Reviewed by Justine Murphy, CEO of mymuybueno – September, 2016
Andreas Bagh was appointed as the new Head Chef in March 2016, having previously worked with Kong Hans Kælder, Alinea and Geranium. Marchal was awarded a Michelin Star in 2014 and has upheld it each year since.
I was staying in Hotel d’Angleterre for my trip to Copenhagen, and the same opulent furnishing was continued in Marchal – a very regal dining room area.
I started my evening with a caviar tasting at the bar. This was excellent, and included Oscietre and Baerii but unfortunately there was no Gold in stock. I had two glasses of champagne, the first being Ruinart and the second Krug Grande Cuvée, which was deliciously smooth and went very well with the caviar. However it was a shame that my glass was not brought to my table once I left the bar. I followed it up but it never appeared.
There is no tasting menu at Marchal, which is a shame, and the format is also more traditional – à la carte. I selected from the menu, but a wine was not offered for pairing so I chose a simple, firm favourite.
A sourdough bread was brought to the table. This was very good, with the right amount of chew and a very nice flavour. Following this was an Amuse Bouche of a Choux Pastry filled with Comté Cheese and Truffle. This was delicious. A really generous amount of truffle lined the pastry and the Comté cheese, which I had never tried before, worked very well.
Norwegian Scallops, Baked in Their Shell with Endive and Citrus. I found this quite a sharp, acidic dish with the endive bringing even more acidity. This was only mildly saved by the salty taste of the sea thanks to the scallops cooked in their shells. It overpowered the subtle flavour of the scallops just too much.
The second serving was Lobster Claw with Jerusalem Artichoke, Green Hazelnuts and Pickled Rosehips. This was an interesting dish, but it lacked depth, and the texture of the hazelnuts was almost annoying – it was too much. The lobster was cooked beautifully however, and the Jerusalem artichoke was very good.
I finished with an espresso but no petit fours were served, which is most unusual and not a great end. I think the service is lacking here, it was almost a little confused at times, going by my observations on other tables. Some dishes were absolute hits in terms of flavour while others missed it by a margin.
Wine:
Sauvignon Blanc, Cloudy Bay, New Zealand, 2014 – no selection or pairing offered.
Favourite Dish: Lobster Tail with Tomato and Vanilla Beurre Blanc
Napkin Fold: Yes.
Menu to take home: No.
Meal for two, including wine, water and service: £600.
Final Thought: Service needs some work, as well as menu and ingredient knowledge too. The whole experience wasn’t there for me, especially as you are paying two star prices.
Marchal
Address: Hotel D’Angleterre, Kongens Nytorv 34, 1050 København K, Denmark
Telephone: +45 33 12 00 94
Hours: Monday – Saturday (including bank holidays)
Lunch: 12pm – 4.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm – 10pm ( Friday and Saturday 11pm )
Website: http://www.marchal.dk
