Rather than venturing into munich on our first night in the city, we opted to dine in the Delice La Brasserie located inside the wonderful Sofitel. On entering the restaurant our impression was immediately favourable - a bright, light and airy room with the kitchen on show.
Cranberry red lighting gives the space a warm and intimate feel. Inspired perhaps by the lighting, we chose to start on a high note with a glass of Perrier Jouet Blasson Rose Brut Champagne; a distinctive and noble start to any meal with its red fruit and slightly citrus flavours.
Amuse bouche arrived, pickled local salmon trout with cucumber and marinated mango - a refreshing and agreeable livener for the palate. This was accompanied by a Weissbergunder 2013 from Weingut Hexamer, Nahe, pleasingly dry with, we thought grass and nettle notes.
Our first course was, for my partner, raw langoustine accompanied by kohlrabi, grilled watermelon and kuzu jelly, which she pronounced exquisite, and rather meanly, she shared only a tiny morsel.
My choice was clear tomato soup with grapefruit oil and sunflower seeds. This was washed down with a glass of Resiling and a Pouilly-Fume, both pleasant enough to begin our evening.
“A French influenced bistro with a light and modern take on classic food.”
On to the main course, and beautifully presented whole roasted sole with leaf spinach and “la ratte” potatoes for me; my partner chose a French bistro classic, fillet of Charolais beef, aged, with sauce Dijonnaise, French fries and braised leeks. The sighs of pleasure as we sampled our own and each other’s food were loud and long. By this time, the evening had worn on, and we were ready to enjoy the accompanying Chateauneuf du Pape 2009 and Chateau Mont-Redon.
No matter how generous the course preceding it, there is always a little room for desert, even if, as we commonly do, you share it. Your taste buds should be asking for the sweetness at the end of a perfect meal. So we chose to end with crème brulee with a twist - a pistachio sauce - and a plate of excellent French cheese.
Altogether a satisfying meal, with its roots firmly in the past, and its delivery and presentation firmly in the modern style.
The Bill: £64 per head
