We really enjoyed an unplanned, five course dinner at this fascinating restaurant. Unplanned…read morebecause we had no idea what Jose was going to serve as our menu was in his very capable hands. Five courses? Well, that's just how it worked out.
We started our adventure with a dry, blonde sherry which led directly into fresh baked bread along with some incredibly good olive oil from Spain. The first course was an amazing, steamed artichoke to be shared by two people. One with thin strips of dried, smoked, salty pork and the other prepped delightfully for the vegetarian among us. The pork strips (not bacon) added an absolutely addictive quality to this dish.
Our second course was outstanding. We enjoyed sliced, sautéed, porcini mushrooms. This is where the first wine of the evening was introduced - a valduero from 2007. The nose was fragrant, full and inviting. A really delicious red wine that complemented the next two courses beautifully.
The third course featured 3 perfectly cooked, butterflied, steamed shrimp along with a few spoons of basmati rice. Now, I'm not a big fan of shrimp, but these were really delicious.
Before the main course arrived, we were upgraded with a new bottle of wine from the same Vineyard and the same year but, this time a riserva. The nose was neutral in comparison to our first bottle. But after 30 minutes, the wine opened up and was an absolute delight with the rest of our meal.
There were two main courses that were served shortly after opening our second bottle of wine. The first was the most beautiful Dover sole for our resident vegetarian who upgraded to Pescatarian for the evening. When it was brought around the table for inspection, I really thought we were all going to enjoy a bit of this fine fish. To my disappointment, and probably to piss off the animal lovers among us, three of us received filet mignon instead. Now that I know we have a choice between fish and beef, I'll cast my vote for the fish next time. Don't get me wrong, the meat was superb. I personally suffer a lot less when a multi-course dinner is served and I choose fish rather than red meat. But hey, that's just me. The side dishes offered at this time included some really nice side dishes such as steamed vegetables with butter, sautéed Swiss chard, and cooked spinach. Most of us were completely satisfied after the third course. Just sayin'.
Unusually, we didn't have a Digestivo that evening but, a few of us opted to sample their desserts. Which included a rich, dense, chocolate cake as well as crema Catalana.
My two cents: if you haven't eaten enough, try the chocolate cake. But, if you've had plenty to eat and simply want to experience a delightful and authentic Catalonian dessert, the crema Catalana can't be missed.
So, to summarize and justify our four star rating: The food was excellent. The restaurant was much noisier than expected. The owners did nothing over the years to buffer the sound so, if you're looking for a place to have a romantic, quiet evening of discussion, this is not the place for you. Hard wooden floors and plain wooden chairs, wooden walls and wooden ceilings encourages a noisy, cafeteria type atmosphere. The food is first class. The atmosphere is friendly, country tavern. The service was superb. We'll be back for sure. The four of us spent 600 CHF for this culinary adventure.
