Triana, which is made of different stuff, encompasses beyond its nerve center of San Jacinto a network of streets and neighborhoods that form a community among whitewashed houses perfumed with orange blossom. And in the heart of the centuries-old neighborhood of León, Ricmaiz Estudio emerges.
Neither a pastry shop nor a laboratory nor a sweet house. This unclassifiable space is possibly home to the best desserts in Seville and one of the newest —but alreadyessential— gastronomic experiences in the city.
It is run by pastry chef Ricard Martínez, whose extensive experience is clearly compatible with that exciting look of first times. Far from limiting or defining his project, the proposal eschews atavistic precepts and dares to experiment and share haute patisserie.
Because what exactly is Ricmaiz Estudio?
Professional pastry shop in the heart of Triana
Just as it is easy to name good restaurants in Seville, it is not so easy to come up with a handful of memorable desserts.
The Catalan chef and consultant is responsible for training professional restaurateurs to help them create great gastronomic finishes through pastry. Theoretical and practical courses on restaurant desserts, also focusing on petit fours, pastry and cooking workshops, etc.
And what’s more [insert celebratory interjection], he democratizes haute patisserie thanks to his sweet tastings.
Readers should not expect delicate bites that are rushed, nor succulent desserts that are limited to sugar. Tradition and avant-garde come together to create opportunities that far exceed excellence.
Editorial credit: Ricmaiz Estudio
Ricmaiz Estudio‘s experience is about something else, about the variations of sweetness, innovation, presence, and the beauty contained in the ephemeral nature of eating.
As if it were a liturgy, attendees are gathered around a table where more than just the palate will be stimulated.
Sweet tastings once a month
The tastings take place once a month in two sessions with limited places in the afternoon.
The offering, which changes every six months, revolves around a theme where seasonal and local products reign supreme. The next dates are scheduled for March 13 and 14; April 9, 10, and 11; and May 14, 15, and 16.
Attendees will be treated to four courses with their respective pairings that will blow their minds. If there’s one thing we can say for sure, it’s that you won’t find anything like it, at least in Seville. There’s no sugarcoating, just prodigious creations that become even more permeable with the passage of time.
Ingredients you never thought would go together, a display of textures, nuances, colors, and flavors capable of shining in their individuality and enhancing each other in their embrace. Surprise factor? The answer is yes, but that doesn’t camouflage the identity of the ingredients or the certainty of experiencing an unusual moment.
Editorial credit: Germán Domínguez / @estudio.217 (Instagram)
In the words of the chef, “each dish expresses itself in its own way.”
If all the processes matter, so does the soundtrack, with songs that harmonize the evening and are designed to accompany each bite.
Ricard and his team lovingly and warmly narrate every gesture that structures their desserts, these delicacies that are prepared and arranged in front of the diner.
Ana Cortés —who has already worked at Gaig, Azurmendi, and the underwater restaurant Under (Norway)—accompanies Ricard on this innovative adventure.
The first rays of sunset coincide with the end of this late afternoon snack, where a feat is achieved: the food is as important as what happens at the table.
An inclusive space
Editorial credit: Germán Domínguez / @estudio.217 (Instagram)
The Barrio de León neighborhood has its own WhatsApp group, as well as mailing lists where residents share tips and offer a forum for communication. In the noble art of practicing what you preach, Ricard joins in and lets everyone know whenever he bakes cheesecakes, financiers, or muffins. The studio is now part of the neighborhood’s cosmos.
As versatile as the space he has created, the pastry chef lends himself to any initiative that has a place in this premises on Calle Regla Sanz. Presentations, small-scale concerts… The possibilities are as endless as the recipes and combinations that are yet to come.
But there’s more. The desserts at Ricmaiz Estudio are inclusive and gluten-free (and if they contain gluten, they are adapted to the diner) and alcohol-free (at least not in the pairing, but integrated in small quantities in the dessert preparations).
The sweet treat that Seville needed
If the sweet offerings of restaurants are often not the best in terms of resources, the fact that Seville has a stronghold dedicated to this art is both an anomaly and a privilege.
The outlook is favorable, and the future of haute patisserie in Seville is more accessible than ever, both for novice palates and the curious, as well as the promising figures of Seville’s hospitality industry.
A must-visit that, as they say, “redefines the culinary experience.”
Editorial credit: Germán Domínguez / @estudio.217 (Instagram)
About the pastry chef
Ricard Martínez has a long professional career in gastronomy. He has been part of the history of great restaurants in the country such as Ramón Freixa and El Racó de Can Fabes; he has also worked with the Italian Mauro Uliassi.
He was also one of the driving forces behind Espai Sucre, the world’s first dessert restaurant, as a study coordinator, teacher, and researcher. He has collaborated with Angelo Corvitto and Rowzer Taurus, and his participation as a guest on MasterChef stands out, among other achievements . Today, he is a member of Colectivo 21 Brix and the leader of the Ricmaiz Estudio project in Seville.
Beyond the hallmarks and experiences that run through his history and position him in the gastronomic universe, his work seems to transcend technique. Like Triana, perhaps, a different sensibility. I think of something Gaston Lenôtre said to journalist Óscar Caballero that resonates with me these days after meeting Ricard: “The goal of pastry is not to feed people but to put a little sweetness in everyone’s life and share that sweetness.” And in that desire to give great feasts and great moments, I believe Ricard has a lot to say.
