Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir Captures Surrealist Splendor

Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir Blurs the Line Between Art and Cuisine

To celebrate the landmark exhibition Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Constellation Culinary Group has crafted an equally thought-provoking and visually arresting dining experience with the Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir. This limited-time culinary offering is as much a surrealist homage as the artwork it accompanies, unfolding in the museum’s Gehry-designed restaurant, Stir.

Much like the exhibit that spans a century of surrealism—from Dalí to contemporary provocateurs—the Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir uses food to awaken the subconscious, distort the senses, and elevate dining into a dreamlike state. Each plate reflects surrealism’s fascination with transformation and duality, creating a multisensory journey where nothing is quite what it seems.

Inside the Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir: Juxtapositions, Textures, and Play

Priced at $55 per person, the Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir lets guests compose their own edible “dream sequence” with one starter, one entrée, and one dessert. The menu is as whimsical as it is refined—featuring unexpected textures, bold contrasts, and surrealist visual nods.

Highlights begin with the Viking Village Scallop Crudo, a stunning interplay of smoked trout roe, blood orange, and a miso-yuzu-dashi nage. It’s both light and deeply layered, offering a briny elegance with a twist of umami. The Double Headed Prawn delivers a playful visual punch, its mirrored composition evoking surrealism’s love of altered form and duplicity.

For those seeking rich, earthy depth, the Izak Spiced Semi-Boneless Fried Quail is a standout. Served with maitake mushrooms, beluga lentils, and a smoky yolk emulsion, it’s a grounded yet elevated dish that nods to the shadowy allure of dream states.

Desserts are where Stir’s culinary team leans fully into surrealist fantasy. Is It Cake? invites diners to question the boundary between form and function, while the Fall Campfire Budino evokes childhood memory and seasonal nostalgia—packaged in a presentation that surprises and delights.

How to Experience the Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir

The Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir is available during museum hours and exclusively to ticketed guests of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It’s an intentional progression—from gallery to table—that invites patrons to continue exploring surrealism through taste and technique. Stir, with its sweeping wood arches and sculptural lines, offers a fitting architectural companion to the experience.

For those intrigued by art’s ability to question reality and stir the subconscious, the Dreamworld Tasting Menu at Stir offers a wonderful opportunity to see, feel, and now taste Surrealism in all its enigmatic glory. It’s an extension of the exhibit’s ethos.

Art first. Dining second. Enjoy.

About Post Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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