EVALUATION: 18.5/20
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I tried all of the German three macaroon restaurants with the sole exception of Amador. While they all have different styles and strengths, my vote (and my wife’s vote) for the best of all goes to Bareiss. This exclusive restaurant in beautiful surroundings, inside the luxurious Bareiss resort in the Black Forest, offers a totally satisfying three macaroon experience: excellent service, beautiful room, and superb food. The wine service is presided over by Mr. Hendt who is a sommelier of the highest caliber, I would say one of the very best anywhere without hesitation. The combination of all these factors renders Bareiss a special address.
My wife and I dined there four times in the last two years. Chef Claus-Peter Lumpp’s cooking can be called classical French. The cuisine is rich, quite elaborate but not heavy, well thought out, and balanced. Clearly a lot of thinking and experimentation goes into preparing dishes as they are both cerebral and delicious.
There are two possible strategies in ordering. One is to order the degustation menu. It is well thought out and overall very satisfying. The alternative is to go a la carte. Here most dishes are composed of three or more components around a single theme or ingredient, like, say, “langoustines”.
Are you thinking of Gagnaire? Clearly there is a parallel. Both chefs like to explore the multi-dimensional potential of a given ingredient, cook it in different ways, and present them altogether in a single course. In addition both chefs rely on a diverse world heritage for inspiration to create complex dishes. That is, quite a few spices, grains, etc., not normally found in more classical or fusion cuisine can be found in some of the dishes.
But there are differences too. Gagnaire is certainly more daring and intuitive. He hits some very high marks, but he can also concoct hastily prepared, haphazard preparations, where components just don’t blend together. Claus-Peter Lampp’s cooking is more consistent, if less daring.
Amuses are always very good at Bareiss, and in two consecutive days we were served completely different amuses. An example is a mackerel sushi with cucumber, a tiny vegetable tart, cottage cheese with tomato, and basil and beef tartare. Enjoy them with a complimentary glass of muscat or champagne.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The four or so appetizer courses on the menu are among the most interesting and complex preparations. I have had “Le Veau,” the veal, three times, and there is always some twist depending on the chef’s whim. The veal is of outstanding quality. Last time it featured in three different guises: a tartare of suckling veal marinated with parmesan and citron and topped by an herbal cream sauce; a praline of pressed veal head (tete de veau) with sauce gribiche; and a carpaccio from the filet with marinated raw artichokes and fava beans.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Don’t miss the langoustines. I don’t know how Bareiss can procure sweet big langoustines of high caliber given their location in Schwarzwald. (I believe they said that they are shipped from Denmark.) Langoustines are served in five components:
a. Carpaccio with mascarpone and oscietra caviar;
b. Tartare with lemon cream, custard and oscietra caviar;
c. Sautéed and glazed with shellfish jelly (served in a spoon);
d. Tempura with apple and coriander; and
e. Ragout with cucumber and romaine heart.
The caviar is from Israel and very good quality.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you are yearning for high quality goose foie gras, this is the place to have it. This course is comprised of four small dishes:
a. Terrine of goose liver with port caramel;
b. Crème brulee with whipped goose liver;
c. Goose liver foam with cocoa bean and ice; and
d. Sauteed goose liver with a macaroon of goose liver and aged balsamic vinegar.
We also tried another foie gras preparation from the menu: braised foie gras with melon and tarragon.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I also love the soup courses at Bareiss. There is usually one seasonal soup and one classic. The classic one is a hearty beef tail, queue de boeuf. It is an excellent, very clear consommé which tastes like savoring liquid bone marrow. It is accompanied by a ragout of queue de boeuf “en salade, en chiffonade et crème beurette” which features summer herbs and vegetables.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I tasted the seasonal and excellent wild trout-like lake fish, “omble chevalier” poached in olive oil that was prepared for our 12 year old daughter Ceylan Handan. It was fresh and melted in the mouth.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Another delicious starter is the king crab, “crab royale,” glazed with avocado, couscous, and verjus sauce.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
What impresses me at Bareiss, and the reason behind the very high rating is the overall consistency and technical precision. Last year we tried two lamb dishes, and I still savor the spring lamb that they served. This year we opted for wild doe deer (hunted in their domaine) which also consisted of three elements:
a. the roasted saddle with root vegetable puree and chanterelles;
b. the leg poached in white wine with an apple-celeriac salad and cream sauce; and
c. Ravioli filled with liquid elderberry.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The cheese course, served in a trolley, consisting of mostly French and some hard to find artisanal cheeses, is another highlight, and we try not to miss it. With the cheese course we enjoy the remaining sips of excellent dry Rieslings which are among the most complex and satisfactory white wines on earth.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
We then skip the dessert course and proceed to the petit fours and little gateaux that they bring with coffee.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
WINES
1. 2011 Battenfeld Spanier Am Schwarzen Herrgott Riesling GG.
This wine has a very distinct mineral nose. It is intense, silky, suave, elegant, and complex. Different fruits dance on the palette, such as pineapple, agrumes, and grapefruit. It is not heavy at all and is one of the best GGs I have tasted. Apparently the top soil is volcanic and the bottom is calcareous. The wine improved with aeration and developed exotic spices, such as cloves and ginger. The broken chalk keeps the humidity intact during the growing season. The wine does not develop too much petrol aroma, like schiste (typical in Alsace). It has 13% alcohol and is from Hohen-Sulzen in Rhineland. 97/100
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
2. 2010 Bareiss Old Vines Mosel from ungrafted vines.
This wine is from ungrafted vines, first planted in 1893. It has a light golden color and a nose of honeywax, apricot, and peach jam, together with lush, full, and honeyed agrume peel. The texture is creamy and lush. The wine is extremely well balanced, despite the richness. It went well with game too. It has 12.5% alcohol. 97/100
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Bareiss will not appeal to those looking for culinary fireworks and/or natural cuisine with minimum proteins. It will appeal to those who know the early years of nouvelle cuisine and are searching for classical French cooking with not only high quality but also luxurious ingredients, put together expertly, and at times ingeniously, with a nod for modern sensibilities.