next dish is called “Raw sweet chili sauce”
First we have sweet and sour prawns from Spain.
The heads are fried and the bodies are raw.
In the syringe is a Melipona honey from Mexico.
Melipona are a stingless type 
of bee with a unique honey
that has been used for centuries 
for it’s healing properties.
The prawns are fresh and fatty 
with a nice chili flavor.
Together they are sensational.
The wine pairing is a French Reisling 
known for its elegance and lightness.
Next is something called 
Street food XO in two parts.
The first is Yaki-xo-ba, made with 
espardenas instead of noodles.
It’s prepared with homemade soya 
sauce with quail juices and ginger.
The second part is quail tataki, 
sea urchin and Lily bulb.
The sea urchin and the quail 
go surprisingly well together.
The soya sauce and ginger 
make the flavors stand out.
All I can say is I really like it.
Miguel nails the wine pairing 
with a Spainsh palomino wine.
It’s intense and outstanding.
Next, another Street Food XO.
It’s served with french fries and 
spicy ketchup from tree tomatoes,  
goat’s milk butter bearnesa and karashi mustard.
Again, the creativity is a 10 out of 10.
Flavorwise, it’s leaning towards sweet 
with strong umami and a hint of spiciness.
With it is a vintage 1992 
Champagne Fleury Extra Brut.
Next is Crab with XO kimchi.
It’s blue crab in palm sugar and rice 
vinegar brine, toasted shell oil,
homemade iced kimchi and tomalley 
emulsion with barbecue strawberries.
The delicate seafood flavor is offset 
nicely with sweet, smokey and nutty flavors.
With it comes a 2008 riesling from 
German producer Dr. Burklin-Wolf.
Our next course is called Tortiyaki
It’s a fusion of Spanish 
tortilla and Japanese takoyaki.
Inside is veggie broth made 
from cabbage and spinach.
Because of the liquid inside they 
recommend eating it in one bite.
It’s paired with a 2016 rioja 
blend red wine from Spain.
Another excellent choice by sommelier Miguel.
The courses just keep on coming.
The next one is called
XO Sauce Iberian Version
On the left is dried scallop 
and shao long bao dumpling
on the right is essence of red prawn which is 
the head of the prawn cooked for one minute.
On the spoon we have Jinhua ham with 
shallots, garlic and plankton powder.
The wine pairing is a vintage 
Chateau Chalon from 1982.
At this point, it’s time for a pit stop.
To get to the toilet, I’m told 
to ‘follow the butterflies’
I love the creativity.
Our next course is a crispy 
Iberian suckling pig sandwich.
It’s a cold cut from the head of 
suckling pig with Pecorino cheese,
cured goose yolk and homemade sriracha.
It’s complimented with peppercorns 
and black chanterelle pesto sauce.
I love the juicy, tender pork 
with the sharp pecorino cheese.
It’s paired with a 2013 La 
Muse from from California.
It’s a dense, juicy red that is 
a perfect match for this dish.
Our next creation is called
45 Day Aged Nigiri and Pyrenean Ecosystem
Another complex dish with a 
remarkable range of textures
featuring ingredients and 
techniques from all over the world.
The wine with this dish is a 2014 Sori San Lorenzo  
from Gaja – one of Italy’s 
most famous wine producers.
I can’t get enough of the decor.
I’m a big fan of Salvador 
Dali and I think Dabiz is too.
After all, the famous artist was from Spain
and even attended art school here in Madrid.
Our next dish is warm sashimi 
with upside down fried baby eels,
Clams Valoute “Al Riesling”, Enoki 
Mushrooms and Grilled “Sepieta”
The baby eels have been frozen at 
minus forty degrees for one minute,  
creating a unique taste and texture.
There is a beautiful umami 
flavor in the clam sauce.
This is a top contender.
Our wine this time is a Sorte Antiga 
from Spanish producer Rafael Palacios.
We are over half finished this menu, and 
at this point I have run out of words
It’s a very powerful experience.
Next is a dish called Duck Variety.
We have duck foie, grilled and rested
Crispy flame-grilled tongue
and brains marinated in duck juice
I never knew duck brain tasted so good.
It’s super fatty and full of herb and spice.
The pairing is a 2016 from Luis Perez.
This Spanish sherry wine is sweet and 
acidic and would be great on its own.
Our next course is
TOURNEDÓ ROSSINI OF RED 
BREAM WITH SAKE AND SHIRAKO.
Tournedos Rossini is a French dish 
that combines steak with foie gras.
Here at DiverXO they reimagine it using only fish.
It’s roasted red bream aged for two days 
in sake, in a spicy red wine lemon sauce
and topped with slightly roasted shirako.
On the side is cappuccino 
flowers dressed with beurre blanc
Shirako is a delicacy from Japan which 
is the male counterpart of caviar.
That’s right.
Fish semen.
Its hand-harvested from all types 
of fish and other sea creatures.
But it’s not just an Asian thing.
In the rest of the world, it’s known as fish milt.
Besides fine dining, it’s 
common in Italy and Russia.
It’s paired with a wine that is another big one –
a 1994 Corton Charlemagne grand cru.
This chardonnay from the famous Burgundy 
region is well-regarded and highly rated.
This next course is called The Ages of Hake
First we have 3 month old hake with head and bones
Then it’s 1 year old hake with yellow aji
And finally 8 year old Hake with emulsion 
of the fish head with tahiti lime dressing.
The creativity goes to new heights here.
Same type of fish, three totally 
different flavors and textures.
The wine pairing was a syrah from 2009.
Just when you thought the chef 
was out of creativity comes 
Mos Rooster Stew.
It’s rooster drumsticks, thighs 
and comb in yellow mole tree chile.
With colunga faba beans in a 
beurre blanc of it’s own emulsion
Then we have a corn taco with 
chard and squash blossoms.
It comes with a vintage Imperial 
gran reserva cosecha from 1976
Coming into the home stretch we have
Blonde Beef, penja pepper and 
mushrooms served on a steer horn.
It’s tender, juicy, succulent and packed 
with sour, spicy and umami flavor.
The wine is a 2016 Clos de Vougeot Grand cru.
Our first dessert is a wine from way back.
Its a 1955 from Sainte Croix de Mont 
in the southern part of Bordeaux.
This producer Brun has been making 
wine here for 6 generations.
Our next dessert is called vanilla cauliflower
It’s sour greek yoghurt and cured egg 
yolk with peruvian chuncho chocolate.
It’s a decadent rollercoaster of sweet and 
sour flavors with crunchy and smooth textures.
The pairing is a Tokaji Aszú sweet wine from 1972.
This famous Hungarian wine is still 
made with century old technology
and was said to be a favorite of Thomas 
Jefferson and King Louis the fourteenth.
It’s kinf of funny that I’m from Hungary,  
yet I had to travel to Madrid to taste 
the oldest Hungarian wine of my life.
That brings us to the final wine pairing.
A 2002 riesling from the 
famous Mosel region of Germany.
This completes the holy trinity of sweet wines –
France, Hungary and now Germany.
The riesling is paired with 
our final course for today:
Toasted butter risotto
It’s made with truffle, madeira wine 
spaghetti and black olive cookies.
It’s a delicious swan song 
to the DiverXO experience.
As a last goodbye we have the petit fours.
Cheesecake, a traditional violet 
bon bon and cookies dunked in milk.
Nice nostalgic touch at the very end.
What can I say about DiverXO?
My mind is officially blown.
In so many ways, this is different of 
what we are used to on this channel.
The punk theme is beautiful in its 
imperfection, especially the rustic elements.
I love the diverse mix of ingredients,  
the funky creations and different 
serving methods from all over the world.
It makes it less of a meal and more 
of an ambitious food adventure.
One special part of my DiverXO 
experience has to be the wine pairing.
I felt like a time traveler, 
stepping back through history.
This pairing is one of the best I’ve ever had.
The DiverXO experience has pushed 
the boundaries from start to finish.
Proving nothing is impossible and with enough 
dedication and hard work, pigs CAN fly.
Before we go, we get some 
face time with Chef Dabis.
He tells us his plans to extend 
the DiverXO experience to include  
a lounge in a new two thousand square foot space.
He admits it’s hard to find the 
balance between family and business
but the best is yet to come,
and whatever happens, he assures us –
it will NOT be boring.