Restaurant Girardin - 1 étoile Michelin

Amazing and impressive dining experience. Amazing detail on the presentation, flavor and pairings along with extensive range wine selections when opt out the pairing. Attentive customer service and pleasant atmosphere. Will definitely come back while visiting Colmar.

I had an enjoyable evening, though I’d say Girardin is a bit less consistent than its Michelin peers. We got off to a slow start, as I waited at the table for 8 minutes before anyone appeared to hand me a menu or inquire about a beverage - this in a restaurant with 7 tables in the main dining room and another 3-4 in the back area. Eventually, things got underway and, from that point, the service was top notch. The sommelier was very helpful in making suggestions and coming up with a customized pairing (though be advised - some common selections (Burgundy) aren’t available by the glass). Servers were friendly and explained all the dishes, and made helpful suggestions along the way. They offer both protein and vegetarian menus, which I think is great. The courses are generally very good, but I found more course-to-course variation in terms of hits and misses vs Michelin peers. Their seafood course (trout served 3 ways) was possibly the best I’ve ever had. A fun tartare and roe served on a crisp, a mini smoked trout tarte and a perfectly prepared, moist and flavorful loin with divinely crispy skin. Amazing! Other hits included the presskopf, pigeon, muenster mousse and plum dessert (clafouti meets crème brûlée). And their bread and butter is out of this world. I liked that the chef focused on ingredients and flavors of the region, but note you’ll get a few less typical flavor profiles (‘saur’ and mustardy) in some dishes - presskopf. Several things missed IMHO. The initial appetizer underwhelmed, though it was quickly followed by an excellent and visually creative amuse bouche. Of the main courses, I felt the acorn risotto fell flat and was out of balance - far too tomato dominant and really would have benefited from some cheese or cream to tone down the acid. Overall, a fun night. I would return.

Dining at a Michelin starred restaurant is often a dance, a carefully orchestrated ballet of flavors and presentation, and my evening at Restaurant Girardin in La Maison des Têtes was no exception. Chef Eric Girardin’s menu promised a “Journey to the Sensation World,” and while it delivered on that front, this marathon of a meal stretched into an epic 4 hours and 15 minutes, longer than I’d prefer to linger at any table. We began our culinary odyssey with the Foie Gras. A rich and decadent start, pairing land and sea with a wild peach that added just the right touch of sweetness. It was a bold opener, and with the 2015 Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris, it felt like the evening was off to a promising start. Next up, Vegetal Painting, an artistic plate that captured the essence of the market, with vibrant colours and flavors that danced on the palate. Fresh, crisp, and a beautiful showcase of local produce, this dish was a testament to Girardin’s eye for detail and balance. The Trout followed, presented in two stages with a delicate sabayon of herbs. The trout was buttery and perfectly cooked, but by this point, the pacing was starting to feel a bit sluggish. Still, the flavors were undeniable, with each bite feeling more like a carefully composed melody than mere sustenance. Artichokes came next, in a dish that could only be described as a textural exploration. Sublimated with a Riesling sauce and pearled with mint oil, it was a fresh and inventive course, though perhaps not the most memorable of the evening. It was a dish that might be better appreciated in a more focused setting rather than in the middle of a culinary marathon. Then came the Beef, a grilled entrecote paired with a rustic millefeuille. The meat was tender, perfectly seasoned, mine was a little too medium, and the millefeuille added a satisfying texture. It was a solid course, if somewhat overshadowed by the sheer length of the meal. The cheese course offered a choice between Munster “Gonflé”, a dish featuring grapes, a hint of cumin, and Gewürztraminer marc, or a Cheese Platter. I opted for the Munster, which was aromatic and packed with flavour, though by this time, my palate was beginning to tire. For dessert, we had the option of Plums, sweet cinnamon and Gewürztraminer, or the Kougelhopf, a delicate blend of vanilla and dried grapes. I went with the plums, which provided a sweet, comforting end to the meal. But as a final note, we were also sent off with an elegant block of chocolate and a few more desserts to take away, a thoughtful gesture, albeit one that felt a bit like overkill after such an extended dining experience. By the end of the evening, the wine, the service, and the food all stood up to Michelin standards, but the duration of the meal took a toll on the overall experience. A 7-course meal should be a journey, not a marathon, and while I appreciated the artistry of each dish, the timing left something to be desired. It’s a restaurant that knows how to impress, but I’d recommend pacing yourself, and perhaps opting for a shorter menu if you want to keep the night from stretching into the early hours.

May 2023: Lucky enough to return for a second time - and had another lovely evening. Amazing food, wine, ambiance and care/attention to detail of the chef and all the staff. August 2021: A wonderful place for dinner. Absolutely nothing to criticise! Sublime food.

One of the best restaurants I ve ever been.Trully remarkable effort by the whole team(Chef,service,sommelier).The dishes were all of the highest quality and technique but most significantly they were insanely tasty and full of flavors.The pricing mentality on the wine list is the one that every Michelin restaurant should have: ”we want our clients to open our wines and not just looking at them” I will def visit Chef Girardin and his team very soon!

Every dish was beautiful and innovative, the sommelier did not try to upsell us and recommended a grand cru Pfersigberg we loved. Honored to meet the chef too. Felt like a 2 star+ experience.

Lovely service, excellent food and wine list. Set in a historical building within a clean modern room.

This dining experience was a journey with a bouquet of tremendous flavors. The staff was highly knowledgeable of the food and had detailed presentations prepared. The sommelier's recommendations were superb and the meals prepared by chef Girardin met and exceeded our expectations. Fantastic!! I highly recommend this restaurant for a meal that will never be forgotten.

This is a very nice restaurant inside the famous Maison des Tetes in Colmar. It is a 1-star Michelin which lives up to the billing. The cooking was incredible and the service truly refined and excellent. The only negative was the decor which was, frankly, a little odd - not terrible - but certainly not fantastic. The hotel itself is very nice but the restaurant needs updating as far as the decor goes. That negative aside, the key things (cuisine and service) were at a very high level. They also accommodated my wife (who does not prefer seafood) with a lovely vegetarian dish which was actually better and more creative than the dish on the menu. All in all this is an excellent 1 star Michelin dining experience with superb service and excellent cooking.

One of the best meals of my life. Every dish in the tasting course was special and full of flavor. There wasn't one single dud. The wines were also perfect and it was as if the sommelier was reading my mind. I will remember this one always, very well done Chef!