Azurmendi
Corredor del txorierri, exit nº 25
48195 Larrabetzu ( Lezama ) Bizkaia
Spain
Tel: +34 944 558 866
info@azurmendi.biz
Overall rating: 9/10
Date of visit: June 2013
Azurmendi still seems fairly unknown, but is known in some circles for going from one to two to three Michelin stars over the course of only five years – something that usually takes a lot longer.
Another thing that is worth noting is that they only serve dinner on Saturdays, if I’m not mistaken. Sunday they are closed, and the rest of the week they only serve lunch. It’s the same menu for both lunch and dinner, so it wouldn’t make any difference when you go (but work commitments of course might not allow for it).
Azurmendi is another one of those restaurants that were difficult to find. Our GPS couldn’t find the address, and if you don’t have a car or can get a taxi, forget about it. Although there were instructions on their website, a hint would be that when you come off the motorway there’s a roundabout, and you have to take the exit in the roundabout where there’s a sign with a knife and fork (it doesn’t say Azurmendi). Then later there’s a sign saying Azurmendi, but keep your eyes peeled. We missed this sign and drove all the way up the mountain.
When you do get to the restaurant, it’s quite a nice and modern place exuding a certain elegance, not unlike El Celler de Can Roca, although not quite as beautiful, but then it has a nice view.
We started off in the entrance with a few small snacks: Mushrooms and ham bonbon, and foie gras mousse with peanut. I was happy that the flavour of foie gras here was fairly absent and it only seemed to be to add texture. My wife at the time instead had a lovely jelly with martini. Lastly, an intense infusion of onion (overall 8-8.5/10).
Then we were offered to see the kitchen, and the chef, Eneko Atxa, came to greet us, which he seemed to do to all the guests.
For the meal itself we were offered two menus; one for €135 and for €160 (no a la carte). Unfortunately, the menu didn’t say that the price was actually plus 10 % VAT, meaning either €148.50 or €176 in total each. We went for the cheap one, simply because those dishes appealed more to us. They also offered us to change some dishes, but the only one we ended up changing was the main course for my wife at the time (she had lamb instead of pork).
First course was a crispy cornet with potato and truffles, and even better a warm egg yolk where they had sucked out a bit of it and then injected truffle into it. I’ve had truffles several times, and, except for truffle oil, I have been disappointed every time, as they simply never had any flavour. Therefore, it was a refreshing and spectacular sensation to finally have truffle that was the explosion of flavour I had so often heard about. Earthy notes and that refreshing and uplifting sensation (if not 10/10 then at least 9/10 but probably 10/10).
“The garden” was a tomato cream covered with crunchy dehydrated beetroot and a few small vegetables on top. The tomato cream was very nice and very similar to the one we had at Quique Dacosta, but although that one was an even more simple dish I nevertheless found that there was more magic in that dish than this one. The biggest problem, though, was that the vegetables on top simply didn’t have any flavour, which meant that the dish could have been wonderful but ended up being only good (7-7.5/10).
Lobster had been roasted and was served simply with a lovely tapenade of olives and anchovies – a combination that could easily have been dreadfully salty but surprisingly weren’t. The lobster itself had a lovely light barbecued flavour, although I felt this overpowered the flavour of the lobster itself just a little bit. Nevertheless, one of the best lobsters I’ve ever had (lobsters, like truffles, have often disappointed me) (9/10).
Lamb sweetbreads had been battered and then deep-fried and was served with cauliflower cream, cauliflower fritters, and small parcels contained garlic flavoured liquid. The sweetbreads would have been better for me if they hadn’t been battered and deep-fried (they seemed too much like something from a greasy spoon place), but the cauliflower cream was lovely. Cauliflower is one of those things that have never done anything for me, but this was surprisingly tasteful and easily the best I’ve ever had. The parcels were the best bit though, and seemed to me like a nod to the Spaniards love of alioli (mayonnaise with garlic) (8/10).
Beef shank was wrapped in corn bread and came with a sticky reduced braising sauce and a single herb sprig. This dish was heavy, rich and flavourful. Although I like that, this was simply too much. The sprig did give a bit of acidity, but was simply not enough (8/10). I did wonder why this dish came here rather than one or two courses later.
Tender grilled octopus was served with crispy onions and small croquettes of warm octopus ink. Really small explosions of flavour. A simple but nevertheless really nice dish where the octopus was good but not spectacular, and where the ink croquettes were not good but spectacular (8/10).
The main course was pork cooked for 24 hours at 70 degrees. It was served with crispy pork rind, crunchy breadcrumbs and a cream made of avocado and acorn, cleverly shaped like an avocado stone. They also put some “atmosphere” on the table:
The pork itself was very nice but simply not much different than any other slowly cooked pork I’ve had in similar restaurants. The other elements seemed mostly like textural contrasts to the main ingredient. Overall a nice dish but simply not quite as good as the ones before it (it was for instance far from the main course I had at Osteria Francescana) (7/10). My wife at the time had lamb instead, and her dish was otherwise identical.
Then we went to the sweets. A small parcel arrived containing small bonbons of chestnut cream rolled in cocoa powder. It also came with a paper containing a small story about a chestnut tree. Chestnuts have mild flavour, but these particular ones were milder than usual. I find these difficult to score. Although I found them pleasant, they are simply not something I think back on (at best 7/10).
The proper dessert was a glass that was supposed to look like a cup of coffee: Firm coffee cream, rum jelly on top and milk foam at the top. When you compare this to the rest of the meal, this dish seemed overly simple – and that’s unfortunately not a compliment. We both felt that this dessert was simply too boring. The amount of coffee cream was simply also too much compared to the other two elements (there was four-five times as much coffee as rum), and I could only taste the coffee element when I combined it with the other elements (5/10).
Then three petit fours: Pastry with apple, a rice cake, and a chocolate bonbon with passion fruit (7/10)
What really impressed me about Azurmendi was the consistency. Dish after dish was at a very high level. I praise Sant Pau over and over again, but even there I had a couple of dishes that were significantly worse than the rest at both visits. That is only what can be expected. I wouldn’t expect every dish to be 10/10 to give a restaurant an overall rating of 10/10. That would be practically impossible. I was telling my wife at the time during the meal that I would give Azurmendi my first 10/10 if they kept the same standard for the rest of the meal. So, there are actually only two reasons why I give them 9/10 instead: The dessert and the fact that I was starting to become just a little bit bored with the food shortly before the main course was served. My then-wife suggested the same score when the meal was over.
Although the food was modern and creative it never became silly, and the concept was not to “explore” or “go on an adventure” like at Quique Dacosta. It was simply about good food cooked with the best techniques. In some ways I felt that this meal was what my meal at El Celler de Can Roca could have been but didn’t accomplish.
Then there was the service. It was indeed very good, but there were a few glitches. Topping up of water was far from flawless, we weren’t walked to/from the toilet, and the sommelier forgot to serve us the red wine for the beef dish. Sometimes they held our chair when we went to sit down and sometimes not. One waitress seemed to be quite sad and she had poor English (but she only took away our plates), while another one spoke English but far from perfect, but he seemed very warm. As you can see, all these are very minor issues, but they have nevertheless been absent in several other three-star places I have been to. Although the restaurant wasn’t full this day, they seemed a bit understaffed. As I started out by saying, the service was definitely very good, and we particularly liked the young waiter who greeted us at our arrival, as he seemed very warm and genuine. The chef also came out in the middle of the meal to speak to the guests, and he also seemed very warm and as if he was enjoying his job. When we saw the kitchen, there also seemed to be a relaxed atmosphere among the staff. Maybe just a tad too relaxed, as there was a bit too much waiting a few times, but this is seriously minor.
Then there was the price, and I have nothing but good things to say about this. At €148.50, the only similarly priced three-star restaurant in Spain has been Sant Pau (€146 at my first visit, and €149 at my second visit, where the Spanish VAT had risen from 8 % to 10 %). There was a long way from the €148.50 at Azurmendi to the €193 I paid at Arzak, and so was there when it came to the food. At the other three-star restaurants in Spain I paid €7 for a glass of white wine and €9 for a red (although a few places this was plus the 10 % VAT). At Azurmendi a glass of white wine (a German one even, which you rarely see in Spain) was €2.75 and a glass of red was €3.30. Compare this to Pic in France, where we were a few days before, where we paid €22 per glass. I know France is more expensive, and that it was different, and probably more expensive, wine, but for four glasses of wine the total difference between those two restaurants were €76 – half of the price of the menu at Azurmendi, and enough for a menu in a Spanish one-star restaurant. A large bottle of water was €4.40, and a small one was €2.75. At Pic a large bottle was €8. My only tiny complaint is that they asked us if we wanted another bottle of water and we asked for a small one, but they didn’t pour us any of this and still charged us for it (I believe I saw the full bottle on a trolley when we left). So €2.50 wasted. That’s better than €200.
Minor issues aside, this was a great meal. Easily one of the best I’ve had in Spain, and easily also one of the best I’ve had in the entire world. And probably also the best value of any three-star restaurant I’ve ever been to.
Great review, as always. I now understand why I haven’t seen a 10/10 up to now on your web site. To each their own, but I have always believed that if I know what a 2,3,5/10 is, then I should also know what a 10/10 is about. But you are right: you have your own way of perceiving a 10/10. I am also right: I have my own definition of the same matter. 10/10 meals are rare, it’s true, especially since more and more ppl dineout, recipes abound, etc. But they do exist, and I hope they happen to you too, eventhough it still would remain subjective, because it would then mean that you would have finely enjoyed something that is fully mesmerizing in relation to your own expectations. it is a feeling I hope anyone enjoys, no matter how picky we think we are. Looking forward to more of your amazing reviews: you bring refreshing views that is unique and really novel.
Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad to hear that someone appreciates my opinion. You should hear what trolls are saying about me on the Spanish website Verema (it’s basically the opposite of what you’re saying).
Anyway, I’m sure that I will get a 10/10 experience someday. I still haven’t made so many reviews. If you look at Andy Hayler’s site, then he only has around 25 restaurants with 10/10 out of around 1000 reviews. Actually, I hope that some of the three star places in Germany (including Victor’s Gourmet restaurant Schlossberg, which you also like) or the restaurant Hotel De Ville (AKA restaurant Crissier) in Switzerland will be 10/10. I simply give a score based on how I feel about the meal afterwards, and so far there hasn’t been any meal that simply felt like 10/10. But it will come, I’m sure.
It was a 10/10 for me as you have seen:
http://www.bacononthebeech.com/2013/05/azurmendi-bilbao-spain.html
We also went to El Celler de Can Roca recently and loved it, whereas we were very disappointed in Sant Pau, and felt it simply was not worth the money with no ‘wow’ factor. I hope to go to Quique Dacosta. next year.
I’m sorry to hear about Sant Pau. Was the food too simple for you? I would call Sant Pau mostly classic but with a modern touch, and that’s not something that everybody likes, just like I try to stay clear of those extremely classic places where the food still costs €200. Of course it also depends on the menu itself, as I had two different menus than you. I also had a different menu at El Celler, so maybe that’s why I didn’t like that one so much (despite all the flaws I have pointed out in my review). Anyway, if you go to Quique Dacosta I hope you will like that one. At least I’m quite sure that won’t be boring as you can see from my review.
Can’t talk for Hotel de Ville ( Did visit it only under Chef Girardet), but I doubt you’ll give Victor Gourmet a 10/10. The reason my meal at Victor Gourmet was a 10/10 is because of my definition of what a 10/10 is : I look at the higher “highs” of a meal and if, to me, they do stand as benchmarks for what they are, then the meal has chances to be a 10/10. As an example, I found Chef Bau to be able to consistently pull out a certain level of flavor harmony throughout a larger range of ingredients that other Chefs of his standing are not really at ease to deliver. Some experienced foodies then told me that X,Y Chefs were doing the same thing. But I also know the work of the X,Y Chefs in question and someone with long and serious experience behind a kitchen would not fail to notice that the supposedly X,Y Chefs (needless to name them, the point is about about the focus on the little details that some Chefs do explore to further extent ) in question lose focus after 3,4 ingredients, whereas Chef Bau executes better dishes with more ingredients. I do not know if it is my long years cooking at various levels of cooking and various types too, but that is the type of details that matter for me (so either a Chef who manages to do more than the most in terms of complexity. And for me, complexity just means doing better, going deeper with lots or even few means in hands ). If I look at the way you assess a meal, it is different from my way of processing: you leave not one single detail aside, which is also great, just not the way I assess a meal. And to that regard (leaving not one single detail aside), the 10/10 of my meal at Victor Gourmet could be challenged: for example, no cheese was available. When I asked, they joked about it. For me it was Ok, and I do not see this as a problem. Someone else could have found it problematic. Also: some of the dishes are classically executed, albeit revised in their contemporary version. So for me, those were flawless in relation to what real classical cooking are delivering these days, even at the upper echelon. But if you take someone for whom cooking is all about sensationalism, or someone whose familiar only with modernist cooking, then that could be underwhelming (which is not a state of mind that I share, I do insist on comparing apples to apples). Also: there was a take on the mojito that they served at the end of the meal and I did not like it at all. But for me, it is the overall picture (with the higher highs) that matters, , so the mojito had no chance to impact my assessment of an overall meal that was simply a benchmark for its genre, which is contemporary (not cutting edge modernistic) cosmopolitan cooking and that I hope people judge as is (as what it is, cosmopolitan cooking). That meal I had at Victor Goumet was a 10/10 for me and nothing will change that perception (unless I go back and stumble upon a meal that really disappoints me) in my mind, but I personally would bet on Alinea in Chicago (Not reviewed the meals since I was with people whom I did not want to disturb with my hobby, but I had 2 meals there a 8/10 the 1st time, but then a 2nd meal, recently that was a benchmark of modernistic cooking in my view, so a 10/10) or perhaps some places in Japan as your potential 10/10. But time will tell. Continue your awesome write-ups. PS: Looking forward to try Quique Da Costa and Azurmendi. My God, those Spaniards are pulling off hot hot stuff (tried Diverxo two yrs ago in Madrid, that was serious top level stuff, the modern cosmopolitan genre!)
Time will tell, but I would think I would like Victor’s Gourmet Restaurant. I like classic food, as long as it’s done with good ingredients, lots of flavour and some soul, and, of course, a bit of creativity. My only problem with classic food is when it becomes old-fashioned or boring, which Dal Pescatore and Al Sorisso to some extent was to me. But I prefer classic food with a lot of soul and flavour than molecular gastronomy with no soul and flavour.
I know that I mention a lot of small (petty) details in my reviews, but as I said in my review of Azurmendi this could have been a 10/10 if it hadn’t been for the dessert, despite the fact that actually only one dish in the entire meal was 10/10. For me, a 10/10 restaurant is simply one where I feel afterwards that overall the meal was perfect. And perfect in the sense of almost perfect, because there will most likely never be a meal where everything is perfect or every dish is 10/10 – Azurmendi great case in point. And of course, 10/10 would also reflect how much I like a dish, and not only how well it’s cooked or carried out. If it was oysters, I would most certainly not give it anywhere near 10/10 as I can’t stand oysters, while others might give it 10/10. I would have no problem in giving a restaurant 10/10 if my glass of water was empty a few times or if one dish was a bit plain or had some less than magnificent ingredients (like in “The Garden” at Azurmendi). So, I’m sure there will be a 10/10 on my site some day. And hopefully it will be Victor’s Gourmet Restaurant.
With regards to Spain, then I actually haven’t been so impressed in general, although there has been some bright highlights as you can see, but there have been too many disappointments. But I hope you will have some good experiences there.
Thanks for your answer. I am like you, I love classic food, well done and delicious. Though I am afraid we’ll have an eternal disagreement on Dal Pescatore, Rfaol! Victor Gourmet is not classic (more of the contemporary cosmopolitan type), but it uses classic techniques. No worries for the small/petty details: they are welcoming, very refreshing and I love them as is. It is your style and that is correct.
I’m looking forward to Victor’s Gourmet Restaurant 🙂 I’ll let you know when it’s going to happen (it will hopefully be soon). By the way, I also posted a review of three-star restaurant Pic recently, and I have made lists of the restaurants with the best presentation, best service, and the best and worst value for money.
By the way, when you went there you chose the “voyage culinaire”. Have you heard if this menu is preferable to “carte blanche” or a la carte?
My impression is that the “voyage culinaire” would be the best option, but a tasting menu is not always the best option, as I found out after I went to Pierre Gagnaire.
The lists you made are highly practical. It shows how much care you put in what you do. Keep up with your great job. It’s a gift to have opinions from all horizons, and yours is real fresh air.
Regarding your question about Victor Gourmet’s menus, no I haven’t heard of the differences. Mind you, I am sold to tasting menus and would usually just chose the longer one because I want my journey to be long (I know, not always a good idea since it is always better to really be informed about all possible options) – except when I’m clearly informed about staying away from it.
I am still surprised that you’d choose Victor Gourmet instead of, say, Alinea or even the Fat Duck. I love Victor Gourmet, because it’s my type of food destination in so many aspects, but after reading your reviews I got the feeling that Alinea or FT would bring more to you in terms of uncommon impressions/surprise effect. I may be wrong, but it’s the feeling that I have upon reading you. Hope you enjoy your journey there and if you stay there, try to grab a room in the old castle section. Perhaps not novel for you, but it’s prettier than the standard section (the one atop the reception of the hotel). I basically arrived there around 3pm, sipped couple of beers at the bar in the reception area, dined at 7pm, slept in the Castle area (the meal ended around midnight), then went to Luxembourg city the morning after. The restaurant is relatively tiny. Have fun!
PS: I saw your review of Pic. As usual, well detailed and refreshingly different from most reviews. I took the time to read it from the first character till the last. But I am not a big fan of Pic (in France, my all time favourite Chefs have been Jacques Maximin, Christian Constant, recently Pacaud…but L’Ambroisie is incredibly pricey, Olivier Roellinger, Gerard Besson). And of course Robuchon when he was at Jamin, though I can’t stand his remnants (read: his current worldwide empire) . Most have now retired, but young talents like David Toutain are forces to reckon with. Even Pierre Gagnaire, Michel Bras have not been my favourite, although I respect what they have done and I am certain that it is just a matter of personal preference.
Thanks for your help and kind words.
I would very much like to go to The Fat Duck and Alinea. The problem with Alinea is of course that it’s in Chicago, and I have only been once to the States (in New York, where I went to Daniel). I hear that the food at The Fat Duck is supposed to be very creative and of course also very nice, but not something you would think back on a long time later. My second visit to Quique Dacosta showed me one of the problems with food like that – it’s higly experimental, but at times it is really only that – an experiment, and not really good food. Experiments and surprises are always fun, and I enjoy when other senses can be included in the experience, but if it doesn’t taste nice then what’s the point of eating it?
Anyway, I would like to go to both – I’m sure both would be great. My taste leans more towards the slightly modern and not the hyper modern, which is partly why I liked for instance Sant Pau so much. My problem with classic food is simply when it becomes “too classic” (as in boring).
So, I think Victor’s Gourmet restaurant would suit me well. We’re hopefully going there in the middle of September. We will then also go to Vendome on the same trip.
Speaking of Robuchon, have you tried his Atelier de Robuchon in Paris? Andy Hayler was very impressed by it, but not so much by the one in London.
Atelier de Robuchon in Paris is good, indeed, but not so great (of course, relatively to its rank). I always go there when I want to bring friends who do not want to be shocked, and who are just looking for a nice Michelin star type of meal in some kind of a bit trendy/less stuffy ambience. Really nicely and safely enough executed food to fit in the mold of a strong 1 star Michelin, standard (not benchmark) 2 star. Though, for that type of 2 star in Paris, I’d rather opt for the Relais Louis XIII (Chef Manuel Martinez) or Le Cinq (Chef Eric Briffard). I’d even go back to Taillevent way before thinking about it. The one in London (visited it in 2010) has indeed less impressive food than the one in Paris. I’d give that one in London just 1 star, personally, and it would be a standard (not benchmark) 1 star in my books.
PS: I never went to Quique Da Costa, but I know the Fat Duck and Alinea well. Based on simple intuition, and after re-reading several times your reviews of Quique Da Costa, I have the feeling that Alinea and FT are very different from Quique Da Costa in all aspects: the cooking, the dining experience, etc. I may be wrong, but I have that feeling FT and Alinea’s cooking is far more complex than Quique’s. Just a feeling. Too bad I have never visited Sant Pau and El Celler (perhaps next year) since it would have been interesting to compare Alinea/FT with those two.
The proof is in the pudding as the saying goes, so we’ll have to see how I like The Fat Duck and Alinea when I go there. I might go to the UK in November so maybe I will go to The Fat Duck, although I hear that they haven’t changed their menu for several years. Alinea would be a bit further off into the future, although I would actually like to go to the city of Chicago even if the restaurant wasn’t there.
Anyway, we’re going to Victor’s Gourmet Restaurant on Friday, and on the same trip we will also go to Vendome by Cologne, and Hof Van Cleve in Belgium. I will hopefully have made reviews of all three within a few weeks or a month.
Thanks for your suggestions for Paris. I was actually considering going there to go to Ledoyen, but I was a bit discouraged when I read your review some months ago. Lack of flavour was one of the biggest problems I had in Spain. I was also considering going for lunch at Arpege (The Skinny Bib called lunch better value than dinner there – maybe you’ve heard about their ridiculous prices), although the extremly simple food does scare me off a bit. If I go to Paris I will definitely keep your suggestions in mind. I’ve heard about Cinq too.
Oh No, please don’t be discouraged by my review of Ledoyen. I was there on lunch, so perhaps dinner is better. Many ppl I know were impressed by Ledoyen, so I guess I was unlucky and dinner might be the way to go. Le Cinq is nice, but try also Joel Robuchon. The experience is completely different between both, so who knows: you might even prefer JR. As for Chef Martinez (Relais Louis XIII), he will offer you something more personal than the former two, so chances are that you’ll find his food a bit more flavorful. But you seem to be someone who loves great deep flavors, which I too do like, so I am afraid JR and Le Cinq might be perhaps a bit too safe in that regard.
We’ll see 🙂 There are many, many restaurants out there that I would like to try. Too little time, and not enough money. Ah! What a life!
You were asking about L’Arpège the other day. But I purposely refrained from answering because I was going to re-visit it and went back there with my wife last week. You can read my review, it’s posted already (skip to the ‘meal’s section since the rest is a bit long, and look into the ‘pros’, ‘cons’ and ‘overall score’ and ‘conclusion’). I do not know what to tell you about L’Arpège: tons of ppl like it, others don’t. But it’s one type of food I profoundly like (type of flavours I grew up with, etc), so naturally when they deliver dishes that hit the notes I like, I am instantly floored. But a bit like for Victor Gourmet, I don’t know if I’d recommend L’Arpège to you since those are types of restaurants that I like a lot, but upon reading all your reviews I’m confident that places like Alinea, Fat Duck would surprise you more.
My review of this recent meal at L’Arpège: http://tinyurl.com/pbq3lu4
I read your review about L’ Arpege, and it looked like a very bumpy ride. Of course, not everything can be 10/10 but ranging from 0/10 to 10/10 is quite appalling. I think you’re right when you say that this might not be my type of food, but there’s only one way to find out. If I go there, it will probably be for lunch to save some money in case it’s no good. Simple food can please me too – for instance the tortellis or the pumpkin soup at Dal Pescatore, or the cep soup at Geranium. But yes, often I would like a bit more creativity than L’ Arpege seems to offer.
Great review, cool pictures! One question: how long did the meal take, in all? We think about going for lunch on the day of our departure and heading straight to the airport from there…
Thanks!
Thanks for your comment.
The first picture I took shortly after we arrived was at 2:28 pm, and the last dish was served at 5:11 pm. Then we had to finish our wine, take pictures, pay the bill, etc., so we left the building at 5:48 pm.
I hope this helps, and I hope you will enjoy your meal there.
Glad to see you are around. I was afraid you were not blogging anymore, but then I remembered that you wrote you would visit couple of restaurants (towards the end of 2013?). Did you visit them? How did it go?
PS: For L’Arpège, the lesser dishes of that meal could have been frustrating to the most (???) ,perhaps, but there’s a possibility that they were primarily just not of my taste rather than truely being bad. It is really tough for me to tell if L’Arpège will please you or not since their better items are flavors I grew up with, therefore my mind records them as the finest. A good example is that my own wife had a completely different reading of that meal: she agreed that the finer dishes were indeed hard to beat but was severe about the lesser dishes whereas, for me, the lesser dishes were wiped away by the better ones. Tough call.
Yes, it has been a bit quiet around here lately. Do you remember if those reviews I promised were for restaurants in England? We were going to England for a wedding but couldn’t board the plane as my wife’s resident permit (she’s Iranian) only applied to Schengen countries, which the UK is not part of. So we never went to The Square and Apsley’s as we had hoped.
However, I will post four new reviews from Denmark (one from Sweden, though) very soon.
By the way: I haven’t been to L’Arpège yet but I hopefully will some day. I was hoping to go to Paris before new years but I put those plans on hold.
And so the first of the promised reviews has been added: Vollmers. The rest will hopefully follow within a week or so.
Yes, they were about the UK. Forget L’Arpège: with the low cost of that meal you found stunning at Vollmers, you’ll find anything in Paris to be be widely over-priced / over-hyped.
Thanks for welcoming me back. I haven’t been to so many restaurants lately, and there has been too many other things going on, so I hadn’t written reviews of the ones I had actually been to either. I have just added three reviews though, and one more will follow later.
Anyway, I would still like to try a few places in Paris. The bad thing about having restaurants as a hobby is that you’re always taking a chance when you go somewhere, and if the food is a disappointment the money is wasted.
Can’t access your reviews of Pingvin + Cofoco and Fellini.
The 3 reviews link to your main page
I assume you’re talking about the side bar on the right hand side on the main page. That’s a glitch that has always been in the programming. I’ve meant to fix it but haven’t done it yet.
For now you have to either press the menu “news” at the top or use these links (although I doubt these three reviews will be particular relevant to you 🙂 ):
Cofoco
Pingvin
Fellini
Sorry about the mess.
thank you for your reviews.
I plan to go to a spanish restaurant. I hesitate between Azurmendi, Mugaritz, Diverxo and Sant Pau. I like very creative chefs who concentrate on the flavour. Wich one of those would you advise me, please ?
Hi.
Sorry for the very late response. I hadn’t seen your comment until now. I hope it’s not too late to respond:
I would probably choose Azurmendi, but Sant Pau is more or less as good. I haven’t been to Mugaritz and Diverxo though, so I can’t comment on them. I did, however, have a reservation at Mugaritz, but I cancelled it, as I heard so many bad things about it.