Casas Colgadas
Dining at Jesús Segura’s restaurant in the third of the hanging houses is a unique experience. Cuenca’s most exclusive dining space comprises just one cliff-clinging room accommodating 18 diners at lunch and dinner. The interior design, inspired by the brooding paintings of Millares that hang in the Abstract Art Museum next door, perfectly complements the age-worn beams of the iconic building. The views across the gorge are sublime, and so is the cooking. Ten- and 15-course tasting menus are offered, each based on a deep reverence for Cuenca’s culinary traditions. Inventive dishes such as mushroom ice cream, panipuri—a crisp deep-fried shell with blue goat’s cheese and aged fig—and venison marinated with black garlic are presented in a style befitting the city’s artistic pedigree. Half-glass wine pairing is a multi-stop tour of Spain’s D.O. regions and everything is explained with quiet pride by the waitstaff. Given the setting and quality of the cooking, the prices are remarkably low, but you’ll need to reserve well in advance, after which you’ll be sent a key code that gives you access to the restaurant.
If you can’t bag a table, Segura also runs Casa de la Sirena close by (at Calle Obiso Valero), which produces similarly artful dishes at bargain prices (Set menu 35€, entrees 25–28€).
Dining at Jesús Segura’s restaurant in the third of the hanging houses is a unique experience. Cuenca’s most exclusive dining space comprises just one cliff-clinging room accommodating 18 diners at lunch and dinner. The interior design, inspired by the brooding paintings of Millares that hang in the Abstract Art Museum next door, perfectly complements the age-worn beams of the iconic building. The views across the gorge are sublime, and so is the cooking. Ten- and 15-course tasting menus are offered, each based on a deep reverence for Cuenca’s culinary traditions. Inventive dishes such as mushroom ice cream, panipuri—a crisp deep-fried shell with blue goat’s cheese and aged fig—and venison marinated with black garlic are presented in a style befitting the city’s artistic pedigree. Half-glass wine pairing is a multi-stop tour of Spain’s D.O. regions and everything is explained with quiet pride by the waitstaff. Given the setting and quality of the cooking, the prices are remarkably low, but you’ll need to reserve well in advance, after which you’ll be sent a key code that gives you access to the restaurant.
If you can’t bag a table, Segura also runs Casa de la Sirena close by (at Calle Obiso Valero), which produces similarly artful dishes at bargain prices (Set menu 35€, entrees 25–28€).
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