Photos by Holly Li
If anywhere in Beijing were to qualify as a modern-day concession, it would surely be Nali Patio. With balconies overlooking limewashed walls, palm trees and arbitrarily placed mosaics, Sanlitun’s favorite courtyard is – with enough sunshine and suspended disbelief – a genuine slice of Iberia. And while the Spanish are not exempt from local laws (as in the concessions of old), they have established a near monopoly on the building’s food and drink offerings.
But now there is an Austrian in their midst. Recently opened on the fourth floor, Tafelspitz is the impeccably dressed Viennese at a Spanish patio party. It is the crisp bottle of Grüner Veltliner in a rack of fruity Riojas; a Haydn symphony performed on the main stage of a Flamenco festival. It stands in stark contrast to its neighbors. But this is no bad thing.
Pass through a small, unassuming entrance and the distinction is clear from the outset. White-gloved waiters usher us into an interior of pristine tablecloths and gray chairs, each curved slightly at the back like a chaise longue. Any feeling of being in the Mediterranean soon evaporates. Instead, a subtly executed alpine theme adds a certain refinement without leaving the decor too cold. Perhaps this is a fitting metaphor for a restaurant that offers fine dining without the stuffiness that often accompanies the term.
The menu treads a similar path, balancing delicate presentation against heartier, homier fare. On the ornate end of the spectrum we find the beef tartare (RMB118) – a perfectly seasoned square of Australian Angus topped with a gooey quail egg yolk and decorated at each corner with arrangements of arugula, tomato, onion and flower petals. Yet, formalities are forgotten for the excellent cordon bleu (RMB258) – the closest that continental Europe comes to soul food – which sees Emmental and a thick slice of ham wrapped inside a veal schnitzel casing. We resist the temptation to eat it with our hands, though we suspect they wouldn’t have minded.
Elsewhere, the goose roux soup (from the set menu – RMB 298 for three courses up to RMB498 for six) comes with root vegetables, chunks of goose and a firm bread-crumb dumpling which softens as the creamy broth is poured from above. But perhaps the real surprise arrives for dessert, in the form of a Salzburger Nockerl (RMB138-198, for 2-3 people). Like a heaving brown cloud, the huge Salzburg-style souffle appears fully puffed at the table, begging to be pierced. Doing so reveals a wonderfully light inside, balanced by sides of sweet strawberries and bittersweet cappuccino ice cream.
Before getting too caught up in the detail, we should note that the menu is in regular rotation. By January, many of the above dishes will have been replaced with new items. But if our visit is anything to go by, Tafelspitz will leave you wondering how you’ve got by without Austrian food for so long. It seems the patio party has just got a little bit more interesting.
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