Restaurant reviews of French and Italian cuisines
Werneckhof Werneckstr. 11 Tel. (089) 39 99 36 Hours: daily 18-24; October - May also daily 12-14:30 If you believe that French is not just the language of love, but also of food, you should take your loved one to the Werneckhof in Schwabing. Tucked away in a side street near the English Garden, the entrance of the restaurant is easy to miss: its heavy, wooden side door, hidden under an archway, seems more suitable for an exclusive club. But, once you have mustered the strength to push past this forbidding exterior, you step into the warm and welcoming world of Daniel Serra, chef of the Werneckhof. While the menu offers traditional fare such as soupe de poisson (fish soup with crusts of bread and garlic mayonnaise), most dishes have been enhanced by Daniel Serra’s creative touch. For instance, beef filet is served with a Madeira sauce (DM 37.80), and the crème brûlée is paired with a light mousse of oranges (DM 10.50). Meals are preceded by a — for French standards — unusually healthy appetizer: raw carrot sticks and olives. The à la carte menu is strong on fish dishes. The salmon and monkfish carpaccio (DM 20.40), is a delicate starter with its light lemon and oil dressing. Main course St. Pierre fish, served with tomatoes and eggplant in a curry sauce laced with coriander oil (DM 37.90) is a sumptuous combination of flaky texture and slightly sweet flavors of the Orient. Surf’n’turf lovers will delight in the unusual mixture of breast of poularde (a young hen) stuffed with langouste (langostinos) (DM 31.80) Stuffed rabbit with aubergine purée in thyme juice (DM 19.80) is quite tender and holds all the earthy aromas of Provence. Diners on a tighter budget can opt for the three-course meal for DM 64.00, which includes Mr. Serra’s weekly inspirations. Not surprisingly, the wine list boasts mostly French wines, with the exception of a few Italian varieties. The service is friendly, if somewhat slow and imperfect — my companion was not asked how he would like his filet of beef cooked, it was simply served medium-rare. However, this unobtrusive manner of service provides plenty of time to gaze into your partner’s eyes when not savoring the food and creative presentation. Food 9, Service 7, Atmosphere 9 Antica Trattoria Braunstr. 6 Tel. (089) 642 66 66 Hours: daily 11.30-24 The Antica Trattoria places Harlaching firmly onto the otherwise rather bare culinary map of southern Munich. The turn-of-the century building, with its high ceilings and large windows, boasts a warm coffeehouse atmosphere. Reservations are highly advisable should you wish to take your amore here — and that goes for any night of the week. An amicable staff provide excellent service, in fact, they show genuine regret if they cannot comply with your every whim (such as decaf espresso). Chef Angelo does wonders with the basic ingredients of Italian cuisine. Among the appetizers, the vitello tonnato (DM 18.50), thin slices of marinated veal topped with tuna mayonnaise, is a delight to the senses, though it is unnecessarily accompanied by two rather dull slices of pancake rolls stuffed with spinach and beef. Pasta dishes are served either as a main course or in half portions as a starter. Most Italian standards can be found on the menu, including a fiery penne all’arabiata, noodle tubes and tomato sauce spiced up with chilies and garlic, and spaghetti carbonara with bacon, egg and cream (DM 14.50). More unusual pasta dishes can be found on the daily menu, such as the tricolore pasta with venison cut into strips, Chinese mushrooms, shallots and tomatoes (DM 19.50). “A+” for presentation — the fettuccine portofino (DM 26.50) golden pasta threads with lobster, cherry tomatoes, spring onions and white wine is dramatically flanked by half a lobster shell. Among numerous meat dishes, the cotoletta Bolognese (DM 28), a veal cutlet topped with ham and cheese, served in a cream sauce, is particularly succulent. Contorni, or side dishes, are a mixture of spinach, roasted vegetables and herbed potatoes. For dessert, try the wonderful panna cotta (cooked cream) with fresh fruit (DM 11) or the crema caramella (DM 9.50), an Italian interpretation of a French theme. The tiramisu (literally: pull-me-up; DM 9) is a good choice should you be expecting a long night ahead of you: it does, after all, contain liberal helpings of espresso and sugar. Food 10, Service 9, Atmosphere 9. <<<