The server was polite and the dessert truly memorable, but the meal stumbled well before then. The…read moreshrimp appetizer was disappointing: several were tough to peel, the flesh tightened and rubbery, and once shelled, none stretched longer than a thumb knuckle. Twenty-five minutes later--long after my beer and starter were gone--the salmon finally arrived. The server's nervous air and furrowed brow only underlined what was to come: the fish was dry, salvaged only by a squeeze of lemon, and I ate what I could out of hunger.
I hadn't planned on dessert, but after rubbery, undersized shrimp and parched salmon, I took the chance. That gamble redeemed the evening: a warm slice of saffron cake with berries and whipped cream--absolutely sublime, the kind of dish that lingers in memory.
What didn't linger was attentiveness. Not once was I asked if I'd like another drink. In my experience, American service already lags behind much of the world, but here it felt perfunctory. And yes, the preset gratuity suggestions starting at 15% seemed more tourism than hospitality.
