Il Milione, la escalera a la cima de Lasarte

For anyone familiar with Barcelona, ​​Mallorca with its Passeig de Gràcia is synonymous with luxury. And if a table at Lasarte takes it a step further, the experience at Il Milione is worth far more than its price tag suggests.

Behind this name, in a private room of the restaurant that became Barcelona's first three-Michelin-starred establishment in 2016, lies this venture by Martín Berasategui and Paolo Casagrande. Il Milione is available by private reservation for groups of 2 to 8 people, for lunch (1:00 pm) and dinner (8:00 pm) from Wednesday to Saturday, in a personalized, intimate space where experience, exclusivity, a personal touch, storytelling, uniqueness, the unrepeatable, the finest wines, and the most dedicated service come together.

A table where you can sit and be the privileged guest of the room, the fortunate diner, the outstanding gourmand. The "gastronomic journey," as its creators define it, lasts about three and a half hours, consists of 13 courses, and costs 490 euros, with wine pairings ranging from 340 to 850 euros.

With unique offerings in each restaurant, private experiences and chef's tables seem to be the new battleground of the relative gastronomic vanguard; any self-respecting project must seek its unforgettable path through knowledge of neuroscience, lights, music and every stimulus that transcends food.

Without resorting to excessive pyrotechnics, Il Milione is a restrained spectacle, a well-proportioned theatrical performance, where the focus remains on food and wine, which form the narrative thread of a story told through the complicity of the senses, subtly playing with light, sound, aroma, and sight; and centering, from beginning to end, the experience on the emotional. But of course, there is a story, and the intention is summarized in its name, as Il Milione alludes to the logbook, also known as "The Book of Wonders," in which Marco Polo described his travels through the East. Berasategui-Casagrande add to the route the Basque Country, the Mediterranean, Latin America, Barcelona, ​​and Veneto, the explorer's birthplace.

The Italian chef. Travel, exploration, and the thirst for discovery are the foundation of this story.

These days, the tendency to experience something through social media beforehand seems to negate any sense of wonder. To avoid spoiling the experience, the only detail I'll reveal is the opening: the sound of a heartbeat that gradually intensifies until Paolo's voice calls out "okay." A choral "Listen!" completes the opening, and the lights follow the view as the curtain rises, offering diners a front-row view of the kitchen and the feeling of being part of it.

After this exceptional start, the menu begins in a highly unconventional way, with sweetbreads: warmth, the taste of toasted butter. In thirteen courses, Paolo has fun and develops his style in a straightforward manner, engaging all the senses, with courses as diverse as his "jewels of the sea," a sequence of oysters in three bites: fried, fresh, and liquid, with different companions; his "silk on the palate," described as a Mediterranean breakfast, though it would be more of a millionaire's breakfast, despite the redundancy, a perfect flaky croissant, rich yet light, served with butter and a tin of caviar, for pure enjoyment; and his "depth," where impeccability takes precedence, with a perfectly cooked, high-quality sea bream to savor the tradition of Friuli.

The house heritage cannot be missing, The Origin - the mille-feuille of foie gras, eel and apple - on this occasion minimized and with a seal, in the words of Paolo "the only thing we could do to this round dish was to reduce its size."

Desserts and petits fours are the work of Xavi Donnay, who has been in charge of the sweet side of Lasarte and the hotel since 2010 and was recognized by The Best Chef Awards as the best pastry chef in the world in 2020. In between, and without spoiling the surprise, there's a taste of the Basque coast, a tribute to Galician octopus fishermen, a fragrant salad that requires more than 20 minutes of plating, a risotto, a nod to our hunting origins, and three desserts that evoke dreams of Japan, China, or the tropics.

In a house with a stellar trajectory and a 2025-2026 full of reasons to celebrate (20 years of Lasarte in Barcelona and 33 of the original Lasarte, 65 years of Martín -50 in the kitchen- and 10 of the hotel and the three stars); with a proposal completely different from that of the Lasarte dining room, Il Milione is a story to tell, where Paolo is himself, with untouchable respect for his master Martín, and with a clear look towards his journey and his identity.

Paolo Casagrande's case is emblematic, an example of perseverance and hard work that took him from being Martín's trusted confidant to leading his own journey alongside him. Among chefs, however, what stands out about Paolo is that he is a role model not for his achievements, but for his character and work ethic, tenacious, elegant, precise, and pure, maintaining quick hands, precise movements, a clear gaze, a constant smile, and an imposing humility.

It's heartwarming to see chefs with such impressive careers enjoying their work. According to Paolo, his memory of Martín's Lasarte is of the changes the restaurant underwent each year, the renovations that took place during the three months they were closed. In his words, "not standing still and always doing new things." Learning from the master, Paolo understands Il Milione as that change that is fun, stimulating, and encourages different ways of thinking, both for himself and his team.