15. June 2013: Pret A Diner by Tim Raue @Elisabethenkirche
I have been to a Pret A Diner event in Munich before (Pret A Diner by Adam Byatt) and as that experience was great, I had high expectations – unfortunately, they were not fully met.
The dining took place in the Elisabethen Church in Basle and when you enter, you are blown away because the decoration is mind-blowing! There are many small tables in the church but there was one large table in the central aisle and we were seated at the top of it with the promise to be surrounded by young and interesting people. Well, that was the first fail – I guess in Switzerland it is not that easy to get seated next to people who are open and talkative but in any case, the “young” was not reached.
But now more about the food, when seated bread, salt, pepper, olive oil and bear’s garlic cottage cheese was already on the table and a good start.
One had the choice between a Sushi menu (CHF 120.00) and the Tim Raue menu (CHF 120.00). I decided to go for the Tim Raue menu, my company for the sushi. Mine started with a “fennel cracker with home-smoked salmon mousse and hering caviar” which was a tasty start.
Even the first course still met my expectations – the “hamachi ceviche and elderflower refined with apples and melons” was great. The ceviche was fresh and the combination with the different fruits was very refreshing.
The “dim sum with Madagascar pepper, beetroot and beef” looked very nice, I must admit. The flower-look-a-like which was prepared from beetroot was taste-intense and had a liquid part on top of it which made it surprising but the dim sum itself was definitely nothing outstanding.
The “Guinea fowl served with hazelnut, truffle and nut butter foam” was limitedly appealing. The Guinea fowl was juicy but with regards to the other elements of the dish, it was just somehow of limited appeal.
At this stage, the menu has been served and honestly, for CHF 120.00 it was quite disappointing considering the number of courses and the “just good” food. Especially comparing it to Pret A Diner by Adam Byatt. Still, as somehow we figured a fine diner should be finished with a dessert, we went for “White Asparagus ice cream, strawberry ragout, fresh Japanese mountain pepper” (CHF 28.00) was at least a fine ending. I mean, the asparagus ice cream was not exactly something “sweet” but it was refreshing and interesting and the refinement with the Japanese mountain pepper added this special effect. The “strawberry ragout” were just ordinary strawberries cut in pieces.
The waiter responsible for us was very friendly and entertaining – only when it came to paying the bill, it took him quite a while which was not so great. Other than that, I must say, good service and making up for the delay at the end with friendliness and dedication. As already stated, the evening was quite expensive for what you get. The same applies for the beverages (0,75L water, CHF 10.00; 0,1L A Quo Vino Rosso, CHF 11.00 and a double espresso, CHF 5.00).
What is truly mind-blowing though is the atmosphere! It was nicely and impressively decorated and dining in a church really is a special experience. Overall, I can recommend anybody to go to a Pret A Diner event just for the sakes of the location, the service and the experience. When it comes to price performance ratio and quality of food, I would go somewhere else but Switzerland. Personally, I won’t attend a Pret A Diner in Switzerland again because it is too overpriced but if I have the chance to attend it in London or any other European city, I will gladly go again!
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |  |
| Service: |   |
| Dishes: |  |
| Price-Performance Ratio: |  |
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Pret A Diner @Elisabethenkirche
Elisabethenstrasse 10-14
4051 Basel (CH)
Tel.: +41 61 666 64 60
Homepage: http://www.pretadiner.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
