Schanz (***)

The family hotel Schanz is located in Piesport, a village on the banks of the Moselle. This family hotel belongs to the 3-Michelin star restaurant Schanz, where Thomas Schanz holds sway.

The hotel is not prestigious, it is cozy and well maintained. Here we sleep for the food. We think it’s great that this combination is possible. You see that it is a family hotel, father and mother run reception and breakfast. It’s very cozy.

The chef achieved his third star in 2022. The sign has not yet been replaced. We love how this has been resolved.

On arrival we take a glass of Deutz Champagne. The champagne is served in white wine glasses, we see this more often these days. Then the first greetings from the kitchen are placed on the table

A roll of beef filled with trout and caviar, what a good combination to combine meat with fish and salty caviar. A fried fish is also served, this snack is tasty. Next to it is a crostini filled with crab. The flavor explosion that follows from the kaffir lime incorporated into the crab is amazing. What a very good start to this evening.

Then Thomas’ signature dish is served: egg with truffle. A golden egg is served with a foam of truffle with pieces of truffle and a slice of very thinly sliced black truffle. This one is extremely good. This is one of the best amuse-bouches we’ve ever eaten.

Finally, we get a bombe filled with fresh mackerel and finished with very thinly sliced radish, radish ice cream and a seaweed soup. The bombe is fresh in taste, the mackerel is so fresh, the radish is a bit spicy but less than I expected. The seaweed soup provides a sour taste. Tasty amuse-bouche. This is a very nice start to the evening.

We had a package consisting of an overnight stay and a 6-course dinner.

The first dish is foie gras Saint Honoré with Parmesan cheese. A piece of pastry, the bottom made of filo dough, the filling of goose liver with 2 profiteroles (Saint Honoré) and flakes of Parmesan as decoration. Next to the pastry is an emulsion of sherry.

The filling of the profiteroles is goose liver ice cream. What a great first dish, we have rarely eaten something so good. The taste of foie gras with sherry and puff pastry is a perfect combination. The brioche served lukewarm is a pleasant addition.

As wine we drink an Ohligsberger Spätlese from Haart. A sweeter Moselle wine perfectly balanced with the foie gras.

The second dish is a red mullet fillet with green asparagus, lemon and anise.

De vis is zeer goed van cuisson. Ze ligt in een soepje van anijs en citroen. Een zeer verrassende combi, die enorm goed matcht. Als verrassing zijn er zowel groene als witte asperges in het gerecht verwerkt. Een tweede perfect bereid gerecht.

The wine is a 2019 Viognier from Stephane Ogier. This wine again matches very well with the dish and is perfect with the aniseed flavour.

Then comes hake topped with green herbs. The fish is in a hibiscus-blood orange vinaigrette. The fish was again perfectly cooked. The herbs are a very nice addition. The vinaigrette has a delicious taste and very nice to see, I can’t get hold of the flavor combination of the vinaigrette with the fish. My table companions think it is very good and understand the combination. I think the dish is very good, but lacks a balance between the sauce and the fish.

The third wine is a Riesling from Dr. Loosen, a dry white wine. Very good combination with the dish.

The next dish is again a feast for the eyes. We get lobster with veal head, potato, mint and lobster bisque. There is a jelly cap on the dish. Very nice to see. Large pieces of fresh lobster cooked in court with coarsely chopped vegetables and mint lie on the plate like a tart. The bisque is served alongside the lobster. The lobster and vegetables are delicious in taste.

We receive a wine from the owner of the hotel/restaurant: Erich Schanz, a Riesling Kabinett from 1999. Despite the fact that the Riesling is very old (23 years) it is drinking nicely.

The main course consists of a rack of lamb with parsley herb crust. Artichoke stuffed with sweetbreads, string beans and Greek yogurt. The string beans are partly filled with yogurt. The lamb is cooked sous-vide and is extremely tender. I am repeating myself, but what a very tasty dish.

We were allowed to choose between 2 wines, we chose the Spanish Summa Varietalis 2015; a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. A better combination cannot be made.

Finally, grapefruit with saffron and creme fraiche. A cake filled with grapefruit mousse and fresh grapefruit with a sauce of saffron and cream. Never before have I seen saffron processed in a dessert. This works well.

We get a wine from Thomas Haag, Schloss Lieser, namely a Juffer Sonnenuhr Mosel Riesling Auslese. Nice and fresh with this dish.

As a surprise we receive a cactus with Riesling mousse.

Then the coffee with sweets is served on the table. Many friandises are served such as cheesecake, espresso choco (Nespresso cups), salted caramel, cornetto, nougat etc.

A great meal, here is a real 3-star chef in the kitchen.

The welcome from the hostess is great. She is driven, cheerful and likes to chat and joke with the guests.

We do miss a manager in the restaurant.

The service is definitely good, but not at a 3-star level, they make small mistakes.

Several staff members ask if they can speak German or English with us. This can be passed on to each other, so that it only has to be asked once.

In the beginning, water is frequently added, almost after every sip. Halfway through the evening, the water glasses are empty on the table and are only refilled when we ask for it. Tip: let the glass empty a little more in the beginning and refill it more often later in the evening.

Delicious bread with tomato butter and salted butter is served. If the bread basket is empty, it will not be replaced. We ask for twice if the bread could be replaced. Someone says the bread is coming and someone else removes the bread plates. We mention to the person who takes the plates that we get more bread, the removed plates are not replaced. We also no longer receive new butter.

These are not major issues, but for a 3-star restaurant this is slightly below standard.

As a tip for Schanz: make a water arrangement. EUR 10 per bottle is a lot.

The interior is very nice. Modern, fresh and pleasant to look at. The chairs and benches are very comfortable.

We enjoyed the evening. We will definitely come back. Thomas knows how to cook and how to surprise his guests. Nice to have a short chat with the chef at the end of the evening.