Out of all the places in Umeå, if you want to visit the best restaurant of them all - hands down - you need to go to the outskirts west of town and to a little tiny bistro known as Le Garage. The place is small, intimate and buzzing with people coupled with great smells from the open kitchen. It's truly one of those places that you expect to be just another run-of-the-mill establishment but instead utterly blows your mind six ways from Sunday.
I was down over the weekend visiting friends and having a great time. This particular evening just me and a close friend took our good mood and hungry hearts (well, stomachs) to Bistro Le Garage. The moment we walked in the atmosphere just filled all of our senses. From attentive and friendly staff, the busting and rushing sounds from the kitchen, mussels searing in white wine, putting the finishing touches on plates going out, wine pouring into glasses in every direction. It made me happy. We were instantly seated by a truly friendly waitress who immediately asked if we wanted some cocktails to start with and also asking us if we wanted to hear this particular evening cocktail specials. I settled for a classic, a Cosmopolitan, while my friend had a more modern twist of a whiskey cocktail. Both were excellent.
While sipping away on our drinks, she came once again asking if we wanted a brief explanation of the menu. Pleasantly so, she explained the dishes and my god she knew her stuff. From where the vegetables was grown, to flavor profiles suited with wines, from which local farms the meat came, it was ecological and environmentally friendly. In short, this waitress had it all when it came to service! I was so impressed, and in honesty, for the serving staff to impress me requires a great deal but this was a notch above the rest (and equally above any staff serving in Michelin-star restaurants I've dined in).
So for starters I went for a porcini mushroom soup (in Sweden more commonly referred to as "Karl-Johan" mushroom) with 63 degrees Celsius-tempered egg and butter-fried bread. It was so rich, so succulent, so amazing I just sat there sighing over how great it was. My friend had another dish that came in a glass jar with smoke and in the bottom various components (I can't actually remember which ones) and he was equally perfectly pleased. The white wine to both our dishes were perfect. For main I had a leg of lamb with oven-roasted pumpkin, broccoli, onions, butter-gravy with juices from the roasted lamb-leg and creamy potato puree. I must have eaten and looked like I hadn't seen food for days, that's how good it was. My friend Rickard was served another pot for his main course, having ordered their moules frites. Like me he just sat there eating away in perfect harmony, sighing over great flavors and wonderful wine. For dessert we both had a french nougat chocolate dessert with coffee that ended an evening on an absolute perfect high.
So what about the downside? Well, to be frank, there is none. For reasons obvious it's not a 5/5, because almost no restaurant gets a 5 as that require ultimate perfection in every sense of the word. This place however, comes damn close, and it's no surprise that they received an honorary mention in last year's White Guide. In my book it's 4+/5, and an absolute must if you have any interest in food and in the vicinity of Umeå. I wouldn't be surprised that if they keep this quality up, a Michelin star isn't an impossible reach. So take my word for it; for the best restaurant in town, you need to get out of town! read more