A spot of lunch at Lea Linster
Not only has she won numerous awards, but Lea Linster's restaurant also holds one of Luxembourg's Michelin stars. Having caught wind of the fact that her son has been following closely in her footsteps, I was intrigued to see what Louis Linster was bringing to the table.As Sundays are usually quiet in the Grand Duchy, I like to save fine-dining adventures for the day of rest so that we can really take our time and enjoy the meal. On this occasion, we dined with the whole family, including grandparents and our 14 month old baby. Unsuprisingly, it's not the most baby friendly restaurant, but our little one enjoyed it and the kitchen put together some simple pasta with butter for her! Do be aware that they don't have baby-changing facilities though.
The SettingLocated in Frisange, the restaurant sits on a beautiful green field, facing huge barrels of hay. Set in such natural and urban surroundings, the whole experience will feel like an escape from the city. You'll notice that there is a calming water fountain as you enter too. With open and spacious views, this is definitely a restaurant for all seasons.The DecorThe style is sophisticated minimalism, think white walls and white tablecloths and the occasional piece of artwork. It has the classic set up of a fine-dining restaurant, the team at the restaurant are all dressed formally, all kitted out with masks and gloves too. Due to covid, I believe the tables were more spaced out than usual. There is attention to detail, and everything from the cutlery to the furniture has been carefully selected and I have to say, I loved the modern artwork and the overall youthful look of the restaurant.The Atmosphere Despite the fact that I loved the decor, we really felt like that something about the ambience was lacking. The restaurant was at full capacity but there is a real sense that guests are a little afraid to speak or laugh too loudly. There are so many fine dining restaurants all over the world which have managed to create ambience whilst maintaining it's formal michelin star appeal, perhaps it is missing a little background music or the staff need to be a little more at ease to put the guests at ease?If you are dining with more than 4 people, I would really recommend asking for the private room which has a gorgeous view and will also let you feel a little bit more relaxed with your guests.The FoodOf course, the most important thing is food. Louis was in the kitchen on this occasion and overall we were so impressed with the courses from start to finish. The flavours of the dishes were really well balanced, the starter dishes were more impressive than the main course. I had the pigeon and it was a little underwhelming but the number of tasty dishes outweighed this. As with most fine-dining restaurants, leave yourselves plenty of time to eat, the meal took 3.5hrs and we spent an additional 30 minutes enjoying coffee and favours on the terrace.
The VerdictThey certainly know how to make a lasting impression, each guest was given a little box of Lea Linster's infamous madeleines as a souvenir and that is a great touch. The restaurant is something really special in Luxembourg and is a really lovely experience all-in-all. That little something that is missing in the ambience is perhaps something I would love them to investigate and add because truly it is a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon and it is really a great experience for your palette. I look forward to seeing the restaurant evolve with the next generation and seeing what more exciting touches Louis may be bringing us at the restaurant.
