5 /5
Évaluation
★
★
★
★
★
For many moons, whenever we'd visit Europa-Park, we'd use one of the many buffet restaurants, which was fine, with us all being kids. As we grew, however, so did our culinary expectations and, eventually, the buffet just didn't cut it anymore. Luckily, around the same time, Ammolite and the Hotel Bell Rock around it were erected (don't even!). We've dined there many times since then, so a review has been long overdue. Tonight, I rectified this oversight on my part.Meal: It’s almost mid-February, we were there in late December. I can’t possibly recall what the seven courses were, apart from moan-inducingly delicious. You plan your first taste of each dish, carefully arrange a tiny bit of everything on your fork, and while bringing it to your lips, you simultaneously close your eyes. You saw the gorgeous arrangement on the plate, now remove vision and only rely on smell and taste. It’s sensual, really, experiencing the carefully selected and paired flavours complement each other to the fullest extent as they provide your taste buds sensations second to nearly nothing. It is impossible to overstate how brilliant the food is, and it ranges from modern interpretations of classic dishes of the regional cuisine to works that seem to stem from another world.Atmosphere: A lighthouse, planted in the flatlands of southwestern Germany 433 kilometres from the nearest coast, surprisingly the one of the Mediterranean Sea at Genoa, Italy, that’s what you see as you close in on your impending culinary delight. You might expect the interior to be a bit rustic, even basic, but the reality couldn’t be further from this assumption. In keeping with the nautical theme, Ammolite’s interior looks like that of the reason lighthouses were built in the first place: a boat. Rather, a yacht. More specifically, the main salon of MYSKY after removing the white accents. The similarity is stunning. Perfectly polished wood, so deep and dark like the ocean by night. Light curtains were discreetly dividing the dining area to cocoons of privacy, the world just fading away into a distant concept.The hours spent at Ammolite rather cunningly imitate time spent aboard a yacht. Pampered, quiet, private, and, despite the restaurant's multiple Michelin stars and high-end looks, it feels casual, not one bit of the much-dreaded snobbish nose-in-the-sky setting.Service: As you would expect aboard a (faux) yacht, service is to the highest standard. The wait staff serves food perfectly synchronised, their in-house sommelier is always at your disposal to assist with pairing wine with your food, and your drinks never go empty. Should you have to excuse yourself from the table, expect to return to your seat to meet a fresh napkin. Those details genuinely make Ammolite something special, its people give it soul.In retrospect, this is not the world’s most inappropriately placed lighthouse. It just isn’t meant for marine traffic, no, it’s meant to guide you to culinary climax.