Carpe Diem

Refine fingerfoods

“Szegediner Gulasch” with Hungarian dumplings, pork belly

For most fine dining restaurants, fingerfoods often means canapes. Something that you would offer to diners as a treat before the dishes they have actually ordered. Located in Salzburg, Austria, Carpe Diem is doing the complete opposite. The restaurant is big on serving miniature sizes plates, mostly in cons or tapas format, inspired by international flavours from around the world, so the food is somewhat fusion. They do also have a proper 3 course a la carte menu but I quite enjoy the whole fingerfoods concept. This also made a good opportunity to sample a wide range of cooking from the kitchen instead of stuck with only 3 plates of food.

Spanish Jamón de Trevélez on wheat bread with dried tomatoes

Veal lights with chive dumpling, Wiener schnitzel with potato salad

Pumpkin, buttermilk & parsley

US Short Rib BBQ style, mashed potato & corn

I more or less ordered the whole menu: The black cod was cooked at the perfect level, very moist and I enjoyed the unusual element of tamarind and blood orange to give the dish a sour and nutty tone, my issue was it was only lukewarm when it was served to the table. The goose liver was more or less a starter size dish with modern European style plating, the liver was blended wonderfully, great flavours from the plum to balance off the rich and earthy taste. The US short rib BBQ style again had the same issue as the cod, fairly cold despite the meat was flavoursome with a lovely tender texture and the creamy mashed potato was finely seasoned. The "Best of Austria" in a glass-cone was the weakest dish for me, rather bitter with some almost tasteless chive dumplings.

Goose liver, brioche & plum

Black cod, tamarind, bloody orange & pumpkin

Black-feathered-chicken, pumpkin, cottage cheese

Small filet steak, ox cheek, parsnip, Savoy & Madeira jus

While on paper, the fingerfoods idea sounded great, the execution wasn't as good as I was hoping for. The main problem is because most dishes are served in such small sizes, it does get cold very fast, that is especially true for the cone dishes, funny enough that is what made Carpe Diem popular and known for. Is the cooking Michelin star worthy? Not based on what I had, but the novelty element was pretty exciting for me.


Food 3/5


What I paid: 
£35 per head

Average cost without drinks and services:
Fingerfood tasting menu: £32
Tasting menu: £110

Getreidegasse 50, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

https://www.carpediemfinestfingerfood.com/en/