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Look closely at the kitchen walls at Salto. Amidst the blue azulejos, a face emerges: that of Fernando Pessoa. Diego Alary slipped it in as a tribute to his mother. An intimate detail in a restaurant that tells, behind each plate, a deeply personal story.
First, there are Diego Alary’s Iberian roots. Then, family memories of Menorca, Lisbon, Barcelona, San Sebastián—journeys that nourished his hunger to cook. The azulejos brought back from Lisbon do not merely lend a Portuguese air to the room; they map the sentimental geography of the space.
Then comes a very contemporary detour. Diego had dreamed of his own restaurant since adolescence. In the years between came the grand kitchens, Top Chef, then social media and an audience of millions. Until the relentless pace of content creation began, he says, to pull him away from the very craft he started for: cooking and hosting. He stepped back, traveled without turning everything into content, and returned to Paris with Salto.
Gildas from Cantabria, sobrasada from Menorca, Iberian ham from Andalusia, tortilla, fideuà, or whole fish drift from table to table. Even the pan con tomate has its own signature detail: fire-toasted pan cristal, hand-grated tomatoes, and a splash of raspberry vinegar.
Taste
Salto · Ménilmontant · Fernando Pessoa · For his mother · Lisbon azulejos · Lisbon · Menorca · Iberian memories · Pan con tomate · Raspberry vinegar · Gildas
