When it starts great, and then you have to wait 54 minutes for the next course: Restaurant Maltes Hidden Kitchen (27. May 2023)
There aren’t too many Michelin-starred restaurants in Baden-Baden, but I found one, which seemed quite appealing. The first challenge is to actually find it, since the entrance is a bit hidden (as the name my suggest). To be honest, it’s not really hidden, but during the day, the place is a coffee and tea house, hence, it does not really look like a Michelin-starred restaurant when you pass by.
In any case, before the actual start of the menu, you’re served a few amuse bouches like “kohlrabi, peanut cream with Asian flavours”, which was nice and refreshing. The “datsch cake with basil, tomato, and flowers” was fine too, and last but not least, the “carrot, fennel, orange” was the perfectly refreshing end to the amuse bouches.
We went for the “4-course tasting menu” (EUR 130.00) and opted for “savoury only options aka no dessert” (EUR 5.00) and the evening started with “bread with wild garlic butter”, which was quite nice.
Since 2014, I am sceptical about scallops since nothing ever quite met the ones I’ve had at the O Paparico in Porto, but the “scallops with pickled asparagus, rice mayo and blueberry jus” turned out to be quite nice. The scallop wasn’t chewy, but actually worked quite well together with the blueberry jus.
Having had a very similar dish a few days back in the L’Assiette Champenoise felt a bit like a comparative disappointment. I mean, sure, the “imperial caviar (new potatoes, crème fraîche, chive)” was definitely looking lovely and quite appealing. A pretty dish for sure, and we have already established that potatoes work quite well with caviar. However, the potatoes being cold and not warm really is not as great.
The “white asparagus (with hazelnuts from Piedmont, egg yolk)” worked quite nicely with the hazelnut cream and the grated egg yolk. So, all in all, it was nice, but I somehow always find white asparagus lacking a bit of the finess the green asparagus has.
The “zander (verjus, pak choi, mushrooms)” was a rather small dish prior to the actual main dish. And while the combination of flavours worked, it was, somehow, lacking originality. And then, another “episode of waiting time” began. We got the zander by like 8:58pm.
The “veal (filet, sweetbread, green asparagus, morels, peas)” was served at 9.52pm. That is a solid 54 minutes after! That is just way too long! Sure, I get it, you’re busy with customers, and you’re busy in the kitchen, but waiting 54 (!!!) minutes between two courses is just unacceptable. Even then, it was hard to be mad at them, as they were absolutely friendly and nice. And even though, it was good, it is an absolute no-go!
The “friandises”, which were subsequently served didn’t really change much in that anymore either. I mean, at this point, we just wanted to get out.
So, in my opinion, the Maltes Hidden Kitchen is not a place you absolutely need to discover. To be fair, the staff is super friendly and is super attentive. That’s something I can truly appreciate and the interior is quite nice as well since it is literally the re-purposing of the tea house it is during the day to a Michelin-starred restaurant in the evening. However, waiting 54 (!!!) minutes between two courses is just an absolute no go! So, yeah, not sure I would absolutely recommend this place.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Maltes Hidden Kitchen
Gernsbacher Str. 24
76530 Baden-Baden (DE)
Tel.: +49 72 21 702 50 20
E-Mail: info@exquisiteconcepts.com
Homepage: https://exquisite-concepts.com/maltes-hidden-kitchen/
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. 
