Santo, Sihlfeldstrasse, Zurich

Even the best get lucky sometimes. I was due for a business dinner with the not so dirty Harry from Harrys Ding and suggested the Chez Brigitte. To my surprise the restaurant was closed and a new one opened called Santo (Yelp Entry. The interior was kept like it was before, again one of those places which has real patina and has charme which money can’t buy.

The menu looked like a pretty decent deal (85 CHF for 6 courses) but felt like it was too much too handle for our quick dinner, so we selected two a la carte dishes. The risotto nero with a scampo and some squid was pretty delicious, the right balance of creaminess and texture of the rice made this a surprisingly good dish.

Main course was a nicely seared filleto di manzo with some boring mushrooms and powerful jus. The beans were okay, but nothing to come back for. Dessert was again spot-on! The superbly ripened strawberries and a cold, zabayone like custard were a terrific little end to the meal.

One of the better new openings I’ve been to! And quite frankly 85 CHF for a 6 course dinner is good value for money in Zurich, especially if the quality is the way it was! I’m sure Harry will have some thoughts on the place as well on his fine blog – which albeit terrific is still number two to you know who 😉