Yes, there is fine dining in Andorra – Kokosnot

When I travel to a destination, I like sampling the local food as well as the fine dining scene. On a recent trip to Andorra, for the fine dining component, I chose a place called Kokosnot. I have to admit, when I first walked in, I was worried about how the evening would go. First, I noticed that there was no dedicated hostess or servers on the floor for that matter. We were greeted by the bartender who asked us to have a seat. The only other person I could see on the floor was a lady in a suit jacket (who later introduced herself as the chef and owner). I thought to myself “they must be VERY understaffed” and was running through a painfully slow meal service scenario in my head. Eventually, we were seated, and the menu presented. I wanted to go for the tasting menu:

However, in the back of my mind, I was constantly worried about the lack of personnel. A tasting menu is long enough when a restaurant has a full service staff. How slow would it be with only the bartender and owner working the floor? Anyway, I mentioned my concern to the owner and she assured me that she was supervising both the kitchen and front of the house and would be able to deliver. I went with the tasting menu. The first dish, as with all the subsequent ones, DID arrive in a timely manner. I was impressed. To pull off that type of service with the number of tables they had and only two staff (later three as the sommelier would join the) is a level of professionalism that is next level. Amazing! Anyway, back to the amuse. A scallop ceviche. Nice presentation and lots of flavor:

I would later learn that the owner had an Argentinian background and that is why I noticed some Latin American influence in the food. She was also a fan of Asian food so there was some of that influence also. In fact, I was impressed to learn that she made he own Kimchi, even though she lives in Andorra and has never been to Korea! The second amuse was one of my favorites. Peas in a savory wasabi sauce. The wasabi provided the perfect touch of heat to the dish, then the savory notes came out, and all balanced with sweetness from the peas which were extremely fresh. Well done.

Next some bread and a very delicious olive oil. The owner explained that the bread was made special for them by a famous local baker. It was made with Andorran water.

The first starter was a truffle caviar snow and ice cream. I loved the texture in the dish as well as the contrasting temperatures.

Next, some foraged morel mushrooms in a creamy sauce that was very savory and some hazelnuts to provide crunch.

Next cured and smoked salmon:

Following this was the only dish of the night I did not care for – the razor clams. I thought the dish was just ok and the presentation of tiny clams on a huge plate looked a bit off.

After this, we were served a fish course:

Followed by a delicious Galician beef:

…and finally some sweetbreads that I am usually not a fan of, but I liked their preparation which reminded me of KFC.

To finish a series of desserts and petit fours.

Also, because it was our anniversary, they brought a little surprise at the end.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the service. Considering they did not have a dedicated server (the bartender told me this was their usual staff), the ability to pull off a service where some diners are doing a la carte and some tasting menus, is incredible. The food was really good also. I would recommend.