Carousel Bistro, Bulow Palais, Dresden

The Frauenkirche, from across the Elbe, in the night...the cold, snowy night

The Bulow Palais...a new wing...um, main branch from the small hotel...a favourite in Dresden...called the Bulow Residenz. I have stayed at the Residenz several times over the last years, and always have had great experiences. The General Manager Ralf Kutzner, knows how to take care of his guests, and the service is always very personal and attentive. One of the attractions of the hotel is the beautiful baroque styled rooms.

My Room...no 42...a rather large suite...with a separate office, living room, bedroom and two large screen LCD TVs and two bathrooms. Almost like your own apartment.



view from the office area, looking into the living room.

Another attraction of the Bulow is the Carousel Restaurant. Awarded one Michelin star from ages ago, when Stefan Hermann used to helm the kitchen, and the star now retained by the equally talented Dirk Schröer. I have dined on Dick's cooking several times with great pleasure. And this time, I opted to try out the less elaborate Bistro...situated just at the lobby area at the new Palais.



It was Christmas...well, almost, there was a terrible snow storm outside...percipitating some 15cm of snow in 12 hours prior to my dinner...but the Christmas decor made a cheer...and if you stay indoors and wark, the freshly fallen snow looks beautiful.


The golden statue of August the Strong, Elector of Saxony (sort of King of the region)...just a few minutes walk from the Bulow

And the lovely Christmas decoration warms the heart:



Bread was served with a scoop of pork lard...



I must say, the freshly baked bread went very well with the pork lard.

I opted for fish...and ordered the Fried Cod with Borsch and Potato Gnocci.



Something about the froth, the crisp skin and delicately cooked fish tells on a starred Michelin chef. Cutting the fish open, revealed a perfectly cooked slice...thick, juicy, fresh, not a second over, not a second under...perfect.



The skin was super-crispy...really superb, and had been lightly dusted with sea salt to enhance the flavour...a bit smoky. The meat was perfect, as I mentioned...moist, smooth, clean tasting, smelling fresh and almost odourless...but with a slight tinge of the ocean. Nicely marinated...very lightly so as not to disturb but to enhance the delicate flavour of the meat. The froth added an extravagance, as it was coy, smooth, rich. The Borsch was a melange of vegetables...and the gnocci had been individually pan fried, and coated with a crust made by slightly burning the skin, but retaining the firm, al-delte texture within. Beautiful dish. Bravo!

Dessert was a creme brule with pistacio ice cream.



Again, a delectable dish. The creme brule was well made...the caramel crust providing shards of sweetness and flavour to the light, creamy inside. The ice cream was home made, I presume...was packed with pistacio flavour, and sat on a bed of preserved prunes which provided some acidity to the rich creaminess of the ice and the creme brule. Nice.

Overall, I think I had a meal deserving the Michelin star...though the Bistro was not so awarded. And as a bistro, rather than a fine dining establishment, I paid significantly less than one would for a temple of cooking such as this.


Carousel Bistro
The Bulow Palais
Königstraße 14
01097 Dresden

Telefon: +49 (0)351 80030
Telefax: +49 (0)351 8003100

info.palais@buelow-hotels.de