Restaurant review: Ambassador – New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner

2 01 2014

Taittinger at Ambassador - reijosfood.com

The first review in 2014 is from last day of 2013, New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner at restaurant Ambassador. Restaurant is in Hotel Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort, Spa & Casino where we stayed for couple of weeks.

One might think that Gran Canary Island is worn and old-fashioned which is partly true. But there is certain area, Costa Meloneras, which is new and peaceful. Lot’s of good restaurants but no disturbing pubs or night clubs. All hotels are 4-5 star large complexes but well designed and equipped.

Restaurant had prepared menu which sounded promising, but was it what we expected?

Restaurant Ambassador - reijosfood.com

Dining room was decorated well beforehand in order to create solemn athmosphere.

Ambassador - reijosfood.com

After mojito aperitifs, dinner started with four starters which was maybe the weakest link. Clams were ok, but otherwise ensamble did not convince. However, although the expectations were high were were not disappointed.

Appetizers at Ambassador - reijosfood.com

Asparagus with quail fillet paired well. As quail was so soft all you needed was spoon.

Asparagus at Ambassador - reijosfood.com

Turbot was perfectly cooked which might be difficult when kitchen prepares it to around 100 diners in quite tight time schedule.

Turbot at Ambassador - reijosfood.com

Between fish and meat champagne sherbet was served. It was sweet which is not typical when you still have one main course to go. Stick holding strawberry was also eatable.

Sorbet at Ambassador - reijosfood.com

Beef tenderloin continued the high level of competence kitchen has. Solomillo is popular meat dish in Spain and this one was one the best I have eaten.

Beef tenderloin at Ambassador - reijosfood.com

Forgot to take a picture of dessert which was really delicious. There was small cake inside mousse which crowned the dessert. Fresh fruits complemented dinner also quite nicely.

Dinner included whole bottle of  Taittinger Champagne which you could drink at the table or enjoy later when the year changed. That is what we did because after aperitif, couple of glasses of white and red wines it was good to have short break. Noticed that all that wine which was served was also enjoyed by couple of tables. Maybe not good idea thinking about morning feeling.

The whole dinner was real success! Food was good, service professional and you could really be satisfied for the set up arranged by hotel restaurant. Most of the diners seemed to be Spanish and I shall bet we were the only ones from Finland.

Tradition is also to get “party bags” as presents after leaving dining room. Found quite nice mask from it and used it almost he whole evening.

REVIEW: FOOD 4-/5 – SERVICE 4,5/5 – OVERALL GRADE 5-/5





Hotel review: Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort Spa and Casino (Spain)

9 02 2013

Lopesan Costa MelonerasLopesan Costa Meloneras

Check out “Michael Jackson” and lobby videos below!

Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort Spa & Casino, a 4 star category hotel, is located on the sea front and just a few metres from the Nature Reserve of Dunas de Maspalomas, in the south of Gran Canaria island. Hotel is the biggest in Canary Island with over 1000 rooms.

Have stayed at this hotel already 4 times, maybe getting too comfort-loving or just like this hotel. But never before during Christmas and New Year, which had pros and cons. New Years Eve party was amazing compared to ones in Finland for several reasons; warm weather outside instead of freezing, adult-like celebrating instead of too heavy drinking and trouble making and well prepared program. Great light show on the hotel walls and firefors. On the other hand expensive time including dinners.

Standard rooms are quite simple a little bit worn but spacious, best part is bathroom with separate bath tube and shower and balcony, of course. If you want to have pool and garden view, you have to pay some extra but it is worth of it.

Standard room

Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort, Spa & Casino invites its visitors to enjoy an atmosphere of peaceful activity in which you can practice all types of sports and look after body and mind in the fantastic Spa Corallium, a real gift for the senses in an impressive centre inspired by the volcanic nature of the island. Have visited spa and it is one of the best equipped have seen with different saunas, pools and relaxing rooms. Several saunas including African sauna (like Finnish), steam sauna, Turkish Hammamet and salt pool and different water treatments and relaxing rooms….Unfortunately no pictures because did not want to carry camera with me.

Most photographed area at the hotel is Lago Pool which seems to end to Atlantic Ocean. If hotel is introduced in some travel magazine you will see same view almost every time. And pool really is marvelous but unfortunately in the winter time too cold, at least for us. Four different pools makes the difference and the garden and the mini golf and tennis court and….

Lago Pool and sea

Quiet pool is situated at the far end of hotel, quite nice spitting dogs guarding the peace.

If you want to swim around the garden you can use pool whic is in the middle of the pool area. You can walk via two small bridges over this pool.

Hotel has 3 big buffet dining rooms, a la carte restaurant Ambassador, 4  pool bars, lobby bar, cafe……Hotel “outsourced” summer 2012 two of its restaurants to restaurateurs which was good move. Earlier quite empty but now really busy restaurants partly because entry has been opened to beach boulevard. Had Christmas Eve dinner at Ambassador and New Years Eve dinner at buffet restaurant. Both were really great experiences. Also dined at El Churrasco, one of the two “external” restaurants. Reviews can be found at reijosfood.com

AmbassadorEl Churrasco

New Years Eve buffet, just some pictures….buffet restaurants really did their best. Of course breakfast is versatile but you soon realize that you take the same eats every morning

Hotel lobby is large and service is excellent…Only place you can use WiFi for free. So this is the weakest link of the hotel which is otherwise almost perfect.

Lobby

And top of all great performances every evening at the stage. Was amazed to see that “Michael Jackson” was alive and kicking.

Michael Jackson copy

This Lopesan hotel is perfect for us because it is enough big, all services available and lot’s of good restaurants nearby. Also the area around is modern and quite new. No bibulous tourists who used to take part in the pig feasts in the past. Also Maspalomas dunes are just around the corner.

Maspalomas dunes

https://reijosfood.com/2012/12/26/restaurant-review-ambassador-spain/

https://reijosfood.com/2013/01/05/restaurant-review-el-churrasco-spain/





Restaurant review: Ambassador (Spain)

26 12 2012

Restaurant Ambassador, most sophisticated a la carte restaurant at the Lopesan Costa Meloneras hotel, offers exclusive contemporary cuisine based on the traditional spanish and french cuisine. All portions are prepared with special care, modern techniques that enhance these noble tastes, exact cooking temperatures in order to maintain the quality of the used products, mixture of tastes that will surprise hopefully also us in an elegant and exclusive atmosphere. The Ambassador offers a fixed menu for every season and suggestive tasting menus day by day.

On Christmas Eve restaurant served menu consisting of several delicious dishes.

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/s720x720/182073_390679164343543_2119984488_n.jpg

Dinner started with glass of Champagne Paul Goerg Brut.

First three dishes were served at the same time. Papaya “soup was delicious as well as smoked eel and salmon. Maybe turkey roll was most modest of the three starters.

Second dish was Bouillabaisse with tasty giant shimps. No need for toast as bread was already served.

Sole was a little bit over cooked but combination was succesful. Some salty iberian ham made this dish very tasty.

One of the best made dishes was sorbet, which was real soft and not at all icy as they can sometime be. Would have eaten more and actually got one as a dessert as asked one dish without milk products.

Cheek of veal was excellent, it was enough long cooked which made it really crisp. One of the best meat dishes eaten.

For dessert Ambassador served sweet cake combination and some chocklate pieces. Unfortunately we were already so full that was not able to eat them anymore.

Dinner was great, maybe some haste in serving because restaurant was full.

REVIEW: FOOD 4-/5 – SERVICE 4-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4/5

20121225-155908.jpg

20121225-160408.jpg

20121225-160445.jpg

20121225-160519.jpg

20121225-160625.jpg

20121225-160651.jpg

20121225-160752.jpg

20121225-160941.jpg








%d bloggers like this: