Strato

Immediate lift-off to the Strato-sphere! After orbiting the region (Couvert Couvert, Surlie, Meteor), Thomas De Somer has slipped into his finest gastronaut suit to steer this clean-cut vessel, combining walnut wood, travertine and steel, to new culinary heights. Four nights a week, as the clock strikes 7:30pm, the chef launches the countdown for his seven-course menu that duly explores the space-time continuum. The night we went? Crispy homemade spelt focaccia generously garnished with stracchino and a zhuzh of olive oil, as a prelude; incredibly tasty potato gratin doused in a rich bone marrow reduction; understated brined mackerel glistening with a blood orange vinaigrette, decked out with supremes of the same citrus fruit; a deceptively simple carrot and oak leaf salad, enlivened with walnut oil and a carrot juice and whey reduction; Breton scallops served with chanterelles from the Vosges and Belgian hazelnuts, all bathed in a dazzling scallop coral sauce – to be mopped up with sourdough fresh from the oven; explosively flavorful Kintoa pork neck and wild boar lasagna; before reaching the final frontier with some creamy buttermilk ice cream drizzled with honey, served with a freshly made waffle coiffed with apple compote. 11:30pm and that’s a wrap! // Jeanne Jaco

FEELING THIRSTY? Thomas has lined up a clever natural wine selection: Punte, a rare Piedmontese spumante (€15 per glass), Sanzves, a sangiovese from Tenuta Saiano in Emilia-Romagna (€50 per bottle), and Hiltrudis 2020, an Anjou chenin by Clément Poirel (€66). On top of that, there’s Acetyco non-alcoholic cider (€6 for 330 ml) and Dashing blood orange kombucha (€4.50 per glass).
PRICE: Tasting menu 69 € (seven courses).