Markus M.
Google
Well, I really struggled to decide on the right rating. We visited the restaurant for a special occasion – my girlfriend’s 35th birthday. When making the reservation, I selected “Birthday” and even added a note to highlight the occasion.
Upon arrival, I spoke to the hostess, who checked our reservation and showed us to our table. I was a bit unsure whether it was the right spot since I had expected at least a little decoration for the birthday. However, the table was in the first row on the terrace with a perfect view of the Opera, so we decided to stay.
The service at the beginning was quick and friendly, though I felt we were mostly recommended the most expensive dishes. When I ordered the Striploin beef marinated in tamarind, sake & ginger with classic mash, I was told by the waiter that he wouldn’t recommend it because it would be “very dry.” In a restaurant specializing in beef, no steak should be dry. I ordered it anyway, medium-rare.
The steak arrived cooked medium, not medium-rare as I had asked, and we also received more side dishes than we had ordered – and had to pay for them. We had ordered truffle fries instead of mash twice; one order was correct, but the other came with both mash and fries.
The food itself was excellent. The steak, despite being medium rather than medium-rare, was not dry at all. I don’t know why the waiter insisted otherwise; he kept trying to push the ribeye, which was almost twice the price – but I don’t like the fatty marbling in ribeye.
It’s a shame when a waiter tries to override the customer’s choice.
Besides the steak and the truffle fries, we also had the truffle cordon bleu and the layered potatoes as starters. Every dish was truly outstanding.
We had planned to order dessert, but the service slowed down drastically. We waited about 20 minutes before asking for a dessert menu, and only then did the waiter say he would bring one. Another 20 minutes passed, and still nothing arrived. We eventually asked another staff member for the bill and left – without dessert and without any birthday gesture, even though we had seen such touches in many of the restaurant’s photos and reviews.
The service started off well but then fell apart: slow, unresponsive, overly pushy, and unmindful of the birthday occasion.
To make matters worse, the next day we received an email stating that we had not shown up for our reservation – which was frankly outrageous given that we had been there and even paid the bill. As I replied on the email, no sorry or something else.
All in all, I’m not sure if I would return. The food was superb, but everything else – the service, the atmosphere for a special occasion – sadly fell short. A shame, as it was meant to be a memorable birthday dinner. I can recommend it for good food, but not if you want to visit for a special reason.