Four of us went there last night for dinner. Arriving about 8:30, we stayed 'til Midnight . . . enjoying a most enjoyable evening of food, beverages, & conversation. We had a "banquette" style table at street side of the restaurant, and as one of my guests said, "I wish I had the pillow concession here!" They were abundantly found -- very attractive with bold, very wide stripes of white & deep red colors and not overstuffed -- we felt like Pashas in a scene from an Ottoman feast.
The "starter" concept contemplates that people will share a few items, & the waiter ("Pierre") likened it to having tapas. Well . . . that was far from the case. We had the evening's starter "special" -- fettuccine in garlic, white wine, & grated Parmesan cheese -- and some Ratatouille. Not small in size, at all . . . with a small salad, the two starters could have been dinner for four. AND, they were out-of-the-world delicious. Not to be deterred, however, we launched into main courses . . . I had the veal chop, medium rare; one guest had moulles (a huge bowl . . . more than he could finish). Others had sea bass & a bowl of seafood pasta. There also was a shared plate of perfectly cooked fresh asparagus, drizzled in a very light walnut oil.
We shared two desserts . . . one was called "Alicia." It was a layered confection served in a large round glass -- looking something like a small goldfish bowl. Custard, cake, & fruit. Light & airy. The second dessert was a chocolate item . . . dark, dark, dense chocolate that melted in the mouth. We stopped short of licking the plate!
Wines -- two bottles of white, one red -- were great, and contrary to fears of "sticker shock," they were priced similarly to wines at other high-end SBH restaurants. The after dinner offering was a clear liqueur from Greece, "Mastiha." It was chilled & almost seemed to have ice crystals in it.
One thing that has been commented upon by others . . . the music. Yes, it did get loud about 11 PM. Quite loud. I must say, however, that by that time, we hardly noticed, apart from a growing sense of being in a beautiful "club." Some part of which sense clearly came from the table next to us -- a "bevy" of glamorous YOUNG blonde women, most of whom seemed to have forgotten their skirts (or their costumes somehow were truncated as they came off the yacht). (Did I mention the 50-ish, bald yacht owner (?) who was their host?). It could have been a "New Yorker" cover parody of SBH.)
All in all . . . it was a fun experience, as well as excellent food. Our bill for the evening was not "over the moon" -- probably about like Orega, the night before. Owner Pascal spent a bit of time talking with us . . . he's returning today to Monaco for a couple of weeks. His assessment of their first season was very upbeat . . . so I think we'll see La Guerite again next year.
Not a place for everyone . . . far from staid. Food, however, was excellent, and the ambiance was a happy, mature scene and a side of SBH that I rarely see. I'm pleased to report that it's worthy of a visit . . . you even may like it (as I did).
The "starter" concept contemplates that people will share a few items, & the waiter ("Pierre") likened it to having tapas. Well . . . that was far from the case. We had the evening's starter "special" -- fettuccine in garlic, white wine, & grated Parmesan cheese -- and some Ratatouille. Not small in size, at all . . . with a small salad, the two starters could have been dinner for four. AND, they were out-of-the-world delicious. Not to be deterred, however, we launched into main courses . . . I had the veal chop, medium rare; one guest had moulles (a huge bowl . . . more than he could finish). Others had sea bass & a bowl of seafood pasta. There also was a shared plate of perfectly cooked fresh asparagus, drizzled in a very light walnut oil.
We shared two desserts . . . one was called "Alicia." It was a layered confection served in a large round glass -- looking something like a small goldfish bowl. Custard, cake, & fruit. Light & airy. The second dessert was a chocolate item . . . dark, dark, dense chocolate that melted in the mouth. We stopped short of licking the plate!
Wines -- two bottles of white, one red -- were great, and contrary to fears of "sticker shock," they were priced similarly to wines at other high-end SBH restaurants. The after dinner offering was a clear liqueur from Greece, "Mastiha." It was chilled & almost seemed to have ice crystals in it.
One thing that has been commented upon by others . . . the music. Yes, it did get loud about 11 PM. Quite loud. I must say, however, that by that time, we hardly noticed, apart from a growing sense of being in a beautiful "club." Some part of which sense clearly came from the table next to us -- a "bevy" of glamorous YOUNG blonde women, most of whom seemed to have forgotten their skirts (or their costumes somehow were truncated as they came off the yacht). (Did I mention the 50-ish, bald yacht owner (?) who was their host?). It could have been a "New Yorker" cover parody of SBH.)
All in all . . . it was a fun experience, as well as excellent food. Our bill for the evening was not "over the moon" -- probably about like Orega, the night before. Owner Pascal spent a bit of time talking with us . . . he's returning today to Monaco for a couple of weeks. His assessment of their first season was very upbeat . . . so I think we'll see La Guerite again next year.
Not a place for everyone . . . far from staid. Food, however, was excellent, and the ambiance was a happy, mature scene and a side of SBH that I rarely see. I'm pleased to report that it's worthy of a visit . . . you even may like it (as I did).