Watch Tasting Menu

Tasting Menu is a 2013 Spanish-language movie directed by Roger Gual that takes place over the course of one evening at a luxurious, seaside restaurant called Chakula. The restaurant, situated in a former lighthouse on the coast of Catalonia, is owned by Moira and Mar Vidal, played by Claudia Bassols and Vicenta N'Dongo respectively.

The film follows the lives of the various diners who have come to Chakula to celebrate the restaurant's closing night. Among these diners is Marc, played by Jan Cornet, who is a writer suffering from writer's block and who has come to the restaurant to find inspiration. He is seated at a table with a loud and boisterous group of friends who are there to celebrate the end of one of their own's engagement.

Meanwhile, the other diners at the restaurant include a wealthy American couple and a family celebrating their daughter's graduation. Additionally, the chef of the restaurant, a temperamental and mercurial man named Maripuchi, played by Andrew Tarbet, is preparing a special 25-course meal for the guests.

Throughout the course of the evening, the various diners engage in conversations and reveal bits and pieces about their lives. Marc, in particular, strikes up a conversation with Rachel, played by Fionnula Flanagan, who is an elderly woman dining alone and who used to be a restaurant critic. Their conversation centers on the nature of inspiration and creativity, and Marc finds himself inspired by her words.

Meanwhile, the American couple finds themselves in the midst of a marital crisis, and the family celebrating their daughter's graduation must come to terms with the fact that their daughter has decided to drop out of college and pursue her dreams of becoming an artist.

As the meal progresses, tensions rise between Maripuchi and his sous-chef, who has been secretly cooking his own dishes and presenting them to the diners. The climax of the film occurs when one of the diners becomes incredibly ill, and the staff must work to save his life.

Tasting Menu is a visually stunning film, with the food on display being a particular highlight. The movie manages to strike a balance between comedy and drama, with moments of levity puncturing the tension of the more emotional scenes. The ensemble cast is excellent, and the film manages to juggle the many different stories and characters with ease.

Overall, Tasting Menu is a charming and enjoyable film that will leave viewers with warm feelings and a desire to visit a fancy, seaside restaurant for a multi-course meal.

Tasting Menu is a 2014 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 28 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6 and a MetaScore of 29.