Ed H.
Google
The night before NYE and our first visit to this starred restaurant. We had no expectations, other than the fact it was in the red book! A good experience, and worth a visit. The restaurant space is very well laid out and the lighting stunning, with a piece of art that was best described as a slice of unprocesed ore from a Lunar glitter mine.
The owner and another lady were running front of house, and the service is in slow-time. That's not a bad thing, as the experience is excellent, but "quick bite" dining this is not. We started with Champagne, and listened to an excellent description of the wine. That expert knowledge and attention to detail was evident throughout the meal, and the charismatic front-of-house is a huge plus.
The amuse of mussels was very tasty and promised much for the meal. We ordered 6 Zeeland oysters as a pre-starter and they came simply served with lemon. Delicious.
To follow we had two starters, my partner had the signature crab dish, and I had the scallops with beetroot and black pudding. Both were good, but the scallops were outstanding. The cooked ingredients were served in a warm borscht like soup, and it was a deeply memorable dish. Earthy, rich, and seasoned perfectly. I could happily eat a bigger one as a main course.
Our mains were fine, but perhaps not as flawless as the starters. My brill was tasty and well-cooked, but the sauce was a little too watery for my taste. My partner's Lobster Amatriciana was very rich and included a whole lobster at a pretty reasonable 62 euros, but the sauce lacked any chilli flakes or peppery flavour. I accept that's a legitimate recipe, but to our taste that dish needed a little heat. The cherry tomatoes were tasty, but a little under-roasted for the flavour hit they ought to offer.
We finished with two stunning Crépes Normandes that had elegantly incorporated apple slices into the pancake without creating wet patches of pancake. Topped and flamed with Calvados, and a scoop of ice cream, they were perfect. A Michelin star desert? Maybe not, but totally glorious for a cold December night? 100%.
We ordered two wines, from a limited but well-chosen list. The owner shared our enthusiasm for the wines of Alto Adige and we started there. We then headed to the Rhône for a bigger rounder white (expecting a hit of chilli with the lobster). Both were outstanding, and not bad value.
We were last to leave and met the chef and sous-chef. Everyone was friendly, we had a lovely evening.
Perhaps the style is a little more local hostelry than Michelin-starred grand cuisine than we expected, but for 3 and a half courses each, four glasses of Champagne and two bottles of wine, 500 euros felt fair.
Would love to eat there again.