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ISARBAROCK Villa Floßlaende – the team on site
Isar Baroque in the Villa Floßlände – I recently had one of the best evenings I've had in a long time. While it might not be unusual for me to have a restaurant, spending the night with a group of complete strangers at a long, beautifully set table by candlelight, eating, talking, and laughing heartily until late into the night, was quite something. This evening came about because I was a participant and guest at the second annual "Isarbarock" event at Villa Floßlände in the Isar meadows. Isarbarock is a weekly event held every Wednesday since January 11, 2017, which Villa Floßlände is now offering as a winter counterpart to the city's popular "Isar Picnic" in the summer, running until April 12, 2017. The event is unique in Munich and—provided you're open to new experiences—is incredibly fun, satisfying, and will leave you wanting to come back again.
The table for the guests
So what exactly is Isar Baroque about the villa at the Floßlände, and why all this?
To explain this, I need to give you a little background. Villa Floßlände is a 160-year-old Renaissance villa that has housed a variety of restaurants for over 100 years and has been making a name for itself for the past nine years as "Villa Floßlände" with its "Restaurant zur Floßlände." An event and dinner themed around the Baroque period makes perfect sense, simply because of the ambiance. Add to that the villa's idyllic location and AZ's well-thought-out concept for the new event. Guests will enjoy a comprehensive menu at a long table, consisting of numerous different small hot and cold courses.
Isarbarock doesn't begin in the cozy restaurant or the heated tent set up in front of the villa; no, the evening starts for every guest with a short and leisurely rickshaw ride from the Thalkirchen subway station. From there, you'll be picked up by a rickshaw, complete with a warm wool blanket and a friendly driver, and gently pedaled to the restaurant. The ride along the river takes only a few minutes and brings you to Villa Floßlände. Upon arrival, you'll be greeted by a friendly waiter dressed in Baroque attire, who will escort you to the aforementioned tent and attend to you throughout the evening. Even inside the tent, the perfect Baroque ambiance awaits: sturdy wooden benches and tables covered with thick furs, furs hanging from the ceiling, combined with lanterns and a warming patio heater in the center. You'll sip rosemary mulled tea, enjoy dates wrapped in bacon, and get to know each other a little before moving to the long, elegantly set table inside the villa, complete with fur-covered benches. Even if you're hungry, be careful not to eat too much at this stage, because as soon as you're seated at the long table by the fireplace, the meal will begin.
Many different small courses are served.
Menu, ambiance, service
There's plenty on offer in terms of food. Below is the menu that was served when I attended. This menu will change regularly throughout the Isarbarock event. For each menu, the kitchen team reinterprets old recipes and gives them a modern twist. Here's one example of the menu:
1. Homemade cauliflower panna cotta on toasted bread, garnished with Keta caviar
2. Orange-cured Scottish wild salmon with mint jelly and mint leaves on organic apple jelly
3. Porcini mushroom consommé with pistachio guinea fowl dumplings (French guinea fowl, Italian organic pistachios)
4. Flavored duck breast skewer on red cabbage salad (duck from Gascony, a historical southwestern province of southern France)
5. Potato and watercress soup
6. Truffled carpaccio of young venison with red wine pear fan (finely grated truffle preserved in cold-pressed olive oil)
7. Quail eggs in spicy tomato vinaigrette
8. Filleted pike-perch fillet on a mushy potato and leek puree
9. Medallion of Icelandic monkfish in a winter hazelnut crust
10. Braised pheasant breast wrapped in bacon on briefly braised champagne cabbage with potato dumplings
11. Stuffed guinea fowl breast on beetroot (filling: thyme, pine nuts, dried Tuscan tomatoes)
12. Veal roulade on tomato confit with herbs and cream cheese
13. Cheese platter with various French cheeses
14. Dessert platter with various small delicacies (dates baked and stuffed in wine batter, crepes with orange liqueur, Bourbon vanilla parfait on a Mozart liqueur base, saffron panna cotta)
Doesn't that look good?
You should realize by now – no one leaves here hungry. But neither will you be overstuffed or stuffed – just the right amount is served. Of course, you can also order anything you like from the regular menu as part of the set menu – but you won't need to, because the set menu is very diverse and varied. The emphasis on regional and seasonal ingredients, as well as high quality, is another positive aspect of Villa Floßlände and its individual courses.
What's special about the Isarbarock menu: If, for example, you enjoyed the guinea fowl breast, the soup, or perhaps the fish the most, you can order individual courses again as you please. Simply ask the friendly staff! Speaking of service, it plays a much more central role here than perhaps in many other restaurant visits. Each course is presented and served with short anecdotes and stories, all delivered with a French accent. This little show creates the true atmosphere of the evening. It's not just that the kitchen conjures up exquisite little courses with this menu, but in my opinion, it's the baroque staging, complete with costumes, French accents, classical music in the background, and storytelling, that truly makes it special. On top of that, the service is exceptionally attentive. Three wines are included with the menu – all from 100% organic. These wines – one white and two reds – eventually caused me to drop my napkin twice and my knife once. Each time, replacements were on the table within what felt like ten seconds. The service was top-notch, attentive, and always focused on the guest without being intrusive.
The cuisine, as mentioned, was wonderful. There was absolutely nothing to criticize about the flavor combinations, the menu sequence, or ultimately, the courses themselves. The portions were small, varied, and perfectly paired with the wines. The menu—no, the entire evening—completely won me over. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that you need to be open to such an event. It's all about convivial dining among strangers with a relatively brisk pace. If you prefer sitting at a table and are looking for a quiet evening in intimate company, this might not be the right choice. However, if you enjoy meeting new people, appreciate an extraordinary yet cozy atmosphere, and have discovered the joy of leisurely meals, then you'll likely be just as big a fan of Isarbarock at Villa Floßlände as I am. If you are vegetarian, have allergies, or are intolerant to certain ingredients, they will cater to your individual needs.
The welcome in the warm outdoor tent with dates and tea.
Hard facts
The Isarbarock menu starts at 7:00 PM. Rickshaw pick-up from the Thalkirchen subway station begins at 6:00 PM, ensuring you arrive in time for the reception at 6:15 PM. You decide when you want to start. The package costs €49 per person, or €98 for two people. Be open to new connections and great conversations, and you'll have a lot of fun – the wine will do the rest ;-). The Thalkirchen subway station (Line 3) is right nearby. A pre-booked rickshaw will chauffeur you from there to the Villa Floßlände (and back). The package also includes a bonfire reception with an introduction to the menu in a heated tent, complete with tea punch and bacon-wrapped dates, as well as a signature cocktail to start. The extensive menu also includes three different organic wines (0.1l each, part of the menu).
To participate in the Isarbarock event, you should reserve one of the available vouchers on the website. The event deliberately has a limited number of participants to maintain the ambiance, flow, and atmosphere. Those who secure a voucher are, of course, guaranteed a seat at the table. While spontaneous reservations are possible at short notice if necessary, you are only guaranteed a place with a voucher – especially if you plan to attend in a group.Download the voucher at „Isar Picnic“ or for short-notice requests also 089 54 04 36 06If you prefer to pick up the vouchers in person, they are also available on-site, complete with attractive gift wrapping. The venue can accommodate up to 100 people – making it ideal and very popular for medium-sized weddings and events. In summer, up to 130 additional guests can be seated outside.
Cheers to a lovely evening!
Conclusion
Absolutely do it! No, really. Experience something different than "just" eating. (You know what I mean... in my life, ONLY food matters. ;-)). A small bell, rung at regular intervals during the meal, also plays a part – I won't reveal any more. At Isarbarock, many other details contribute to a truly perfect experience. The Isarbarock package is a fantastic experience for yourself, as well as a great gift. You're guaranteed to eat well, receive excellent service, and won't regret a single penny of this investment. The fish is cooked to perfection, the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender, the wines are perfectly paired, and the service – especially in combination with the program and the guests' expectations – is unbeatable. A huge thank you to the entire team for a wonderful evening. Sometime after midnight, I left the restaurant laughing and in a great mood – and isn't that what it's all about? You'll leave satisfied and, ideally, richer for some lovely connections and memories. Oh yes… Isarbarock is a perfect gift idea for anyone who loves good food, fun, and special experiences. The voucher option also ensures a festive presentation, or you can quickly find the perfect gift via download. I'd certainly be delighted! 😉
Details:
Restaurant: Villa Floßlände
Tested event: Isarbarock – Baroque-style multi-course menu from €49 per person.
Period: Every Wednesday from 7:00 pm (reception from 6:15 pm) until April 12, 2017 and season 2 from October 2017 (advance reservation required / voucher remains valid)
Address: Zentralländerstraße 30, 81379 Munich
Website
Pictures:
Battling against the spread of fraudulent medications
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