Ametsa with Arzak Instruction (Belgravia)

• Though they are firmly on a consulting basis rather than cooking at the stoves here
• What they could have perhaps considered is running the name past someone with English as their first language
• As if they are hedging their bets by keeping some distance from the new venture in case it bombs
• Certainly there is plenty of Arzak instruction in the kitchen
• Xabier Gutierrez was the head of the development kitchen on the top floor of the San Sebastian restaurant before moving to London
• Is the chef de cuisine at Ametsa and Igor Zalakain was sous chef at Arzak
• The style of cuisine is very much the same modern Spanish style
• The dining room was quite bright with white walls
• Its ceiling was covered with 7
• To get away with this sort of thing
• Nibbles were a rather odd pairing of a little piece of goat cheese with turmeric (described as &ldquo
• I have no idea what was supposed to be quick or changing about this
• An odd state of affairs for a fish that in Spain is regarded very highly
• This was served with a parsley and olive oil sauce that was a little metallic
• 12.50) were just chocolates filled with a liquid centre of Cointreau and orange
• 76 a head at lunch with just soft drinks
• This represents dismal value for money for what was put in front of us today
• The Arzaks were wise to keep their name at something of a distance from this establishment
• I first heard about this relatively new restaurant on the scene at a fairly prestigious charity auction where a dinner for two was one of the prizes
• Then I find out that it's the first foreign venture of the Arzak duo who own one of the world's best restaurants
• I knew this was meant to be
• We learned this from a brief exchange with the head waiter at the end of the meal
• What this provided was not only a background of passion and expertise
• It's easy in restaurants such as this to feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable with the formality
• I can assure you that we were glowing with amazement as the yolk sauce mixed with the crumbs and rich mans chorizo that is "
• Scallops and spider crab with cassava soufflé
• Tomatoes stuffed with Iberian ham
• Very creative dishes with a touch of the Basque cuisine and innovative ideas
• A beautifully presented box with an exciting invitation inside
• Example when I gave Mr S a trip to Paris for his birthday or when I treated my best friend to Pollen Street Social for hers
• I think the best gift of all is time spent together
• As I browsed their website I was astounded by the collection of gifts that they had on offer
• The option I chose was slightly more down to earth
• A lunch for two at Michelin starred Ametza with Arzak Instruction at the Halkin Hotel
• I found the whole process with TRULY incredibly smooth
• I'd wanted to visit Ametsa with Arzak Instruction ever since it opened and Mr Silver and I were incredibly excited to experience our post honeymoon treat
• The dominant element of the restaurant is the feature ceiling which is created from 7
• The test tubes create a wave like effect which is both artistic and unusual
• Elena Arzak Espina is his partner in running the kitchen and the business
• Together they collaborated to bring their concept to the UK and Ametsa with Arzak Instruction was born
• The set lunch commenced with a selection of tapas
• A strawberry soup was a light and refreshing way to start
• The lamb meatballs were delicately presented with an adornment of flower petals
• Squid is one of my favourite seafood options and Ametsa's version was tender and juicy with no hint of chewiness
• I did have to double check with Mr S that it hadn't turned my mouth black
• The meat course was perfectly paired with a side dish of nectarines
• I don't like fruit with my savoury dishes but Mr Silver loved the combination
• The dessert was comprised of pineapple ice cream topped with clove custard
• When we finished our lunch there was no need to think about paying for our meal
• More and more restaurant are modest or small in size (places like Mizutani seat only 8 people)
• It could very well be the lack of funds when the restaurant is started (Aronia de Takazawa expanded from about 3 to 5 tables)
• It also means more attention is given to an individual dish
• The price point is a major issue
• The thousands of test tubes filled with spices suspended from the ceiling
• The food and service were impeccable
• The restaurant is located on the ground floor of The Halkin Hotel
• Arrival was to a rather bland and soulless room lined up with square tables and plain white walls
• You will find 7000 glass test tubes filled with cumin and spices
• Guess this is what happens when you&rsquo
• We decided to go with their Set Menu as it was our first visit
• Upon arrival we were greeted with a sparkling Rosé
• Called La Vida al Camp Rose where it is aged for a minimum of 15 months in cellars in the municipality of Sant Sandurni d&rsquo
• We started with an Amuse Bouche of warmed Pumpkin Soup
• First course was made up from a selection of Tapas
• Scallops at Home served with a Black Truffle Sauce and Egg with &ldquo
• Went for dinner with a couple of friends
• The waiting staf were friendly and eager to help with recommendationa for food and wine choices
• They even gave us a dish for free due to the fact it didnt arrive with our starters
• The kitchen is now run by father Juan Mari and daughter Elena Arzak and is at the forefront of gastronomy the world over
• It is my dream to visit San Sebastian where there are more Michelin starred restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world
• In the mean time I will have to settle for a visit to Ametsa with Arzak Instruction &ndash
• The simplest way to describe it is that Arzak consults on everything from the dé
• Arzak is a Spanish restaurant in San Sebastian and is regularly refereed to as one of the best restaurants in the world
• Naming it Ametsa with Arzak Instruction
• Elena Arzak was the lady who really put this London venture together (although isn&rsquo
• They asked about allergies and I told them I had a wheat intolerance so they were very kind to make gluten free bread to be served with our meal
• I opted for the fish which was served in a white bean sauce and a bean salad
• I didn't have dessert as I was quite full and it was a lunch meal
• In the meantime and with some serendipity
• I got an invitation to visit Ametsa with Arzak Instruction &ndash
• Sergi Sanz trained with Arzak in Spain after starting his career working under Ferran Adria at the El Bulli Hotel Hacienda Benazuza in Andalucia
• The menu is an innovative display of fine dining with clear references to both Spanish heritage dishes and to molecular gastronomy
• The restaurant is based in The Halkin hotel
• Stars of the show were the plate of bite sized aperitivos
• With our favourite being the kataifi with scorpion fish cake &ndash
• A crispy delight with no danger of the pastry of overpowering the filling
• My favourite dish of the night was the tuna with cinnamon on fire
• I was pleased to discover that this one was even bigger
• The beautifully sweet and gooey brownie surprise in the middle was even better
• The food was innovative and creative in its presentation and the flavours were new and delicious
• The amuse bouche were definitely related and very well executed
• We had the tasting menu as wanted to really take in the whole experience we were not the only ones
• Every dish was beautiful and well explained
• Easily the best dish on the menu

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