Truly heavenly veal cheeks: Restaurant Gustav (11. February 2016)

It looked promising but it did not live up to my expectations. The first thing upon arrival was a glass of white wine – and while we followed the recommendation of the waiter, we were definitely not satisfied with the first glass of white. So we asked for a different one which was taken away immediately, without any arguing and replaced with another one – which we liked. Good thing too, they did not charge us for the additional glasses of wine we went for.

Dinner started with an amuse bouche – “glass noodle salad with salmon” which was simple but a nice starter to awaken your palate.

I decided to have the “brittle of blue potatoes” with …

… “a celery apple foam soup” (CHF 14.00). The brittle was a lovely addition to the soup but I must admit that the soup itself did not taste like much, respectively the brittle overlapped the rather subtle taste of the celery apple foam.

The “Swiss Prim veal liver with sage almond butter and pearl onions” (CHF 38.50) looked absolutely lovely. And while it looked incredibly mouth-watering, it did not live up to my expectations. I have definitely have had better veal liver. Admittedly, never veal liver which was served so lovely, but better in taste. However, one of the group had “veal cheeks” and after she had mentioned for the 3rd time that it was exquisite, I took a bite. And let me tell you: It was exquisite! Probably the best veal cheeks I have ever had in my life! So, when you dine at the Gustav, definitely go for the veal cheeks!

I picked the “saffron risotto” as a side dish – and it was, well, it was dull. Not tasting like much, more rice with a saffron colour but not really saffron risotto.

The dishes are rather average – besides the veal cheeks. I liked the place a lot – modern, spacious. But it was astonishingly empty for a Thursday evening. Of maybe 15 to 20 tables only like 5 tables were occupied. Which is a bit alarming.

The service is generally good, they are professional, friendly, but lack a bit in attention. If the restaurant is half empty then you should pay more attention to your customers when they want to order more wine, more water, or the bill. Generally, there was no attention paid to refilling the water glasses or wine glasses – and the water was empty for like 20 minutes without the waiters noticing.

Overall, I got a mixed picture of the Gustav – the veal cheeks were heavenly. The rest was so so. The design of the place was great but the “atmosphere”, the “alive-ness” was disappointing. The prices are fair for the dishes and as well for the beverages (i.e. a bottle of “Terra de Zambuje”, CHF 73.00; San Pellegrino, 0,5L, CHF 6.50; 0,1L Bourgogne, CHF 12.00).

I like the concept and the veal cheeks – a place I will try again to get a definite judgement. At the moment I’d say, give it a try and judge for yourself.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Gustav

Gustav-Gull-Platz 5

8004 Zürich (CH)

Tel.: +41 44 250 65 00

E-Mail: info@gustav-zuerich.ch

Homepage: http://www.gustav-zuerich.ch

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.