Restaurant Felsenburg, Aarestrasse, Olten

Good things come to those who listen. At a dinner party at friends I got a tip to visit a restaurant called Felsenburg in Olten. Now Olten is like Minneapolis, in the middle of almost nowhere and having suffered a sharp downturn of residents since the 1950ties. Still we’re never going to pass up on a chance to try a new interesting restaurant. And with a 30′ train ride and a 10′ walk it’s not that far from Zurich main station. The restaurant is impressive and does have castle-like appearance. Especially the stairs to climb the last 10 meters give it that towering feeling.

Stepping into the restaurant is a bit like a director’s canteen of the 80ties. Well kept and polished, but not over-the-top and the white table clothes and napkins give it a nice air of sophistication. The burning fire (where part of the dishes are kept) in the corner adds a nice touch of cozyness. The waiter is super friendly but not shy to rattle your cage with a funny remark, I guess you have to be able to take it.

First course were some wild boar ravioli, nice portion, nice ravioli, great start. Especially the slightly sweet crumble on top of the ravioli gave it that little extra that make a good dish an excellent one. Main course was something I’d never had before, Piccata Lombarda – veal cutlets in a lemon butter sauce, topped with Salvia and a side of mushroom risotto. Firstly it was served in two helpings which is always a nice touch. Secondly it was a very cleanly executed dish with strong flavours and a fantastic little risotto on the side. This is the kind of food that will make your belly full and put you at ease.

Dessert was another little highlight! Pêches Flambées cooked table-side on a little stove with wheels. With gusto and flair our waiter caramelized the sugar, added some orange juice and a some italian liqueur before lighting it up. Served with a some ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream this was as tasty as it was exciting (fire / heat / action all in one).

You can guess that we liked the restaurant a lot. Food and service are very classic, great ambience, very solid italian fine-dining! The waiter forgot to put the dessert on our bill and when we made him aware of the fact it was comped with a smile saying that Christmas is early this year. It was a great dining experience and it has given us reason to visit Olten again.