When it comes to short, European city breaks U just can’t get enough of them. I love London but there is something exciting about jumping on a plane (or train) and arriving somewhere completely different in little more than an hour. If you’re an avid reader of my site (of course you are) you’ll know I do love a long weekend in Maastricht, but with Ryanair having recently stopping flying their – I’ve been looking for a new town to feast in and Eindhoven may just become that. It takes only 45 minutes from Stansted Airport with Ryanair which is perfect as Maastricht is only a mere one hour away on the train – the only problem is I didn’t expect to quite like Eindhoven just as much as I did.
After a some careful research I came across a relatively new addition to Eindhoven, Zarzo. And let me tell you, it’s something very special indeed. The restaurants one major downfall though is its location. If you’re staying in the centre of town you’ll most likely take a walk through the main high street and cross a bridge. This same area near the bridge from early evening turns into something you’d most likely see on an episode of Sunny Beach. Booze, partying and lots of frolicking. Once you scramble your way through it all (and again after dinner) the tranquil terrace perched over a lovely canal is well worth it.
Opened little more than a year ago the restaurant is the named after its owner, Adrian Zarzo. Adrian first made a name for himself at the legendary three Michelin starred De Librije in Zwolle and with quite the reputation of respected sommelier, he really knows his wines. Adrian’s roots are from Spain and he subtly injects it into his cooking which makes for a wonderful and world-class cuisine with at sometimes some unusual combinations which thankfully seem to work.
After my dining companion decided to abuse the sun that lunchtime and get heat stroke I ended up dining here at Zarzo alone and discovered my own company wasn’t half as bad as I’d expected. Outside next to the canal we(I) started with a glass of cava and some of the best Pata Negra ham I’ve eaten for some time. Enough for two people, there was a lot of it – especially seeing as I was sitting here on my own.
Drinks reception outside on the terrace couldn’t have continued any better with some de-headed rose stems replaced with fresh and zingy baby pickled beetroot, mini meringue and lovely lingering aniseed flavour. It certainly got the taste buds flowing and was shortly followed with an iced cucumber refresher which i sadly ate quicker than my camera could escape from my pocket.
Amuse bouches carried on with a kind of sticky mousey cheesy hollandaise mixture, topped with a potent orange gel, sesame and a layer of keynoir at the bottom. I had the unfortunate task of having to eat both of all our amuses bouches but this one – I could have eaten plenty more of.
Tasty, but least exciting was baby gem iceberg lettuce topped with crispy chicken and parmesan, all oozing with oil and chicken juice – it was almost close to being a glorified, and downsized chicken caesar salad. If I’d been served a full size version of this in my local upscale cafe I’d have been a very happy man but here – it didn’t quite fit in.
Once I’d eaten my weight in amuse bouches and drunk my stomach size in Cava I made my way downstairs to my table. A stunningly modern room with that oh so trendy industrial look, exposed copper pipes and filament lighting – much like my living room, I loved it. Rustic warm farmhouse style bread, delicious butter and a large piece of freshly cook brioche were all excellent. I’m a real believer that above anything a restaurant serves the bread is the most important. It’s normally the first impressions you have and if it’s not good then it is either a sign of something worse to come – or they should be serving something else. I also need to mention the olive oil I had on the table because it was outstanding, its name LAGRIMA.
Gorgeous translucent monkfish with knotweed, sprinkling of keynoir a little olive oil and white asparagus was one of the tastiest things I’d eaten while in Eindhoven. Dutch white asparagus has just come into season and it’s served in practically every single restaurant we went to. Mixed with smoked diced ham it’s quite often served as an amuse bouche before meals. Here there was thankfully no more smoked ham but instead a plate of the purest and freshest ingredients which made for an amazing part of the meal.
Thickly sliced boiled white bacon served with potato, foam, and roe was the heaviest dish of my dinner – but a beautiful one. I can’t remember the last time i ate boiled meat but the slow cooking of it meant for soft slices with fat that solidifies in the mouth. Everything had a real richness to it and that little helping of fish roe just moulded it all together.
Feeling full at this point was an understatement, I was experiencing that British term of ‘feeling like a beached whale’ – a very drunk one too. The last time I ate goat was at a Jamaican pop-up in Clapham but Zarzo have managed to reinvent the strongly flavoured meat and turn it into something mesmerising. Slow cooked to produce a tender and stringy piece of meat and a little crunch on the top. Courgette flowers, cucumber and celery mash with shavings of radish and a light sauce made for what could have been a heavy dish. But instead was a very light and refreshing one – yet still with that level of comfort food feeling and looked fantastic on the plate.
I’d consumed far too much wine at this point, which generally in my case means a very successful evening. And drawing in close to the end of it all was this outstanding deconstructed creme brulee. The dish arrives with a small spoonful of cinnamon rich sauce and the vanilla custard sauce then poured over the top. The crunchy sugar spherical disc is then carefully arranged on top at your table with a final grating of lime zest. Lingering notes of juniper stayed on the tongue along with the good helping of cinnamon. Being deconstructed aside – it was the best creme brulee I’ve ever eaten.
My beached whale state and alcohol intake continued as so with a final encounter of sherry and a 10-year-old port before tucking in to petit fours. Kumquat tart, madeline, homemade chocolate, local biscuit, berry tart and a chewy toffee. An impressive, if not lavish selection of petit fours all perfectly made. Despite my lonely meal for one, eating an astonishing array of dishes – the food was so impressive I quickly forgot I was dining by myself. The service was second to none, with most of the chefs and waiters looking as though they’d walked off the Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture cat walk. Zarzo is a world-class restaurant which I only hope gets the Michelin Star it deserves. If you’re in the area, or in fact even if you’re not – just go. You’ll love every second of it, just as much as I did.
9/10
