This restaurant boasts a truly exceptional location and ambiance. Both the interior and exterior design are impeccable, creating a delightful atmosphere. The service, while well-intentioned, could use some refinement. However, this wasn't a major issue and felt appropriate for the restaurant's overall style.
The food, however, presented a mixed experience. Our appetizers, veal and octopus carpaccio, along with a cheese selection, were somewhat perplexing. The "carpaccio" was essentially a cold, thickly sliced beefsteak with a side salad, and the octopus consisted of small, cooked pieces simply arranged on the plate. While both the beef and octopus were tender and tasty, they were not carpaccio as described. We mentioned this to our server, but received no clarification or response from the kitchen. This suggests a potential lack of knowledge or communication within the kitchen, possibly indicating that the chef's understanding of culinary techniques is not fully conveyed to the staff.
For our main courses, we ordered the pikeperch fillet, beef cheeks, and minced meat sticks. The fish was acceptable, although the white sauce was overly milky. The plating was adequate. The slow-cooked beef cheeks were decent, albeit a bit dry, suggesting they weren't slow-cooked to perfection. The standout dish was the minced meat sticks, which were exceptionally delicious and a definite highlight. This suggests a strength in preparing more traditional meat dishes, hinting at a potentially more suitable culinary direction for the restaurant.
Dessert consisted of a pistachio cake, which was pleasant but overly sweet for my personal preference.
Overall, the restaurant offers a wonderful ambiance and location, making it a pleasant choice for a Sunday lunch, particularly if you're inclined towards the minced meat sticks or other meat-focused dishes. However, the restaurant's current culinary direction seems misaligned with its capabilities, as there appears to be a lack of understanding in plating and advanced cooking techniques. This feedback is offered with good intentions, and I plan to return in the future to see if improvements have been made.
