As part of Madrid Art Week and coinciding with the ARCO art fair, The Macallan and ABYA restaurant have presented a dining experience that brings together contemporary art, haute cuisine and signature cocktails in a pairing menu designed as a sensory journey. The experience unfolds in four acts across different areas of the restaurant and will be available for a year.
The initiative fosters a dialogue between creative disciplines within the artistic setting defined by the palace housing ABYA, which is home to over 200 works of art. In this context, the experience combines gastronomy, architecture and contemporary art with whiskies from The Macallan, a Scottish distillery with nearly two centuries of history in single malt production.
The launch is also accompanied by a work created exclusively by the artist Ana Suárez de Lezo, which will remain on display in the restaurant for a year. The canvas, dominated by the brand’s signature red, draws inspiration from The Macallan’s visual identity and the legacy of its founder, Alexander Reid.
The experience begins at El Atelier, an indoor space where the original architecture interacts with contemporary art installations. Here, guests are served a selection that combines citrus-infused Black Pearl oysters, corn sope and smoked scallop aguachile, accompanied by a pairing of The Macallan and Oloroso sherry, with notes of grapefruit and rhubarb.
The journey continues in the Abya Yala Room, where works by the artist Vladimir Cora accompany a culinary creation featuring gnocchi with a boletus cream sauce, asparagus and a parmesan foam. The dish is paired with The Macallan Double Cask 12 and a vermouth infused with black garlic and blackberries.
The third stage takes place in the restaurant’s main dining room, where pieces by Miguel Milló, constructed from layers and textures, interact with the architecture of the space. Here, a roasted and glazed beef rib is served to share, accompanied by an Old Fashioned made with The Macallan Double Cask 12, ripe banana and chestnut.
The experience concludes in the palace’s cocktail bar, where Paola Martínez’s artistic installations transform the space through compositions on mirrors. The evening draws to a close with a chocolate dessert paired with The Macallan Double Cask 12 and a peach shrub, featuring passion fruit foam and a hint of rocoto.
Through this initiative, The Macallan and ABYA present an experience that brings together whisky culture, contemporary art and haute cuisine, exploring the connection between craftsmanship, time and creativity within a single sensory journey.
The Macallan, founded in 1824 in Speyside (Scotland), is one of the most internationally renowned single malt whisky distilleries, with a history marked by attention to detail, the selection of oak casks and a commitment to quality in every stage of its processes.
