A Cote - Metz

I'm only "reviewing" as on a recent brief trip to Metz this place seemed to be permanently closed - which may explain why no reviews for several years!

I have been here with some friends last weekend. The food was very good and peculiar. The fish soup (boulabaisse) and the st. Jaques were simply AMAZING. Unfortunately we were sitting outside where the location is not wonderful.... but the food is very nice and it worths a visit.

Inside the splendid re-vamped city, this restaurant looks like a bar serving wine and food. But what wines…au verre a splendid Pauillac, chateau tour pibran 2009 which was accompanying a succulent and tender piece of veal. In entrée large slices of thinly cut Serrano ham. There are cities which cannot be left easily...

We wentjust aftert peak evening time in mid August . Don't. Immense wait, tables jammed together , food when it came perfectly decent but not memorable ( unlike the wait ) , wine predictably inflated. They did not live up to every sterotype as the service was friendly and there was the occasional cheerful shrugging of shoulders ...but really not good.A location that is a honey trap - opposite the cathedral . They know that . Beware.

We got the tip to go there from the Michelin guide, arrived at 7 pm and not a single table occupied, anyhow we decided to give it a try, which was a good decision. We had 4 of their tapas style dishes, white asparagus, escargot, raw salmon, and scallops, and only the escargot was slightly below our high expectations. The service was good, and the dishes well spaced out, and we enjoyed life passing by on the square. A most enjoyable meal, and by the way, at 8 pm all the outside table were full! High recommended!