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A truly stunning setting in a Black Forest valley, with rooms in the associated hotel Tonbach (we stayed in the superb room 500 on our first trip here) and the restaurant both looking out over dense woods. The nearest major airport is Stuttgart, but this is still a fairly long drive away. This appears to be the most acclaimed restaurant in Germany (and gets booked up a year ahead), though we preferred the meals at both Im Schiffen and Sonnora, but there is certainly something magical about this place. Service is perfect, which just about all the 3 stars in Germany seem to feature. An amuse guele of red pepper soup, shrimp tempura and diced vegetables was pleasantly spicy (8/10) while a duck mousse, cannelloni of duck, a “ham” of duck and duck terrine on beetroot were all very good (8/10).
The first course was marinated crab topped with a lattice of crème fraiche, with three pieces of smoked crab on top, served with white and green asparagus in a lime vinaigrette (9/10). I had terrine of pigeon with goose liver, rich and silky served with toasted brioche and a few baby root vegetables in a citrus dressing (9/10). Two scallops and a pair of langoustines were very well timed, served in a crayfish bisque with white and green asparagus (9/10). Lemon sole was pan-fried with butter and lemon, served with a few chanterelles and delicate baby broccoli (8/10).
Monkfish was covered in peppercorns and served with an aubergine puree and a rich cream sauce (7/10). Venison was tender and served pink, offered with red cabbage and a smear of cooking juices (7/10). The two desserts were of varying quality. Chocolate soufflé was well cooked and served with cherries in sherry, marzipan pancake, sour cream ice cream and a few cherries stuffed with hazelnuts (8/10). Less successful were insufficiently ripe peaches poached and glazed with peach and rosemary sorbet with a few wild strawberries and a pine nut tuile (4/10). Coffee was very high quality, with some fine petit fours: tuiles, lemon tart, strawberry tart, raspberry tart, truffles (8/10).
Overall, this meal was perhaps a strong 8/10 or weak 9/10, but with perfect service and a beautiful setting. Perhaps the least good of the four German places we tried in June 2002, and yet this would still be above several 3 stars in France. Room 163 is less good than 500, but as it is on one end of the hotel there is a good view. The food was of a similar standard, around 8/10 overall in Good Food Guide terms. The menu is somewhat limited in choice, and if you do not eat meat you only have one or two choices at each stage.
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