I have eaten many innovative meals and devoured many delicious ones, rarely do both qualities combine correctly in a magical mix of artistry and taste. El Club Allard was memorable beyond words, an exhibition of culinary genius and creative illusion.

Even the building displays the perfect contrast of antique sophistication and slick modern design, the golden light fittings are particularly alluring. Originally a private members club, El Club Allard still retains an air of exclusivity – the entrance is virtually impossible to locate but inside the ambience is calm and cool. The restaurant opened to the general public in 2003 and is now considered “one of Madrid’s most prestigious gourmet temples.” Awarded a first Michelin star in 2007 and a second in 2011, its chef Diego Guerrero continues to create scrumptious and humorous edible works of art.

The restaurant offers various complex set menus, which feature different combinations of courses: Rendezvous, Seduction and Revolution. We were treated to the full array of dishes with the lengthy ‘La Revolution Sileniosa’ menu which comprises: 3 snacks, 4 starters, 1 fish course, 1 meat course, 1 dessert appetiser, 2 desserts and finishing with coffee, tea and petit fours. Here’s the unlikely list of masterpieces we devoured:

Game truffle with Foie and mushrooms

Mini Babybell of truffle Camembert

Pea ravioli with Iberique dewlap

Celeriac cream with smoked sardine and apple / Coconut and tonka beans “puntalette”

“Verdinas” beans with cockles and sea urchin foam / Onion soup

Egg with bread served over a light potato cream sauce

Tender and crunchy veal structures

Red mullet on saffron bouillon / Suckling lamb shoulder with Tandoori crumble

Deer with sweet potato and chestnuts

Hibiscus flower with pisco sour

The Fishbowl

Egg Poché

The blackboard

Service here is pitch perfect; my slightly tricky dietary requirements were established at the start of the meal and the kitchen kindly adapted the necessary courses. I felt a bit pathetic (like I was opting for the kids menu) as my guest dined on sea urchin soup and I tucked into a simpler, but equally beautiful, cheesy onion variety! The ‘sans-fish’ adaptation was immaculate and impressive, especially as a last minute amendment. Is there anything they can’t handle?

The dishes employ numerous experimental techniques and clever twists – it is impossible not to smile as the food is presented and explained. Not all is as it seems. In our first dish, game is made to look like a truffle with a strong meaty flavour and soft smooth texture on a bed of grated rich foie gras, displayed in a purpose made glass structure cleverly designed to allow smoke to waft out around the food. It was a mysterious and exciting start to the meal. Mini Babybell cheese was an elegant recreation of the classic kids snack, a gooey truffle scented cheese centre encased in red gelatine outer shell. Each was just a mouthful or two, but the flavours were complicated and mesmerising. At every stage, carefully considered Spanish wines were served to complement the food.

The starters, of which we had four, were slightly more substantial. Particularly memorable was the colourful sardine and celeriac arrangement adorned with a bright pink flower, black caviar and gold olive oil caviar. Veal Structures was a bizarre dish using just the fat from the meat, cured and cooked in strong spices: it was slimy but wonderfully fragrant in taste. For the main course I adored my suckling lamb shoulder, which felt quite ordinary in design compared to some of the other inventions. The meat was cooked perfectly, falling apart effortlessly with a salty crisp skin edge, and flavoured with a mix of Indian-influenced spices.  The deer was sensationally sweet and addictive, the soft red meat felt velvety and contrasted well with the crunchy nuts and creamy potato.

Despite my usual preference, the sweet section of the meal was my favourite; El Club Allard truly excelled with the final few courses. A refreshing floral sorbet with pistachio crumbs cleansed the palate. The fishbowl was a masterpiece… a small round glass held inside it a whole microcosm of activity, green ultra thin and furry churros as seaweed, a spindly pointy raspberry coated in white chocolate piece as coral, a gummy sweet with a glistening silver bail as a fish, a chocolate shell, all planted within a bouncy sweet yoghurt mousse with the palest green foam. It was a masterpiece, almost too incredible to eat but so completely delicious. I somehow made room for the whole dessert and more, craving the assortment of flavours and textures represented so thoughtfully. The second dessert was an egg, but not an egg. An identical impersonator made from a thick white chocolate shell with coconut and passionfruit inside, created to replicate the real product exactly. I’m not sure which I preferred, the look or the taste, both took my breath away.

El Club Allard refuses to conform… so when I saw we were to receive petit fours I blinked in disbelief. But of course this wonder team aren’t going to fall at the final hurdle. A black slate arrived with an array of chalks, all edible sweets. Unforgettable in every way, this meal was exemplary and entertaining from start to finish.

With the recent release of the world’s 50 best restaurants, I am amazed to see that El Club Allard doesn’t feature. In my opinion it is definitely up there with the very finest and I hope in time that it will receive the recognition it deserves.

More information and book here: www.elcluballard.com

Many thanks to the Madrid Tourist Board for their help with this trip, more information here.