When I happen on a fabulous establishment accepting reservations for one, I treat myself to a set menu.
If the chef himself has selected your courses, the experience combines all the charm of surprise with the certainty of excellence.
In Vaduz, the finest hotel invites guests to the restaurant Marée, where the waiters greeted me with the warmth of long-time friends. Neither did the menu disappoint.
The five course meal opened with a bite-sized bonus: a square of perfectly crisped potato, adorned in plum sauce. As Marée is celebrating seafood this week, the advertised dishes all drew from the waves: a smoked salmon swimming in citrus, lobster bisque spiced with Thai savors, a delicate turbot bedded on cream, and seared seabass on a cushion of carrots.
For dessert, I ruminated over shavings of pastry and candied orange under a cover of ice cream.
The meal ended with a cup of chamomile and a final flourish: a puff bursting with chocolate cream.
I strolled home, wishing only that the sun hadn’t already set. Saturday morning I would be hailing the mountain peaks, but for tonight only the stars and sweet memories accompanied me.
