Ametsa with Arzak Instruction

This restaurant is well laid out and organised, they remind you of your reservation by phone and are very accommodating for dietary needs. Indeed all the staff were delightfully charming and courteous. Nevertheless, the ceiling is a bit of an eye-​sore (test tubes full of different dull colours) but at least there’s an acceptable reason behind their being there (they are to signify the restaurant’s connection to their origins in Spain where they actually have a lab to concoct a whole variety of spices).
As for the food and drink, it does have to be said that the 5-​course taster menu is not that filling and the price for still water (£5) seems a little extortionate. However, the bread (available in white and brown with pumpkin seeds and served with olive oil) is certainly very pleasant and fresh, the scallops are well cooked and suitably complimented with vinaigrette flavour, the egg is masterfully poached and the pouring of more yolk on top is an original touch, whilst the monkfish confetti is wonderfully creative with confetti pieces made of edible souces. So although I can’t shake the feeling that Ametsa does lack that extra special something, on the whole it does excel in its food and service and is well worth a visit.

It’s amazing that the two best meals of my life have come from kitchens where Juan Mari and Elena have been involved. Ametsa was absolutely stunning from the décor to the service to the artful presentations and most importantly to the food.
We opted for the tasting menu and absolutely loved the opportunity to pick our fish and meat courses which gave us the feel of a tasting menu but with some control as well. The amuse bouche was a work of art as were the paint-​like smears and arrangements of each plate. The scallop was amazing was was the sea bass and monk fish.
Finishing off with the big truffle was amazing and the interactive part of that dish (I won’t spoil it) was really fun and creative.
Overall — top notch, i couldn’t have imagined the meal being any better.

Superbe restaurant, des plats audacieux et une belle recherché culinaro-​artistique. A tester absolument si vous avez le budget, mais cela vaut bien de faire l’impasse sur quelques cochonneries locales pour s’offrir un beau moment dans cet endroit.

I would have given them 4 stars but will give them 5 because of the absolutely great service. They were firing on all cylinders the evening we went.
4 stars because the food while good, was not Arzak-​good (no offense meant to the chef). Noticed a couple of Arzak staples make an appearance during the courses, which was nice. I particularly liked the cold tomato and strawberry soup — very innovative. And the seafood appetizers and entrees were pretty good too — especially the one with the plankton and prawn cracker. Would recommend the tasting menu. Arzak is playful with eggs and Ametsa had their own version of a slow-​cooked egg. The staff did a good job of explaining each course and even the ingredients and cooking techniques. Timing of the service was perfect, temperature of food was perfect, plating and presentation were world-​class, near-​perfect execution of concepts — couldn’t find a fault!
I would go again for a special occasion. Freely recommend this.

After enjoying a number of high end restaurants during our trip to London, we were still blown away by the sophistication of the food at Ametsa. Firstly we were able to get a last minute reservation which is a big plus. Secondly, the service was just impeccable. And lastly, the food experience was absolutely exquisite, with the combination of different tastes, spices and creative masterpieces. We are going to St. Sabastian this summer so this was a great preparation for the best of the best of the Spanish cuisine with a modern twist. Highly recommend the lunch tasting menu.

Amazing tapas and great price.
Set menu £27.90 the service it’s really good, the food it’s nice, the ambiance very quiet.
Definitely come back!

This is a «thoughtful» restaurant.
Not sure if it’s the southern/​Spanish hospitality, but the thoughtful service of the Restaurant was what really stood out.
The prefix 3 course lunch is more like
7 course including 3 tapas as appetizers, one delicious main entrée, dessert and tea and additional
small bite desserts.
I haven’t seen the Michelin star in the restaurant but I’d believe it if they said they had one.
Great hospitality and delicious food and great overall experience here.

Excellent place. Location, atmosphere, service, food. Ohhhh the food. My husband and I had the dinner a la carte’ menu instead of the tasting menu.
Frankly I don’t remember all what we ate — between the three amuse-​bouches and bread and olive oil I was already a fan before our ordered appetizers and mains were served. What I can tell you is that the scorpion fish cake is to die for and the scallops are so perfectly cooked I was in absolute foodie heaven.
I had the John Dory fish as my main which was delightful. My husband had the lamb with beer and the presentation was fabulous. Dessert was chocolate-​y. Again, I don’t remember what we ordered (and it’s not listed on the website menu) but I do remember it had chocolate, it was sinful, and it was astoundingly tasty.
These people care about their food and the dining experience of the patrons. I would absolutely recommend this place and would go back again.

How can you not have a high expectation — Arzak of San Sebastian to come to London… the truth is it is good but not mind blowing… and somehow, they fail to build a buzz in London so it is quite empty.
Having said that, the setting is nice but it is amazing to have so much space (as the restaurant was quite empty when I visited) in Central London. The dinning room is facing a nice little courtyard and it feels quite bright and private.
Food is great — but once again, it is not mid blowing as what you would expect from the world culinary institution.
Worth trying at least onece — I believe they have a nice lunch special so could try then if you are not willing to spend too much just to try out.

Located in the Halkin hotel in a very upscale part of London next to Hyde Park station Ametsa was in an upscale part of London. The interior was smaller than expected which gave it a more comfortable setting, and not too formal. As grand as the place looked with the white finish and bright interior I wasn’t a big fan of the spices hanging down from the ceiling in what resembled very much like test-​tubes. But it stood out and made it’s statement.
I always imagined a Michelin star restaurant to be one of those places you dress up for, eat politely and served by robots behaving in the same manner. However Ametsa was a place made to feel welcome, staff friendly, offering exceptional service with a laid back informal attitude. It’s how I like service to be but unfortunately not many Michelin star restaurants I have been to have given me this level of comfort. We even spoke to our waiter about it and he agreed it is what they inspire their restaurant to be like, a fine restaurant with no dress code to welcome everyone.
For £25 a set lunch menu per person, the prices were reasonable especially for the quality and the variety of dishes listed. You were given four tapas dishes by default with two options of mains to choose from. As it was me and my boyfriend we opted for one of each so we got to taste everything offered on the set lunch menu.
Complimentary bread and olive were given to start the meal. The bread was quite average, denser than usual but it was the high quality of olive oil that made it memorable, very light and fruity with no cloying aftertaste at all.
Soon arrived the four tapas dishes, presented beautifully. They were all given small explanations of what they were by our waiter before completing one of the dishes, the mackerel pumpkin soup by pouring the broth over the delicate pressed piece of flaked mackerel. I really enjoyed this soup before mixing the mackerel with the broth. The fishy taste was quite subtle and I enjoyed the sweet and citrusy combination from the mandarin. Maybe it wasn’t until I was near finish when I mixed the mackerel with the broth was when the dish became too fishy for my liking and I didn’t enjoy the texture of the mackerel against my smooth velvety soup. It was a very nice pumpkin soup though, light and in a good consistency.
The highlight dish of the day were definitely the balls of squid in its own ink. They were melting soft and minimal chewing was required. It had light seasoning which allowed its flavour to shine through, just in its own ink to provide that creamy component.
I also really enjoyed the red pepper. They had a good soft textural element and the tomato sauce provided great warmth and creamy to compliment the dish which would have been missing otherwise.
The final dish being the Iberico ham plate is not usually what I would go for just because I’m not a big fan of cured ham. The pan con tomate wasn’t the best I’ve had, bread slightly dry and a bit too crisp to compliment the more tougher ham. They could have been more generous with the tomatoes for more flavour against the cured ham and for moisture. However for a person who doesn’t like cured ham the Iberico ham itself was more successful. Finally a cured ham that is not overpowered with salt so it loses its flavour. The texture was perfect, paper thin, lean which meant it was easily chewable.
After a reasonable wait the mains followed all deliciously presented. Unfortunately the duck confit was slightly disappointing as it was slightly dry and lacked that tenderness that a duck cooked in its own fat should have. Although the texture of the duck was at fault the flavours really compromised. Who would have thought that an apple puréed that tasted like a sweet sorbet on its own could compliment a duck so well. The sweet yet slightly acidity of the sauce really added flavour to the duck and the contrast in sweet and the savoury sauce really did the dish justice alongside the roasted chestnut too.
But the second main being the hake with green basil hit was a delight to ingest. The hake here was just slipping off my tongue, soft, flakey with a nice crisp caramelisation on top from a good sear. The whole dish was very moist and made even more so by the light green basil sauce which also enhanced its flavour. The side dish of risotto was very moreish, cooked al dente giving a lovely texture.
We ended our lovely meal with tea, coffee and petit fours which was part of the set menu. The petit fours came as a truffle, jelly and marshmallow. As simple as the dish looked it was actually more sophisticated. The truffle was delicious, rich and silky. It paired well with the marshmallow very foamy with a creamy touch. Wasn’t a big fan of the jelly sweet which was more spongy than usual and I didn’t feel it went well with the truffle. But still it was a nice finishing touch to such an enjoyable meal.
Ametsa would be a place I would return to for a good value Spanish tapas meal. A great lunch experience.

After having the most amazing dinner at Arzak in San Sebastian, we were excited to try Amesta. The ambiance was modern with a unique ceiling that included 7000 tiny glass bottles filled with spices. The service was friendly enough but in comparison to Arzak, lacked some personality.
Actually in general, the whole experience and the meal lacked excitement. Although our food was fine, there was nothing that ooohed and awwwed us. Hopefully this father daughter Arzak team can provide some more inspiration and give Amesta the same prestige as Arzak.
Vegetables and Roots
Oysters Ametsa
Lamb with beer
Seabass with garlic emulsion and fried vegetables
Clove custard, toasted milk, and pineapple ice cream

I was brought here after a recommendation from our hotel concierge whose husband is a chef and it did not disappoint. Some reviewers did not care for the very hands on service but most high end restaurants I’ve been to do take great care to change the cutlery and fill drinks every few mins and I think that’s part of the experience, so I didn’t mind.
The food was the right mix of molecular gastronomy, clever and playful presentation and flavors for my pallette. I ordered the beef with red wine foam sauce, it was tender and delicate. I also tried my father’s grouse which I’ve never had before but it was not gamey at all and was quite nice.
The best part by far were the unexpected small bites that were presented before our main course. They were more of a work of art than food, presented on unusual plating in a playful arrangment. I normally am pretty picky but I tired reach one even the sea urchin and loved every bite, which was good to get out of my comfort zone. The dessert was to die for as well, we tried the pineapple ice cream with custard, delish. I’m planning to come back to the bar to try the tapas soon which I’ve also heard are very good.

Ametsa with Arzak Instruction (let’s call it AWAI) is one of the newest «designed for a Michelin star» restaurants to hit London. It’s the brainchild of Chef Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena who boast 3 such stars at Arzak in San Sebastian. However, neither of these brilliant chefs are actually at AWAI and sadly it shows.
There is an a la carte menu, but let’s be honest, you’re coming here for the tasting menu which should showcase the best the restaurant has to offer. And for £105, the best had better be just that. On paper, it looks like it might live up to your hopes and dreams with such playful yet mysterious named dishes such as «Scallops with Betacarotene» and «From Egg to Chicken» although the «Pigeon with Shot» did start to raise a few concerns. All items are listed in Spanish with an English translation below to let you know where AWAI hails from — just in case the heavy Iberian accents from the staff didn’t give it away.
Overall, the food was good but fell short of the high standard any £100+ menu should aspire to. Some of the dishes had that feel of trying to be fancy with simple ingredients (as Noma does with great success) but falling short on execution. Perhaps our fine dining club was spoiled by the first visit to Texture, but I think it’s more likely that we’ve all had some great meals and refuse to settle for anything less. Given that Ametsa has changed a number of the courses on the tasting menu in the 2 months since it opened, I don’t think they are quite happy with it either.
The cocktails mentioned earlier are a good, but the real value lies in the wine flights (3 glasses for £15) and the wine pairing (£45). The wines were delicious on their own but played off the bold flavours of the food fantastically. Plus, they keep refilling your glass until the next wine pairing comes along — bonus wine = win in my book.
As a quick recap, my pre-​dinner cocktail clocked in at £18 (Van Winkle Old Fashioned), the tasting menu was a hefty £105, and the wine pairing added another £45 for a grand total of £168 before we worry about service charge. At that level, it’s a bit of a toss up — I’d estimate the food to be overpriced, the wine under priced, and the cocktails on the higher side but not unreasonable. In hindsight, I think th

What can be better than traveling to the foodie haven of San Sebastian for 3 Michelin star food? Well, it’s better if said 3 Michelin starred restaurant opens an outpost in London!
It was therefore with an air of anticipation that the Unilocal Fine Dining Club made our 3^rd meeting a dinner at Ametsa, set up and overseen by the daughter half of the 3 Michelin starred father-​daughter team at the eponymous Arzak restaurant in northern Spain
The restaurant certainly had a sleek, modern and minimalist air to it with the ceiling dominated by vials of different spices projecting downwards. A special mention must also go to the cool crockery and serving dishes which accompanied our meal
Service was odd and I feel a little bad in mentioning it as the Spanish staff were keen to please, putting in the little Michelin star touches like refolding napkins for guests leaving the table and accompanying guests almost to the toilet door. However, we were initially seemingly ignored for about half an hour after being given menus and I eventually had to ask to order our meal. They were also super keen to clear the table as soon as possible and I had to actually retrieve one of my drinks, which hadn’t been finished when it was removed from the table. We also had to ask twice for drinks that we ordered after waiting about half an hour for them to arrive
Onto the food itself. Look at the website pictures and an image is conjured of molecular tricks delivering a palate of bewitching flavour surprises and fun techniques. At £105, I was expecting firework, especially with the backing of Arzak’s 3 Michelin star knowledge
Before the meal itself, we were offered bread and olive oil. When Andrew M enquired what sort of bread it was, he was told it was ‘white’ and ‘brown’. Hmmm…
An assortment of little canapes/​amuse bouches started off the meal. A bite of foie gras on a cracker lacked depth. The chorizo in mango also lacked punch. A bite of scorpionfish wrapped in kataifi pastry was pleasant but again could have done with something like a twist of lime to lift it. My final bite of fish in rice cracker was again amorphous
Alarm bells were starting to ring that perhaps, more boldness in flavouring would be welcome in the food. The next dish of scallops with beta carotene sheets and salad had been featured on the website but the orange sheets looked orange but tasted of nothing and the salad was dry — some dressing would have been welcome. The texture of the scallop was almost like Chinese fishball rather than being sweet, moreish and with crusty edges from searing in the pan
My favourite dish of the evening arrived next. Prawns with a ragout of sweetcorn was at last punchy with corn flavour and lent texture with an over-​generous heap of crispy noodles
The egg to chicken was a disappointing mess of runny poached egg, bits of crispy skin and an under-​seasoned chicken broth
Monkfish came next. It was competently cooked but a bit boring. Some technically interesting red onion paper did have umami flavour but my palate had already perhaps fallen asleep at this stage
Next was another dish whose photo featured on the website. Pigeon with round blobs of purple (potato), orange (squash) and silver (vinaigrette) on the plate. I liked the sous vided pigeon but there was nothing else on the plate to excite
The next dish of cubes containing a citrus liquid were supposed to represent moon rocks but the sweet sugary powder made it all too sweet
The penultimate dish perhaps best sums up the meal. Some fruit (not cooked but just laid out as if just removed from supermarket packets) were accompanied by a small glass of red stuff. With the pouring in of some dry ice, it spectacularly erupted like a volcano onto the plate and the glass was removed. It was a visual treat but once you got over the bubbles, you were left with a pile of under-​ripe fruit. Froth with no substance
The last dish of French toast which was a postage stamp sized piece of nice flavour at last couldn’t save the meal
At £105, there are many many much better value meals in town which taste a lot better. I was sorely disappointed at the lack of flavour in so many of the dishes. What a shame