The Restaurant has two Michelin stars and is in the elegant Dolder Grand Hotel.  The hotel was built in the late 1800’s and has been visited by many celebrities.  In 2004 it was closed for 4 years and completely renovated to restore and expand the structure.  It is accessible by car or you can ride the Dolderbahn up the hill to it.  The dining room is separated from the bar area by a floor to ceiling climate controlled wine storage unit.  The ceiling dated to 1899 and huge lighting structures hung from it.  Tables are nicely spaced and draped with nice white clothes and set with large rectangle napkins.  Some of the tables had a center circle of light which was an odd touch, not troublesome but striking.  There is faint background music.   They offer two tasting menus, one vegetarian, of 6 or 10 courses.  Wine pairings are available for each option.  The portion control of the menu was good but the pacing lagged in the second half of the menu.  

 

Right after you’re seated and a drink order is placed they brought a wet cloth to freshen your hands.  While you look over the options, snacks began to appear.  Lychee with cornichon, tarragon and wasabi was served in a half spoon and the wasabi was the dominant flavor.  Rancho-Cornet was spicy and crispy.  Pommes Soufflée with BBQ sauce was a completely hollow potato that tasted like barbecue potato dip.  Pecan nut with tandoori masala, dates and tamarind had a nice strong pecan flavor and was crispy and nutty.  Radish with blossoms and herbs were tart and pickled.  Sandwich with cream cheese and herbs were in rolls with a mild and herby taste.  White fungus with Sancho Pepper was solid and crispy with little flavor.  All were good.  I particularly liked how they had a small sign on the table with the ingredients of the snacks.  Sometimes when the staff present a bunch with lots of ingredients it is hard to keep track and this made it very easy.

 

Bread was a small individual loaf and served with both garlic and regular butters.  The bread was dense with a very seedy crust.

 

One more amuse was a buttermilk foam with licorice, orange and fish eggs.  The licorice and eggs were a very nice combination of flavors and the foam was sweet and creamy.

 

Lobster with strawberry, beet root, tarragon and mustard was filled with strong flavors.  The lobster was nicely chewy and everything here really blended together well.

 

White asparagus was plated with egg, cress and caviar.  The caviar blended nicely with the egg yolk sauce and some of the white asparagus was shredded which also worked beautifully with the sauce.  This was a very good combination.

 

Hake with rhubarb juice, Piment d’Espelette, ginger, sorrel and vanilla was next.  It was nice.  The big flake fish worked well with the sweetened rhubarb sauce.  It made an interesting combination of strong flavors.  It was a winner.

 

Rabbit with meadow herbs, miso, pickled mushrooms and green tomato .  The rabbit was in tartar form and was moist and tender.  The texture was quite nice and it didn’t leave any flour essence on the tongue.  The herbs and tomatoes mixed with the rabbit worked well.  It was very good.

 

 

Char with rape and camomile was in a broth of spring vegetables.   The char was amazing – cooked to perfection.  It was tender and bursting with flavor.  The sauce worked wonderfully and some trout eggs in it popped in your mouth.   The “rapes” were seeds of brassica.  It worked.

 

Crab and goose liver with mango, sea weed and Vadouvan was semi solid layer on the bottom of a shallow bowl.  The mango and caviar was a surprising combination but it worked.  The sweet set off the salty.  It was a nice mix of fresh flavors but the goose liver essence was lost in the mix.  It was salad like and nice.

 

Veal with chanterelles, Emmentaler, chervil, lettuce and horseradish had tender meat but unfortunately it was dry.  The sauce was tasty but it felt like too many things on this plate.

 

Wagyu with dried fruits, honey, chili, mint and cinnamon tasted a lot like barbecue except for the dry and mealy meat.  The sauce was great.  It was served with a cup of potato foam with crispy bits on top.  It was good and highly whipped.

 

Nespola (loquat) with white chocolate, lemon-verveine and balsamic was nespola sorbet on a white chocolate mousse.  It was smooth and creamy with the leaves adding an herby element.

 

Celery with basil, woodruff and Campari was celery ice cream plated with lots of crunchy elements and a hint of bitterness in something.  It was more like a salad than a dessert but I did enjoy the crispy sheets of celery.  It was full of herby flavors but overall would only rate an okay.

 

Final treats were pistachio with papaya, matcha and Umeboshi which were dark and dull; Strawberry cheesecake with basil which was good; “Oreo” ; Sticky rice with coconut and fruits – raspberries – was not too good; Citrus “Maom” which were chewy; Carrot juices with sweet mustard and cress which was crisp and sweet; Chai latte which had a liquid center.