PHILADELPHIA — At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the celebration of the subconscious has moved from the gallery walls to the dining table. To coincide with the museum’s landmark exhibition Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100, Stir, the museum’s signature Frank Gehry-designed restaurant, has launched a new immersive culinary experience: the Dreamworld Tasting Menu.
Created by the Constellation Culinary Group, the menu is designed to translate the core themes of Surrealism—dream states, unexpected pairings, and sensory distortion—into a three-course meal. Just as the art movement embraced juxtaposition and transformation, the kitchen is serving dishes that play with texture, perception, and visual trickery.
A Menu of Illusions
For $55 per person, guests can build their own "dream sequence" by selecting a starter, entrée, and dessert. The dishes are designed to disorient and delight in equal measure.
Highlights of the menu include:
- Viking Village Scallop Crudo: A play on textures featuring smoked trout roe, blood orange, and a complex miso-yuzu-dashi nage.
- Double Headed Prawn: A playful composition that nods to the Surrealist obsession with "doubleness" and altered forms.
- Izak Spiced Semi-Boneless Fried Quail: Served with earthy maitake mushrooms, beluga lentils, and a rich smoked yolk emulsion.
The Sweet Finale
True to the spirit of the movement, the dessert course leans heavily into whimsy and illusion.
- "Is It Cake?": A dessert designed to trick the eye and challenge the diner's perception of what they are eating.
- Fall Campfire Budino: A nostalgic dish that evokes memory and sensory warmth.
How to Experience It
The Dreamworld Tasting Menu is available now during regular museum hours. It serves as a perfect companion piece to the exhibition, allowing visitors to digest the themes of imagination and shadow through a culinary lens.
Important Note: Because Stir is located inside the museum, diners must possess a valid admission ticket to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to access the restaurant.
