Exploring the menu: The Epicure's Guide
Nicholas Palmer is the esteemed General Manager at Casa Cruz and brings his invaluable expertise from a decade-long collaboration with the restaurant's founder Juan Santa Cruz. With a deep understanding of the Casa Cruz menu, Nicholas offers insightful advice on how to savour the culinary experience to its fullest
"At Casa Cruz, we pride ourselves on offering a menu that caters to a wide range of tastes. Rooted in the flavours of Argentinian and Mediterranean cuisines, our menu is designed for sharing, emphasizing the essence of togetherness that defines Casa Cruz. It largely moves with the seasons too, so while we have some key dishes that are the cornerstone of the menu, there are seasonal flourishes that keep things fresh.
When it comes to exploring our menu, I always encourage guests to embrace variety and select a few different dishes to sample and savour. Start with some Para Picar (or snacks) before moving on to our small plates and salads. The fresh sea bass tiradito as well as our vitello tonnato are popular choices, as is our steak tartare or hand-dived scallops with chilli and lime.
Our pasta course gracefully bridges the gap between starters and mains and can be enjoyed as such, but I find most guests prefer to enjoy a pasta dish alongside their mains with a few of our delicious, seasonal vegetable sides to accompany. Our orecchiette with lemon, cream and parmesan is a perennial favourite and has a lightness to it that makes it a good partner to the mains.
Our desserts truly shine courtesy of our exceptional in-house pastry chef. Not only are they incredibly appetising, but they also look great on the plate, creating a feast for both the taste buds and the eyes. The Dulce de Leche flan brings a touch of Latin America to the sweet dishes, but the raspberry soufflé, which takes 20 minutes to prepare, is well worth the wait.
For special events, we have thoughtfully crafted a set menu that brings ease and delight to any occasion. We present the dishes by elegantly placing them at the centre of the table – as we do for any normal service – and invite guests to partake in the joy of a shared gastronomic experience."