After a long visit to the surprisingly delightful ARoS our trio beat a path to the walking street, in search of something good to eat. My Danish friend suggested Grappa, so in we went, spirits high and bellies empty. Now, after having lived in the California Bay Area for twelve years, I have come to adjust my expectations when it comes to food and service quality at restaurants in Denmark. Perhaps owing to my good mood, and grumbling tummy, I forgot to check my optimism, and hopefully expected a great dining experience.
Which, of course, Grappa, even with a total bill of over 1500 DKK ($223) failed to deliver -- not that price alone guarantees a decent meal, but it does imply we gave Grappa a fair chance to shine.
All three of use chose the three course menu with different selections for appetizer, main course, and dessert. I chose a very decent bottle of Pinot Grigio to accompany our meals.
At first, the set up seemed perfect: good menu selections, nice ambience, and reasonably friendly (if somewhat harried) waitstaff. Unfortunately, as our meal progressed, the rough edges began to appear.
The appetizer courses (frito misto, beef tartare, and bruschetta) were a solid, if not particularly inspired beginning, my favorite being the delicate, tempura-like frito misto. Since we were quite hungry, these were polished off quickly, as were our drinks. It was a warm, humid day, and as we were seated in the very back of the restaurant presumably near the kitchens, and in a booth upholstered in heavy wool located far away from any fresh air, we were all quite sweaty and thirsty and needed water. This simple need - water - was perhaps the linchpin that unhinged the entire meal for we found out that we could only procure regular still water for 50 DKK a bottle. That's right, we had to pay for chilled tap water, and this was after we had already ordered and drank two large diet sodas, and one bottled sparkling water, and were working on a 450 DKK bottle of wine.
A bit incensed, but in need, I ordered the 50 DKK water, which was perhaps a half liter in volume and quickly consumed. The tag on the bottle mentioned that the purchase of the water would help provide clean water for poor people in African nations, but there was no further information about how this was done: no website, no phone number, so I couldn't help feel a teensy bit annoyed and "had". After all, in Denmark, it is the custom to be offered a carafe of water when you purchase wine, so having to pay was somewhat a thorn in the side.
Please do not think I am against charity - I certainly am not, but I do like my charity choices to be voluntary, not forced.
Back to the food. Our main courses arrived with flourish, and of the three choices (linguine carbonara, linguine with shrimp, and risotto), the first was hands-down the best dish, containing bright, salty bits of prosciutto in a delicately balanced creamy foundation. The shrimp in the second dish seemed a little less fresh than could be, carrying an fishy taste that drowned out any other flavor, while my own dish - the risotto, was a sad, and paltry affair, consisting of perhaps half a cup of overcooked risotto dissolving into a sad red sauce that reminded me of tomato paste mixed with water.
Oh well. Being still quite hungry after finishing my main course, I reached for the bread basket only to find under-baked epi-shaped rolls with a raw dough interior. Sigh.
By this time, all liquid refreshment was long gone and we waited, thirsty, hot, and a little bothered, for our dessert. My one companion chose the already melting gelato trio, of which only one flavor he cared for, but that could be just a matter of taste. Still, mango sorbet, licorice, and vanilla do seem to clash together way more than complement each other. My other companion enjoyed her chocolate cake, but was not overjoyed, while my tiramisu was a soggy and tasteless affair, and only made me more thirsty than ever. Attempts to catch the attention of our server, who seemed to be avoided us at this point, were unsuccessful, and we all contemplated taking the now-empty water bottle to the bathroom to score some desperately needed water.
So, by the time our bill arrived (and that we practically had to beg for), our mood had shifted from energetic and excited to grumpy and annoyed. After paying, we practically ran out of the restaurant to catch some fresh air, and look for water.
Verdict? Grappa has some good points, but perhaps should consider not torturing its diners for the sake of "charity." Then again, decent food can be sometimes be hard to come by in more touristy areas, and their offerings, while maybe a bit on the boring side, were all edible, and sometimes (like the carbonara), spot on. With a little work, and some human kindness, I believe Grappa could shine a bit brighter. read more
