Sexto, the great little restaurant that has put Lleida on the gastronomic map

LleidaÀngel Esteve's gentle smile has taken the culinary world by storm this past year. He was a finalist for Best Chef of the Year at the Fòrum Gastronòmic and a finalist for Breakthrough Chef at Madrid Fusión. And all this with the added value of having a restaurant far from the major culinary hubs. His restaurant, called Sexto, is located in Lleida and isn't even two years old. He's about to turn 28. Of course, he's been preparing to establish himself in his city since he was 16. He's worked at many great restaurants, but the one that has left the greatest mark on him, and the one most reflected in his cuisine, is Gresca. Thus, a disciple of Rafa Peña, he has a great love for the produce, and the offerings may be slightly reminiscent of the Eixample restaurant. If you like Gresca, you'll like Sexto. But it's not a clone. It has its own personality and is worth a visit in its own right.

The restaurant's name comes from the godparents' apartment, which is the sixth floor. It's a way of saying that, when you arrive, you're home. It's a peaceful and safe space. In fact, some objects in the restaurant's decor come from my maternal grandparents' house. They're so well integrated that if you don't know better, you wouldn't notice them. The restaurant is beautiful, but it's not one of those ordinary places that have spent their entire budget on interior design; rather, choices have been made with great taste. I ask who did the design, and instead of being a large studio, Ángel Esteve tells me it was his sister's work. So, we find ourselves in a family-run fine dining establishment.

The kitchen is visible to everyone. So is the grill, burning oak or almond wood. The team is working, and the dishes are coming out to satisfy a clientele that has, until now, been predominantly local. "For the first six months, we only had a menu in Catalan, and we didn't need another one," says Àngel Esteve. He has a calm leadership style and always speaks in the plural. He is accompanied by Marc Chic, with whom he has worked as a tandem since they opened. In a very short time, they have managed to make Sexto what is known as a "destination restaurant." This means that the reason people travel there is to eat.

Without screws

They have little waiters to start the meal. The most extraordinary is the Tou de Til·lers fritter, a river omelet with miso. They're perfect for whetting your appetite. Before arriving at the restaurant, I'm lucky enough to run into some acquaintances who are very keen on gastronomy. They warn me not to miss the mussels with pickled vegetables and carrots. I then thank the happy coincidence, because they're one of those dishes you remember and return to from time to time. If you're reading this, thank you.

I also try the asparagus in yeast hollandaise sauce and scallop and the lamb with rustic radish (raifort) and chanterelles, a dish Ángel Esteve is proud of thanks to the excellent meat from his supplier. This is because the good cherry season (I've specifically mentioned "good" twice) is extremely short. I'm lucky to be there on a day when they have the meaty, sweet meats.

There are no snails at El Sexto. The reason is that this traditional cuisine is already very well-prepared in Lleida. Ángel himself gives me the example of Ferreruela as a good place for anyone who wants to try it. What they cook in their restaurant, on the other hand, couldn't be found in the city, which according to Àngel Esteve himself has plenty of room for growth in this regard, since unlike other parts of the country, not many Lleida residents have dared to open their own business in their homes. However, he warns me that in any of the temples of our gastronomy, we'll find someone from Lleida working. How can that be? Before opening, he was told that running a restaurant in Lleida would be difficult. Thank goodness they weren't listened to.

Esteve, on the other hand, believes that a restaurant operating in Lleida could do so for 15 years, since everything moves more slowly. On the contrary, someone who does it in Barcelona could be out of the picture in a few months because everything moves too fast. It's another interesting point of view. Àngel Esteve is an example that in life you should do what you believe you should do. And don't listen to people who see everything that can go wrong before believing that Lleida has every right to have gastronomic diversity and restaurants as succulent as any city in the country.