Gastronomie im Gewandhaus

"For a long time, I had planned this visit to the restaurant and was very pleased to have been able to celebrate my round birthday in my birthtown together with my family. But we all know too well what this plan had done in early 2021. Even though the sentence has not been put up in the same way, it has almost become a platitude, it is absolutely true of this event. Fully vaccinated and in the face of a more relaxed, health situation, it was now time to finally fulfill this desire, even if it did not fit the actual occasion at a long time, of course. On the occasion of this birthday celebration, of course, my passion and appreciation towards the Haute Cuisine should also be at the heart of the event. Luckily, the big city in Northwest Saxony today even offers several points of contact which can fulfill this wish only because of their awards by numerous restaurant guides. The Falco restaurant, which is also located on the top floor of the Westin hotel, has been throning at the top floor for a long time, in which the team around Peter-Maria Schnurr has been able to decorate with 2 Michelin macarons since 2008. From the restaurant guide evaluation, the decision for such a special occasion would therefore be clear if there were not the eccentric slope of the cook of 2016 for self-assessment. My personal character preferences are simply different and even if the menu is certainly exceptional, it is quite difficult for me to develop a sympathy for this atmosphere. But for this celebration it should fit in all areas. I have already reported on the award of Frieda this year. This was all the more pleased when I was already very enthusiastic about the bids in my visit last year, and Lisa Angermann Team had already enjoyed this appreciation. Since the birthday menu should also be a new experience at the same time, the choice finally fell to the third option. Even longer than the two previously mentioned restaurants, another but always quiet culinary institution in the centre of Leipzig can look forward to the award with a star. It is located in one of the most well-known and most visited buildings: the iconic Leipzig Gewandhaus am Augustusplatz in the immediate vicinity of the Uni-Hochhaus and the Opera. But that's exactly where the Krux is, because the guests of the Gewandhaus usually don't have a primary meaning when they visit them. Otherwise, the restaurant, which lies in an inconspicuously small outbuilding of the concert hall, is not run by chance over the way, because the simple sign is as inconspicuous as the outer facade completely lined with dim glass. Outside view Nevertheless, patron and chef Detlef Schlegel has managed to keep the star and noteworthy 17 Gault Millau points together with his staff since 2001, without interruption. This was achieved by the restaurant with a classic kitchen that some might call unspectacular. But as so often, there is also a lot of strength in peace and that is much more likeable than extravagance on pump. Detlef Schlegel already proved this calm and sweet way at our first contact by email or Telephone. This closer exchange was necessary because I wanted to make this evening and, above all, the associated menu something more individual than the usual selection. Two regions shaped my past life. While growing up was quite a sign of Leipzig, I now have my roots in Lübeck and Lübeck. Schleswig-Holstein and also this region in my heart. I also wanted to combine this in the menu that my guests and I can enjoy. In my reservation, I asked for the possibility of a food sequence designed for this celebration by the kitchen team, in which the classics of both regions are connected. Labskaus, Pannfisch or Marzipan from the North German region came to me spontaneously as well as the “all-off” or the Lerche from Leipzig. I would like to leave Mr Schlegel completely free of charge when interpreting these dishes and I was very pleased to see his first menu proposal. Three weeks before the reserved appointment, this long-awaited email came and the first proposal by Mr Schlegel delighted me. There were only some allergies to be taken into account and the anticipation of the advertised creations was already reinforced. In the meantime, even the restaurant guide Gusto had honoured Mr Schlegel as a cook of the year. A remarkable award given the long time he is already active in the “Stadtpfeiffer”. Despite this, he has continuously managed to improve and refine the culinary performance offered. Additional, great signs for the upcoming reservation. So the long-awaited evening had come. After entering, it becomes evident that one truly gets the best out of the given possibilities. Please click on the table prepared for us on an area that is probably even smaller than that of many private apartments, you have accommodated both kitchen and two guest areas. It is very conclusive that you dispense with further spatial-increasing decoration and ensure a noble feel-good atmosphere with a very well furnished lighting and good art. Even for my 8-member society, more than enough space has been created. Of course, the directly following kitchen has also been made visible and I only too much liked to look at the busy driving, but without somehow having to get something from smell or noise. View into the open kitchen It also seemed sensible that there was no room music here. This resulted in a pleasantly quiet atmosphere despite the small room and thanks to the good insulation to the kitchen and the surroundings. Last but not least, the turbulent glass wall also ensures that you don't feel like the presenter in the stream of passers-by and home visitors. As in a good marriage, with the service area also in the restaurant the second decisive area of the restaurant is in the hands of Mr. Schlegel's wife Petra. Throughout the evening we were served by her, as well as two young ladies and a young gentleman. There was no one to expose anything in terms of kindness, discernment, adventurousness and sensuality. The glasses were never empty and each one of my guests was so well advised in his individual beverage tour that everyone was satisfied. This just requires full score. Also the personal adoption with the friendly little dedication, which Mr and Mrs Schlegel had left me on the menu on my request, strengthened the consistently positive impression. So the culinary dance began between the Saxon plain and the Baltic Sea coast. As usual, there was an alcohol-free aperitif for me in the form of an alcohol-free for me: homemade “Ginger-Beers” with ginger, kardamon, cinnamon. Alcohol-free aperitif: home-made “Ginger-Beer” with ginger, cardamon, cinnamon please click This was an already successful entry, since the ginger in tingling, fruity drink did not come to penetrant and the spices added tension just for me as a cinnamon fan was the choice optimal first greeted the kitchen with a three-size mushroom sponge from an unknown region. Amuse Bouche: Three-pieces round the rattle sponge pilz from left to right: roasted; marinated; as cream A roasted pane received an Asian touch with a sweet-sauren chilisauce. A marinated piece of the stem with Piment d’Espilette was beautifully bite-resistant and intensely mushroomy thanks to two cream hops. The third part, which was served in the coffee cup, formed a sturdy cream of the mushroom with coffee flavour. Both earthy mushroom and slightly sweet coffee flavour were very well balanced. The food start was also successful. The selection of bread served with salted Normandy butter was also convincing. mini-sembling; mini caraway bars; Mini-seed triangles and salted butter from Normandy please click All fresh and warm liked the “mini-seeds” with a great fluffiness and the “mini-seed bars” and “mini-seed triangle” with at the same time red crust and great aroma of the additions. With the first official passage we started in Schleswig-Holstein with the most famous meat dish from this region: Labskaus. “LABSKAUS: Saibling, Red Bete, Kalbs-Fond, baked egg yolk ” Please click The kitchen team interpreted this food, which is often too injustice for its appearance, in a much more noble way. The main character was not the well-known meat pulp, but the fish share of the court, which in the good-bourgeois variant is usually taken by a roll mops or bismarckhering. Here, this role was given to a char, who in his confessed way literally broke on his tongue. Of course, the red bee in this Labskaus variant was not missing. The fine, yet intensely tasting slices added the characteristic slightly sweet character. The broth, on the other hand, was more acidic and thus replaced the role of herring or acidic cucumber in the original. Also exciting were the small tups of a horseradish cream, which probably added dosed sharpness. On solid meat the gang abandoned, but nevertheless brought in its hearty taste in the form of a veal fund, which one could always enjoy alternately to the dish from the small cup. Completely round, the dish then made the chewed egg yolk, which naturally provided the desired suppleness with liquid core. The baked egg yolk in the cut. With the next gear, it swallowed us into the Leipzig region. Here too, Mr. Schlegel devoted himself to one of the most famous classics: the Leipziger Allerlei . “ALLERLEI: River Cancer, Winter Saving Gel, Bohemian Truffle Pilz Common Pea Slender” , Sugar Schote Cream The fact that this should not have anything to do with the can mix of baby beer-soft peas, small tubes and asparagus was already clear in advance. Because, as many may not be known, river cancers from the Leipzig waters play a central role in the original recipe. In this creation, they were of course also found in delicate and juicy form. Asparagus must, of course, not be missing, but where should it come from in good, regional quality at this season? The kitchen team therefore sat on the “winter-saving gel”: the black root. Easily roasted sections convinced with their crisp but nevertheless by no means woody consistency, as did the mandatory finger tubes and carrots. Of course, pod vegetables were not dispensed with and this was implemented on this plate as sugar chops and creams. Here a light criticism, because the cream remained pale, unfortunately, and because of the warm plate its strips were already dried. In order to make the original recipe perfect, Mr. Schlegel added the still missing mushroom component. Instead of Morcheln, he resorted to the so-called Bohemian truffles, which should also be found as a peas litter in Mushroom beans. This truffle-like, black-colored mushroom was used as a type of dust. This also tasted clearly and actually remembered some truffles. That is why it could have been much more for me, he gave the court the special. If you really want to set up a sort of ranking in the dishes of the menu, this was rather the “weakest” gang, with a distinction in good or bad emphasis never occurred. Thus the pendulum struck back to the coasts of Germany and, of course, focused on a resident of the sea. The famous Pannfisch came to our plates in the “Stadtpfeiffer” interpretation. ‘PANNFISCH: Zander, coarse mustard, potato’ Here too, however, it was not possible to fly a sollen from the North German seas, but rather a regional fish: Zander from the waters in and around Leipzig played the main role. The back fillets were visibly perfectly glazed in the cuffed pan and perfectly prepared with a wonderfully floral skin in the same way as the flatfish from the original recipe. Mr. Schlegel is also always concerned with the rusticity of the North German classic. As potatoes were ideally found in Bouillon-fried Drillinge. On the other hand, the foamy sauce with coarse mustard grains should have been even more intense for me, which could be regulated by a generous aftertaste. The ring of fennel and spinach vegetables was also exciting. While the first-mentioned pleasantly mild came, the second-named surprised with great tasteful intensity. In order to neutralize the palate back to the main course after this rustic walk, a refreshment was now served in the form of a cumquatsorbet with sugar cane. Refreshment: Kumquat-Sorbet with sugar cane With sugar cane, of course, some scepticism occurred in the face of pure sweetness. But again, the kitchen team proved a good sense of balance, as the sorbet was purely prepared in acidity and fruity terms without any sweetness and the sugar cane sweetness was by no means too penetrant. Thus the residual taste of the previous gears was perfectly neutralized. The kitchen team, according to the law of the series, again served the offer of the Leipzig region completely for the carved highlight of the menu. The main role played a deer from the New Zealand, an area south of Leipzig, that has been formed from the large number of old brown coal-day buildings over the last decades. ‘HIRSCH PILZE: von der Leipziger Neuseenland’ The pink back was a highlight with its delicate meat and thanks to the roasting process still used. However, the piece of the shoulder stood in nothing, since it was in its shameful form exactly the dream that was hoped for. To remain true to the forest and meadow motto, mushrooms from the New Zealand forests took the second key role. There was a really extraordinary selection on the plate, which included, among other things, sulfur porling, rock mushroom, red cap and also the rattle sponge. It became exciting by how each mushroom had its individual characteristics and thus a large variety of consistencys soft to bite-resistant and taste nuances were created. For the perfection of the court, the deep red wine sauce with its great shine and slightly sticky texture was of course raised by a long and intense approach. For the sweet finish of the menu I first asked my guests two quiz questions. The question of the most famous representative from the confectionery sector in Lübeck was, of course, shot out of the gun: Marzipan. The second question about the most well-known representative in the Leipziger Bäcker's exhibits could also be answered quickly for the Ur-Leipziger in the round: the Leipziger Lerche. Marzipan and thus a natural bridge to the Hanseatic city. “FREE: Lübecker Marzipan-Eis, caramelized grape vinegar, hazelnut, Mirabelle” In the interpretation of the patisserie of the “Stadtpfeiffer”, the pastry was deconstructed as a dish dish. Mürbeteig was served as a juicy stripe with a layer of almond caramel. Very often, apricot jam is used for filling the Leipziger Lerche. Mr. Schlegel and his team, however, put a fruity component on another representative of the plum-like: the Mirabells. They found their place in dessert as marinated chicks but also creamy and refreshingly acidic ice cream. From the marzipan you made a creamy and tastefully convincing ice cream for a sensible addition. Haselnuss and air chocolate rounded off this dessert interpretation with their crunch, which of course was classic sweet but also suitable for the original original original. Too much exoticism of the ingredients would have worked in this context rather overturned. Of course, this menu should not be finished without a small petit meal selection. Petit Fours. The marzipan with almond caramel with its Christmas spices and a fruity-acidic blackberry tart was particularly pleased with the impressive selection. 4 1/2 hours passed as in flight and left with me and all my guests a complete bliss. And all convinced Mr. Schlegel and his kitchen team with the creative and yet original interpretations of the classics of both regions. Personally, on the occasion of the following birthday, I was able to look forward to a small passion fruit village, which was naturally given to me after this extensive menu. Attention of the house for the birthday: Passion fruit rolls please click With pleasure I spoiled this the next day at home, where, thanks to its still crunchy shell of white chocolate, I enjoyed it again with juicy fruity cream and loose biscuits. The Leipzig restaurant Stadtpfeiffer of Detlef and Petra Schlegel, together with their team, really burned into my memory very positively at all levels and, above all, met exactly what I hoped and wanted from this special birthday party. The ambience makes your limited possibilities the right framework, which the service team has wonderfully revitalized with its sovereign and natural hospitality. But it was, of course, also the willingness and creativity with this individual menu, with which the chefs leave me an always unforgettable positive memory of this round birthday. If you are looking for ambitiously lived and yet grounded cuisine and hospitality in Leipzig, the “Stadtpfeiffer” is more than highly recommended."