Lote 29 — Restaurant in Setúbal

Unbelievable experience in the Michelin restaurant Ryori

We are regular guests in good, very good and also excellent restaurants. In my 54 years of life, it has never happened to me that I have been thrown out of a restaurant. Unfortunately, the Ryori does not meet the requirements of a Michelin restaurant from our point of view. Good food alone is not enough. For us, as lovers of good food and good wine, a good experience is also part of the meal.

Yesterday, we tried to include Ryori in our list of restaurants, especially since we also love Japanese cuisine. Unfortunately, that's all it will take. We will avoid the restaurant in future.

For the interested reader, here is the full story: Last night I wanted to do something good for my wife and invited her to the Michelin restaurant Ryori. We had reserved a table for 7pm. When we arrived and were kindly seated, we decided on the 3-course menu according to the chef's choice, as well as the wine accompaniment, on the recommendation of the house. The first starter was very good and also the wine excellently chosen. We have only good things to say about the second starter, although the speed of service was a problem, as we had not even finished the wine from the first course when the second glass and the second course were served. When the wine for the main course was served, my wife still had her wine glass half full. Here I actually made the mistake of not intervening and asking for a little more time. However, on such an evening, one always wants harmony and not negative discussions. The wine with the main course was, in our opinion, terribly chosen, but was replaced without complaint. While the wine was still being exchanged, the main course arrived. Not even 80 minutes had passed. Waiting for the replacement wine, the second glass still empty, the main course was already lukewarm when we started eating it, which was a pity because the quality of the fish, vegetables and salad was actually very good. In the last few moments of the main course, we were finally asked if we wanted dessert as well. We asked to be given a little more time and quiet, as we were already being rushed through the menu at a gallop and would like to finish the wine in peace first. In the meantime, at 20:40, we were told that this was not possible because the table had been rescheduled from 21:00. At 20:45, our time to think about choosing a dessert was acknowledged with another - by now clearly too resolute and unfriendly - request for a dessert, as otherwise there would not be enough time. We insisted that we should not be rushed, which led to the chef appearing at the table another 5 minutes later and making it very clear that we had no more time than 9 p.m. because they needed our table for other guests. In order not to cause any further escalation, I asked for the bill, paid without a tip, of course, and we left the restaurant in a hurry to leave the table for the other guests, who were hopefully treated in a friendlier way. Perhaps I should add at this point that we were not informed of the limited time reservation over 2...

Once in a great while one has the privilege of dining at the table of a truly gifted artist. We recently had that privilege — twice.

Riyori is that rare combination of innovation, flavor, creativity and sheer talent. The Chef and sous-chef are, quite simply, genius. Each dish reflected a multilayered flavor experience, each layer thoughtful and intentional and, when taken together, flawlessly balanced. The delicate shrimp gyosa embodying shrimp so sweet that they balanced the citrusy soy sauce beneath them. A braised oxtail that had clearly spent all day earning its unctuous, moist texture and multidimensional flavor. The delicately-but-affirmatively smoked quail. The playful yet brilliant shrimp ceviche cured and served with pomelo on a rich tzatziki. The arresting hazelnut ice cream floating on a foam of not-too-sweet nutty caramel and accompanied by a nutty, oaty, buttery crumble.

This menu — and this chef— are transformative. And the staff is both expert and professional. Go. Just go. And be grateful...

This place can only be described as unfocused and overpriced. It pains me to write bad reviews but this experience was an awful value (for example, four tiny pieces of bread were 7€). We order the tasting menu and wine accompaniment. The wine pours were uneven. When asked about the wines, the servers did not know the grape variety or why the particular pairing was selected. This led to several completely contradictory tastes. Even though we were one of the first seatings, we were sat directly next to the door which was constantly being opened (since they have several outdoor seats), to the point we wanted to put our coats back on due to the cold. Dishes were delivered without explanation and staff did not check in except to drop off the next course. All could be forgiven if the food was good, but most of the courses were simply okay, nothing special. In the pursuit of mashing up Asian and Portuguese cuisines, too often, the competing flavors created an unsatisfying...