Chris Friedemann
Google
One of the most adventurous culinary evenings I’ve experienced, Chef Maria is clearly at the top of her game. Of all Michelin one-star restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of dining in, this is the most deserving (from a culinary perspective) of a second star.
The menu is inspired and creative. Compared to its peers, Lienzo features a better balance of produce on the tasting menu, which seems better designed and executed to alight all of one’s senses (including visual and aromatic, not just taste). There is a focus on bees and honey, as well as sustainability, in the design of many courses - for example, pea pod shells are used to create a sauce for one dish, while off-parts of a fish are used to create a sausage complement to the sea bass. Presentations are among the most visually pleasing you’ll find at any restaurant in the world.
The wine pairing was a delight, with the selections almost uniformly from Spain. Some pourings were truly special - among the best wines I’ve ever tasted.
Service was attentive, with all the dishes and pourings explained.
If I were to offer some suggestions to the restaurant - slow down the pacing of courses, especially in the middle of the meal. My guest and I were scarcely finished with one course when the next course (and glass of wine) were appearing. The entry area needs to be improved - it looks like a storage area and doesn’t provide the ‘wow factor’ one would typically find when entering a restaurant of this caliber. It would have been nice to have been given a printed copy of the night’s menu at the end of the meal, and we would have loved to have been provided with an opportunity to purchase some honey jars for takeaway at the end of the meal - perhaps by turning the entry area into a retail honey display decorated with an homage to honey, bees and their role in the food chain! And here’s an odd one - suggest raising the price of the tasting menu.
Thank you Team Lienzo for a wonderful meal. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED :-)