Traveling solo in Lisbon and I have bit up all the michelin recommended and bib gourmands and have been throughly enjoying it. 1-1.5hr tops for dining experience and can be on my way. Prado, Oficio and carnal.
Edit: love the response, I’ve worked in 2-3 star iconic tasting menu restaurants for 15 years. This post was to highlight amazing affordable Á la carte and just shit on tasting menus a little bit. I kill for omakase and kaiseki but wanted to see if anyone else feels towards the long over blown tasting menus. Last great one was maaemo but even than at hour 4 and dessert 8 I was looking for any exit.
by johnmill1112
28 Comments
No
No
No
No.
If you don’t want to do a tasting menu, there are almost always many fine dining options which offer a la carte ordering.
At the moment I’m just over fine dining, more or less.
It comes and goes for me. When it’s good it’s great.
No
No
No
Nope.
No
are people doing tasting menus that often? i really prefer to save this stuff for special occasions to *really* enjoy it
i love when decisions are made for me actually haha
Plenty of great à la carte restaurants; plenty of great tasting menu restaurants. Dining has options for everyone, now more than ever.
I notice that almost all your posts are about steak. Of course your taste is better suited for an à la carte experience. That’s not the case for everyone. I usually personally prefer getting a varied selection of lighter and smaller dishes rather than sitting down with one meat entree. Some à la carte restaurants are suited for that (love a restaurant that will do half-portions), but usually that is a tasting menu.
I’m over mediocre restaurants, serving tasting menus and being unable to deliver a decent dining experience.
The plethora of one stars that have been added in the last 5 years along with the ridiculousness of the Michelin guide/bib.
There’s nothing wrong with the tasting menu, but if it’s not a la carte you better be able to deliver on your handful of dishes that you prepare.
I’m over excessively long tasting menus. I’m fine with 4-5 really good courses and 2-2.5 hours.
I am personally. I’d rather just choose. Unless it’s Single Thread or something immaculate.
I went to France in June and ate at three Michelin-starred restaurants in three days. I definitely felt “over” tasting menus and went to a döner kebab spot for dinner on the third day. It hit the spot like nothing else. But no, normally I don’t have so many tasting menus in a short timeframe. I had another in July and could go for one now.
The format is not the problem – the homogeneity of tasting menus that feel like they could’ve been plopped in any city that lack originality, sense of place, point of view (or a mix of these) that is proliferating in the fine dining space is giving me a little bit of fatigue. To the same token, when a place truly sticks out (tasting menu or not) it is more likely to win me over.
No.
I recent ate at Corridor 109 in LA and Cesar in NYC and thought they were both exceptional.
If you have a flat experience it hurts more because you spent a lot of money and time to not be blown away.
I’m at the point where I cook all my meals except for a tasting-menu outing.
Good tasting menus? No
Bad tasting menus? Was never into it
The pork pie thing looks nice.
If your steak is too juicy and lobster too buttery, it’s time to take a break from fine dining (or certain types of it).
Losing your appreciation happens. But it is going to distort your perception. You’ll reach a point where you’re “numb” and don’t know what you’re even looking for anymore. Sometimes people then blame it on the chefs for not doing enough to give them a dopamine high.
But that’s just to speak generally about the opinions we sometimes see floating around in this sub. Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed yourself in Lisbon!
no, but it depends on the restaurant
« tasting menu » and « omakase » have become marketing buzzwords used inappropriately for wannabe fine dining establishments to do poorly executed menus
i still enjoy going to new ones, but very few stand out, so much repetition, and service at them (especially 3 stars) can feel so impersonal and rehearsed. definitely over the 3+ hour menus, and appreciate when restaurants offer a shorter menu/à la carte/coursed or shorter lunch option.
Everyone in these comments is answering for themselves, but the answer in general is, yes, there are plenty of people who are over tasting menus. It’s a pretty common view among pro food writers. Pete Wells notoriously is one, check out this discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/finedining/comments/1b29pt7/pete_wells_is_getting_sick_of_generic_global_fine/
Khushbu Shah (ex-Food & Wine magazine) also: https://khushbushah.substack.com/p/what-if-we-just-got-rid-of-fine-dining