THERE WAS JAMIE OLIVER AS THE NAKED CHEF BUT NOW MEET OLIVIER BURRI THE HAPPY CHEF AND OWNER OF OUSTAU …
Last week in the balmy busy night in the wonderful setting of the old Altea town, my wife and myself ventured out to dine. Set right in the centre, the lovely OUSTAU restaurant had to be our venue of choice.
It was a wonderful setting, with the courtyard, the beautiful plants and greenery forming a lovely ambiance. We took our table and began what was a lovely night all round.
The menu at OUSTAU is varied and interesting, it has enough dishes to fulfill anyone’s appetite. Before we could make a choice, the excellent service started with complimentary champagne which was served cool and was just the right start. From there on the service was exemplary and the food delicious. Staff were dressed smartly in black uniforms and proceeded to look after their guests in various languages and styles.
The menu was typical of Olivier as he is truly a unique and flamboyant character who always has time to speak to and entertain his guests. All of the meals had links to Hollywood characters to make it even more interesting.
After a long deliberation we chose starters of: Duck foie Gras, which was served wonderfully in a flute glass jar with a special taste of Pineapple in the bottom. The brown bread was sweet and blended with the foie gras perfectly … We also had the Eden salad which was a mixture of Goats cheese and roasted red peppers, this was truly delicious.
Following on from this was the main course. I had the Lamb shank which was very tender and fell off the bone. It was mixed with the Dauphinoise potatoes, alongside a sauce to make for a meal which I would have again and again .
My wife had the Sea-bass and it was not like any normal Sea-bass. This one was served in a white wine sauce with a glaze of turnip and other ingredients that made her not leave one piece. She stated it was the best Sea-bass she has ever had – it was truly unique.
The wine in between came from a good list, there is an abundance of choice of both red and white. We had the simple Vina Sol which went down well with our food .
The Postres also came up trumps with the lovely crepe suzette and ice cream ending the meal perfectly. My cream pudding with raspberries, was so nice and the presentation was what made it so interesting also.
Overall we ended up speaking to other diners who were so impressed and telling them how much Olivier and his staff do to make this restaurant so special. No one wanted to leave as more wine came etc. The guests all had a good time with families and couples all welcome.
This was truly a wonderful experience set in the garden area with the beautiful blue roofed church of Altea old town peering down on you -made it a lovely evening. A setting that makes the term of dining out seem mild as it was truly a night we enjoyed. We would certianly recommend to anyone who wanted to dine and enjoy not only great food but a restaurant that makes you feel good to be there. If nothing else. go and meet Olivier you will not be disappointed.