Eden Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Zurich

I have tried this restaurant, holding 1 Michelin star, for a Sunday roast. For context; I have tried multiple Michelin stars in Europe and beyond, although this is the first Swiss one.

Overall, the experience was positive, food was good, some improvements would be nice (personal taste).

Now: when trying a Michelin star, it’s not just about the food. It’s about service, timely dishes, small details.

Firstly: staff is very kind and nice, in my option, trained to be working in such settings. However, we were asked for water and received the Sunday roast menu. I had to ask for the beverages menu.

My partner received his beer. Meanwhile, we received the entree, and only then did I receive my cocktail. From a 1 star I expect coordination and beverages at the same time - and in any case - before food.

My reposado was balanced in taste, apricot and lime gave a nice contrast of sweet and sour. Still, no decoration nor fruit which made it underwhelming (again, the “little details”).

Ceviche and ravioli were top notch. Personally, I found the bread a bit too big in size and would have found nice to have some butter or oil.

The chicken was very tasty, perfect. Potatoes (double baked) were good, but not exceptional. To my liking, but a bit too big floury. Asparagus were very crunchy - I loved them.

Cheese board was interesting, especially with the selection of jams and honey.

What I didn’t like was the cheesecake, which was not basque.

Having tried it in San Sebastián and in the basque countries, I’d say it takes much more than a burnt coat, to be able to call it basque. It was truly underwhelming and I really can’t justify 24 CHF. Blue cheese, leaky consistency, served slightly warm: this is what a basque cheesecake is normally. This would be closer to a NY one. And it’s important to specify this (I ordered it precisely because of the “basque” and “burnt”, otherwise I wouldn’t have).

Now, I am not sure I would go back but it was a nice try. Also what I should say (again, for the whole “experience package”) is that if you’re next to the open kitchen, it might be that you hear chefs talking. It’s not silent, and could be perceived as loud.

This doesn’t want to be critics, just an objective review of my experience having tried other Michelin...

It's sad to see a Michelin-starred restaurant transform into a place that no longer lives up to its status. Tonight marked our second and definitely last attempt. Isn't it obvious to the management that high bill set correspondingly high expectations?

A few months ago, during our first visit to Eden au Lac, we were served a dish with falling apart shrimp. Is this the new standard for a Michelin-starred restaurant? It's one thing to encounter dubious food at a fast food for a few francs, but entirely unacceptable in a high-standard restaurant. At that time, a waiter somewhat mitigated the situation with a complimentary glass of wine. However, that's hardly the point. We're not after freebies; we expect the quality of food and service that matches the price and reputation, and absolutely happy to pay for it.

Our visit tonight started well until we were served oxidised wine. This is not what one expects at such an esteemed place. We pointed this out, and the wine was replaced. But we felt compelled to ask the manager if they didn't have a sommelier to pre-check the wine. The response was baffling and appetite-diminishing: 'Our sommelier is ill today. Normally, I would taste the wine, but I'm on medication, so no one could.' The manager then simply walked away. It's absurd to think that customers should be identifying good and bad wine. While it's understandable that staff may fall ill, as a customer, I pay for the complete experience - food, service, and ambiance, or at least for a little more respect. If I wanted just decent food, I'd order delivery. I refuse to pay for your shortcomings. A bit more politeness and respect in handling such situations could go a long way. But today's response showed a lack of understanding. For the prices charged, you MUST manage these situations better and train your staff accordingly. I'm giving this a one-star rating for the management, because a zero isn't an option here unfortunately, but I urge you to interpret it as such

We wish you the best. We gave it a try, but it seems...

Perhaps if you dine out once a year or have never been to a Michelin starred restaurant, this place could be considered good. There were a couple of courses on our tasting menu that were tasty. However, the service here was atrocious. Let me start by saying the bartender refused to make a gin fizz because he was too busy. I thought his job was to make drinks? Our server, who was very nice, said he'd ask again later and sure enough, the bartender still declined. Why is it my problem as the guest that the bar is not staffed appropriately at a restaurant that is supposedly ranked above average? More ironic is that they had some sort of top 5 bartender in town - all those accolades and no one could figure out a basic cocktail yet it became my problem they were too busy to care about their guests.

Other than the bartender too conceited to make drinks for the restaurant, other basic steps of service missed:

Water was never refilled. The table was never crumbed. A course was set down by someone other than our server and she didn't tell us what it was. Our server came by a few minutes later when the seafood was cold and explained. Napkins were not folded when someone at the table left to use the restroom. Large gaps between finished courses as if no one could be bothered to wait on one of the two tables left in the entire restaurant. Our server and the kitchen staff were on their phones right by us. Might as well have a sign that says they have better things to do.

Maybe the entire staff was new or this restaurant relies solely on its location and view instead of talent. Either way, I'd recommend trying literally any other nicer restaurants (La Rotisserie, Maison Manesse, etc) in the area as this one only makes the list of most...