Some restaurants are able to set a level of food experience really high and move it close to sort of a whole evening rock star show.
Atera. Very specific concept, just 12 seats around the stone table surrounding the actual place where most of the dishes are prepared with nearly neurosurgeon preciseness. I have counted 7 cooks and 4 waiters, so no risk to be underserved.
Atmosphere balanced with music, most of waiters are even moving in the rhythm.
Extremely simple menu, they have nothing to choose. Just one set of 18 course tasting menu. Nothing else J But translated into the really imaginative creations combining great taste with artistic appearance. My friend Ondra would probably call it foodporn.
Wine pairing especially appreciated. Not just well chosen, but wines were of really top quality, making it in fact another parallel tasting experience.
So:
Juniper oil with green tomato juice. Absolutely new taste for me, but wonderful. Something really good at the beginning, wake up call for the taste buds.
Young pea legumes sorbet, caviar, crème
Foie gras with truffles.
Lobster salad. Yeah, served in a rose flower. Inner petals were simply great.
Snow crab, tomatoes and rosehip mousse.
Roe with young almonds, almond milk and sorbet. Surprising combination, I would have never though about, but great.
Scallops in cucumber shavings, frozen dust of horse-radish and dill essence. Orgasmic. Completely out of the normal imagination of great taste.
Cuttle-fish, in fish sauce (probably most favorite sauce for cuttle-fish to swim in J
Massachusetts oyster with ponzu sauce. Nice.
Bread and butter. Not as an accompaniment to something. But as a stand-alone dish.
Scallops, miso, buttler, this time absolute peak in wine pairing.
Marlin, hog skins, three forms of pea (flower, legume, purée) plus mussels sauce. Bit complicated.
Onion, chanterelles and morels. Who knows me, understands that this could ot be beaten by anything.
Foie gras wrapped in the blackberry jelly envelope, peanut dust. Unbelievable.
Rack of lamb. Well lamb was perfect, but onion sauce was especially out of the normal imagination, simply fabulous. They take some 20 kg of onions and simmer them slowly to have two cups of sauce. Wow.
Cucumber sorbet with lemon tiles, very good.
Blackberries, tarragon purée and shamrocks 🙂
All in all: fantastic experience from all aspects.
Lucan Report 