Aramburu Relais & Châteaux

Updated for visiting again in 2023. We all look for WOW moments when we dine out somewhere special. Arumbaru provides more than a few. The setting is relaxed with a view into the busy but very kitchen. A great deal of attention has been paid to the ambience. The Chefs are controlled and organised with most dishes prepared in advance and assembled in a restrained flurry of motion. Service has taken a step back though. The staff were initially flustered on our arrival, though we were advised there was a change of staffing that had caused some confusion. When I chose to order matching wines and my partner declined the option, they didn't offer her any other alternatives eg a cocktail or wine by the glass list. This lasted until she asked to get the matching wines after all, when we'd already been served the first 4 courses. She might have gone the whole dinner drinking water if we hadn't spoken up. Later when we went to another room for dessert the new waiter didn't serve her wine and we had to explain and request her glass of dessert wine. Wines and water glasses were refilled or replaced regularly, each dish explained as served and service otherwise very good. Many of the 20 courses served were triumphs. The Kale crackers were delicious and presented beautifully as leaves on a branch. The Olive a cool burst of refreshing ice cream? Remained in the shape of a green olive. The Pumpkin and Trout Roe beautifully presented in a wafer thin casing that was unfortunately prone to collapsing when handled. The Cashew cheese with crispy Potato petals was moreish. Delicate crisps with subtly flavoured dip. The Activated Charcoal and eggplant ball with delicate, edible white flowers fantastic, a standout. Though often overpowering, the Beetroot and Goat's Cheese walked the difficult edge with aplomb. The next series of dishes included a variety of substitutes cater to Crustacean allergies and vegan dining. I can't imagine anything more delicious than the Green Apple encased in meringue. Seafood lovers are missing out. This was a serious wow! A Carrot Cannoli with dill was lovely. A Sweet Potato Cracker with watermelon and radish better still. Then followed another Wow moment, our second (or perhaps third allowing for the Charcoal eggplant). Green grapes impregnated with ginger with champagne and green oil. Amazing with perfect balance. Rosemary skewers encrusted with chives were delicious. A passionfruit with Pork and saffron was sublime. Potato with Morel and crispy rice fantastic. Venison and then Kingfish with Radish followed. I have no doubt this is a very popular take on an increasingly popular fish. Next, the dish of the night. Sweetbread with Yuzu. You will need to go to Arumbaru to see this amazing dish. It's a perfect balance of flavours and textures. The Vegan substitutes of fennel is pictured. It was also delicious. On to the desserts after a palate cleansing burst of grapefruit without the characteristic, overwhelming bitterness. Aguaribay with Strawberry then an amazing Avocado dish with Mango utterly delicious. Only the final Petit fours and perhaps the Venison with Shiso and Nori were disappointing.

Exquisite from start to finish. Every dish was thoughtfully presented and every bite provoked all senses…Absolutely explosive flavors! Even though I was full, I did not skip the desserts and thank goodness. The service was impeccable from the top down…chef, sous chefs, sommeliers, and servers. I appreciated that my lactose intolerance was respected and the chef made substitutions so I did not miss any dish. They also accommodated vegetarians. I will be back!!

Start with the atmosphere.. we were seated on a 4 top left of the dining room in direct line with the air conditioner.. it was very cold . We didn’t say anything but it’s the first thing that I noticed when seated. We thought that perhaps it would adjust when the dining room filled but not to be. Service: we were on the 18/19 course menu and were asked if anyone had food allergies etc. One of us said no seafood,(oysters) As the dishes rolled out the no seafood guest got the seafood and my wife adjacent got the non seafood dish as they were visually indistinguishable. A mild apology was given. We just brushed it off as a slight service fail that shouldn’t happen at any level of restaurant so it was a surprise that we experiencing this here. Strike 1 Food: every dish presented well and displayed great technical skills , so it was a surprise when the final plate arrived and it was offal. We don’t eat offal and the service did not advise us of that course , so that was a bit of an awkward situation. There was no option for us at all. Strike 2 We were ushered upstairs for the deserts and coffee which was fine as the dining room was setting for the next guests. Upon paying the account $500000 pesos we asked the manager if he could suggest other restaurants that were of a similar caliber to themselves and he quickly answered…NO… For me that was strike 3 . Overall this is not a gross critique but more of an observation that the outcome of our experience was a surprise that we didn’t expect.

Aramburu deserves its reputation, its 5 star reviews here, and maybe one day it might get 1 or more Michelin stars. We read of the 18-course tasting menu, and on arrival we were told it would be 22! Wow, very exciting. The first 10 or so are joyous tastes. Often playful they can mess with your senses in a good way. But that still leaves another 12 or so small plates to go. Result! The attention to detail is exquisite. The ambient lighting is low and just right, the kitchen is laid out like a theatre stage before you, the staff are informal, informative, but not intrusive. If you're a tourist do the math on the pricing and Boom!💥 Congratulations and enjoy.

How lucky we were to have a fantastic evening dining at Aramburu and enjoying the 2-star quality meal. We were given a choice to sit by the kitchen, which allowed us to observe all the magic that happened in the kitchen. As someone that have visited all the 2 Michelin restaurants in NYC, the quality, the taste, and the presentation were on par with what you’d expect from Manhattan. My only advice is to come here hungry and be on time. We were 15 mins late to our reservation and felt a bit rushed through our savory courses.