RestoDays - March 2019

RestoDays is a culinary event which takes place about three times a year in Luxembourg and Belgium. A number of high quality and renowned restaurant, such as Ma Langue Sourit, Hostellerie Du Grünewald, Fani or TwoSixTwo, offer set, 3-course menus for lunch and dinner at very attractive prices, ranging from 26 Euros to 41 Euros for lunch and 33 Euros to 48 Euros for dinner. The price depends on the rating the restaurant has achieved in the GaultMillau guide, meaning a score out of 20. There are also a few participating restaurants which have a Michelin star. These menus are the most expensive. The price policy is very transparent and there are no hidden costs. The list of participating restaurants varies with each event.

Booking a table and time slot is very easy and convenient. All table bookings are handled by the instant booking system of the RestoDays website and you will immediately receive a confirmation of your booking. I would advise you to subscribe to their newsletter. They will inform you when a new event is about to be launched and you will also get early access to booking tables, which is important as tables in some restaurants go fast. During the actual RestoDays you might receive a couple of e-mails but for the rest of the time, they are not spamming your inbox, which I really appreciate.

The concept has been very successful running for quite some time now. More and more restaurants have been participating and people have been very gladly using this opportunity to try these renowned and often more expensive restaurants. I am also one of these people. When I go out for food I usually do not want to spend more than 18 Euros for a vegetarian dish and about 24 Euros for a meat or fish dish. However, many quality restaurants in Luxembourg have menu prices for main dishes starting in the high twenties and up to almost 40 Euros. So, this is a great opportunity to venture out and try restaurants which might otherwise be off-limit price-wise.

As I already said, the menus are set, they are usually 3 courses and the customer often has a choice between two options for each course. For me personally and probably some more people out there, that's the set-back. Oftentimes you have a meat and fish option but not a vegetarian option. I think in all the years that I have been following RestoDays, there were only a couple occasions where a restaurant had proposed a vegetarian main course. Vegetarian first courses are more common. Though this is certainly also due to demand, I do hope that some restaurants might be more courageous in the future and actually propose more vegetarian main dishes.

Another observation I have made, is that often times, restaurants like to include certain special or trendy ingredients. Duck foie gras or scallops are examples of such ingredients, which are not always popular with some people. This time around I found many restaurants had included "perfectly boiled eggs" on their menus. So, though there is quite a large number of participating restaurant from a variety of cuisines, it is not always easy to find a set menu which appeals to me and to both, Chris and I.

For this edition my choice was Restauberge Pèitry. I feel that their set menus are usually being kept approachable, down to earth but very refined. Scoring 13/20 in the Gault&Millau, Pèitry serves a varied menu with Luxembourgian and as well as original dishes, based on fresh, seasonal, local quality products. They also always offer vegetarian options on their à la carte menu and vegan options are available upon requests. The restaurant is set in the Moselle region of Luxembourg and is housed in an old barn building which has been renovated with care, preserving the charming nature of the old building.

We have been to Pèitry once before, last year, for our anniversary dinner, as the restaurant we had initially booked, let us down. You can read all about the experience here:

If I would have to rate that first evening according to my rating system, I would give it a 10 out of 10 and consequently, all other restaurants which I try, have to measure up to this experience.

As starter, we had a choice between a poached egg with mushrooms and warm mayonnaise with truffles as well as a smoked, creamy burrata with tomatoes and a sorbet of balsamic vinegar. Easy choice. I love cheese and Chris is not the biggest fan of truffles, so, we both went for the burrata.

It was exquisite. The burrata was a delight, due to it being smoked, the core was no longer liquid but extremely creamy and had a nice and not too overwhelming smoky flavor. Different kinds of tomato, as well as a cold tomato gazpacho, complemented the cheese. Contrasting these ingredients was an actual balsamic vinegar sorbet, well-balanced and not too cold, it melted right in with the other flavors. We dipped in with some bread and enjoyed every single bite of it.

For the main course Pèitry was offering grilled veal with asparagus, potato gratin, sweet potato and a bourbon sauce, which was right up Chris´ alley. Though, he would have liked a bit of a bigger portion, Chris really enjoyed the dish. The veal was very tender, perfectly cooked and the sauce had a nice bourbon taste. A classic dish but very refined in flavor and execution.

The second option, my choice, was cod with a peanut-citrus-fruit-crust, pak choi, mashed potatoes and a spiced sauce. When I tasted the dish, it reminded me so much of our vacation in Bali. Balinese cuisine incorporates a lot of peanut sauce and (tiny) limes, both of which I love, and it brought me right back to when we were staying at the Mahagiri Villas in Sanur. Perfect velvety mashed potatoes and the nicely cooked fish with its crunchy crust were served with a mix of Asian vegetables, which were seasoned with soy sauce. All in all, a surprising dish to find at Pèitry, showcasing their kitchen's international culinary skills.

The desert selection consisted of a variety of cheeses with chutney and dried fruits as well as a chocolate dessert with pear, hazelnuts and a scoop of milk jam ice cream. The cheese selection was great, made up of a variety of mild and strong as well as cow and sheep milk cheeses. It was very tasty and a delight for all cheese lovers and it came with a little bread basket on the side.

Nonetheless, the little chocolate pyramid was unquestionably the more stunning dessert, made with chocolate mousse and filled with pear, it was surprisingly light and fluffy. The ice cream and pear compote at the bottom, complemented the chocolate very well. Overall, the sweet pear with the slightly bittersweet chocolate mousse made a flavorful pairing and was a great conclusion of the menu.

All in all, the three course menu cost 38 Euros per person. If I would rate this culinary experience, I would give it an 8 out of 10. They create some amazing dishes at Pèitry's and it is a great restaurant for special occasions and date nights. They also have a great sommelier, with a very dry sense of humor, who can help you find the perfect wine for the occasion. Though their prices are up there, the quality and culinary know-how are undeniable. If you are not sure about going all out, RestoDays might be a good opportunity for you to give it a try.

The 19th edition of RestoDays has now officially come to an end, but I am already very much looking forward to the next one, which will be coming in June 2019. As I already said, the best way to stay up to date is to subscribe to their newsletter or follow them on their social media. I truly hope that the next edition might tempt you to try out a new restaurant or a different type of cuisine. So, whether you would like to venture a bit out of your culinary comfort zone or treat yourself and your loved ones to a great food experience, RestoDays is a concept I can only recommend.