Disappointing, mediocre evening out:
To be clear, the food was fine. I do have complaints about our dinner, but the main problem was the service. To get the food critiques out of the way, the flavour balance was a little too sweet for me, the portions were small so we left hungry, the bread was a bit stale, the main courses were a tad same-y. Mostly, I wasn't a huge fan of the menu design; and I felt the most interesting part of each plate was always underserved. But the meal we had was uplifted by adept cooking, creative flavour choices and fresh, unusual ingredients.
The real let down was in the service. When we arrived, the atmosphere in the small restaurant was grim. The server dropped the menu slate down on a table next to ours without a word and left us to it. When we ordered, we had to call him back again to ask for wine with the meal and after an awkward pause while we waited for a wine recommendation, we ordered a carafe. At one point he apologised for the rough start to the evening, but things never really got better. At each course, the server had to ask who had ordered what, which demonstrates the impersonal service: there were only three options on the menu. Clearing the appetiser left my wife without silverware and we had to ask for cutlery for the main course. When the bill came, they left the wine off. A commercial gesture? No it turned out, just another error. The food wasn't nearly good enough to overcome the overall mediocrity of the experience.
The reviews in the Michelin guide and on Yelp say this is a restaurant that aims high. Our experience was simply unpleasant. I can only guess what might have been going on. It seemed like maybe the team had just had a fight? Maybe the chef generally doesn't have quite the right supporting cast? I don't know.
If a place priced like Tempero (just under €100 with wine for two) is a typical night out for you, the meal is unique and interesting and you might want to check it out. As for us, we only get to try the cuisine of a skilled, creative chef a few times a year on special occasions. A disagreeable evening out, like the one we had here, was a sad waste of a birthday gift. If you're looking for fine dining in the 13th, I would recommend l'Ourcine or L'Avant Goût instead.
Our meal: My Eggplant velouté with an egg 'parfait' was light and tasty with a delicious sesame cracker; my wife's lightly cooked fish appetiser came with contrasting sauces and an unusual stem or two of some green we couldn't identify, but was overall a bit dull. My Noix de veau was beautifully cooked, topped with a delicious sauce, accompanied by a single home fry, a bit of tasty vegetable purée, and a few carrots brushed (I think) with infused butter. My wife's poitrine du porc came with a section of boudin instead of the potato, etc, similarly well made, but skimpy. For desserts: she had a single half of a poached pear with a tiny side of cardamom ice-cream and something else we can't remember; I had a small slice of chocolate mouse cake somewhat enhanced by beautiful edible flower petals. We ordered a carafe of Burgundy wine that was good and accompanied the meal well.
A couple who came late for their reservation had real trouble getting seated, so if you want to eat here, make sure you arrive on time. read more