If you take the amuse bouche as a benchmark for the gastronomic standard, then the new team at Bern's "Essort" sets the bar pretty high: a wafer-thin, crispy tartelette filled with onions and mushrooms, served with a roasted vegetable espuma with a spicy-sour yuzu-jalapeño gel. Ben and Sara Jann took over the restaurant in the historic building of the former US embassy at the beginning of July. With the support of a young kitchen team - the average age is apparently under 20 - and remarkably brisk staff, they serve a tasty tasting menu with wine accompaniment that impresses with its creative compositions. The trout ceviche with pea puree, calamansi sorbet, forest herbs and cucumber essence is a wonderfully refreshing start on a warm summer evening. In the tortellini with parmesan and broccoli filling, lemon foam and beurre noisette, the apricot pieces provide an interesting twist with a slightly sour note. The flatiron steak - replaced in the vegetarian version by a crispy cauliflower tempura that you really shouldn't miss - is cooked to perfection and comes with young rosemary potatoes, bush beans, chanterelles and peach chutney. For dessert, the combination of chocolate cream, cherries, elderberry yoghurt ice cream, yuzu and dill sounds daring but it works surprisingly well. Ben and Sara Jann organize the "Wine & Dine" event series several times a year and dedicate them to selected themes or wine regions. The "Essort" has once again become a must-visit restaurant for Bernese gourmets.
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