My family and I dined at IGNIV at the Marktgasse Hotel location and it was a delight. The restaurant is located in the heart of Zurich's Old Town, and offers a sophisticated yet welcoming atmosphere that perfectly matches its sharing concept.
We opted for their tasting menu, which surprisingly consists of 4 appetizers, 7 starters, 4 mains and 5 desserts. The appetizers included Swiss shrimp with jalapeño and nori, smoked potato with fish roe and radish, and a surprisingly flavorful beetroot with sea buckthorn and chili, which was my favorite. Each bite was well balanced and packed with flavor.
The starters continued to impress. The whitefish paired with cucumber and elderflower was light and refreshing, while the morel with artichoke and wild garlic was a standout and my favorite. The morels were earthy and packed with umami, while the artichoke added delicate sweetness. The carrot with kimchi and buckwheat was one of the biggest surprises as it wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be and paired well with the crunchy carrots.
For the mains, I don't eat lamb but they were extremely accommodating to let us change it out to beef and also determine how many servings or beef and lamb we want. The beef with lemon balm and sunflower was perfectly cooked and incredibly tender, while the veal tail with chicory and saffron was rich without feeling heavy.
Dessert was just as impressive as the savory courses. The strawberry with celery and nasturtium was bright and refreshing. The signature Egg Royal with hay, milk, and honey was creamy and rich. And the chocolate with malt and verbena provided the perfect ending. The desserts were perfectly balance and not overly sweet, making it easy to appreciate the true flavors of every ingredient.
Service throughout the evening was warm, knowledgeable, and attentive without ever feeling overly formal. Our server took time to explain every dish to us. I also want to highlight how accommodating they were besides swapping the lamb out of our main. My 2 kids age 11 and 8 dined with us and they can never finish one tasting menu by themselves. We were also able to have the kids split 1 tasting menu which turned out to be the perfect about for them.
After our meal, we were offered to pick out treats from their "candy store" which consists of various macarons, chocolates, nuts and fruit jellies.
Overall, IGNIV offers a unique communal dining experiences and redefines fine dining with its creative sharing concept, innovative flavors, and warm, inviting atmosphere. it's a restaurant well worth experiencing in Zurich. read more