High-end Cuisine: Italian Classics at River Club

Never underestimate the importance of a breadbasket. The savory onion focaccia at River Club was so scrumptious I scarfed down countless slices, heedless of the many courses to come. This Italian restaurant offers high-end cuisine and a fantastic Italian wine selection in a highly stylized, flawlessly white interior. Even the open kitchen is high-class, imported piece-by-piece from Italy. The focaccia and designer space both set a high bar for the meal, which River Club reaches to some extent.

The olive oil zucchini soup (RMB 116) was topped with black ink-marinated cuttlefish, making this vegetable puree surprisingly rich. Bouillabasse is a specialty of Marseilles, not Italy, but their take on this classic French fish stew was simple and lovely (RMB 278). The saffron-tinged broth was more concentrated than traditionally served, a sauce more than a soup. The flavors are heightened by the heady aroma created by the slow pour of the pitcher of broth over the medley of seafood stacked on your plate. Pastas here, while enjoyable, are not especially memorable. Instead of a dessert menu, the chef’s daily creations are assembled in miniature onto one plate for an individual dessert buffet – save room for the delicate ginger crème brulee and pistachio cream.

The Sacco family owns a two-Michelin-star restaurant in northern Italy, and is attempting to bring some high-class European fare to town – they present some win¬ning dishes but unfortunately at European prices that Beijingers with other Italian options may find hard to swallow. Also, they should rethink the odd fluorescent lighting that casts the unflattering glow of a hospital ward in their otherwise elegant interior.

Standout dishes: Zucchini soup, bouillabasse

Also try: Kitchen Igosso, L’Isola

Daily 11.30am-10.30pm. 53 Maizidian Xijie (east side of Furama Xpress Hotel), Chaoyang District (6508 0667) 朝阳区麦子店西街53号(富驿时尚酒店东侧)

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