The menu now changes monthly and includes up to 6 courses (65€), but can also be chosen and combined in a more compact form (3 courses for 38€). Since I have known the Tarterie, the concept has always changed slightly and gone through different phases. I like the current one the best: focus on local products and strong reduction of components on the plate, but without abandoning true kitchen craftsmanship. The strong influences of French cuisines flash through again and again. Nordic French is what Fabio calls this approach. This is particularly evident in sauces and stocks, but also time and again in more elaborate preparations or variations of individual elements.
The current menu for March slowly leaves winter behind and adds fresh spring accents. Both in terms of products, as well as in the form of a slightly lighter pace in sauces and funds.
Meanwhile, the classic tarte is also back in the tarterie and part of every new menu, either as a sweet finale or, as currently, as a prelude in the form of the Tarte Aubergine et Noisette. Prepared with a crème royale and a variation of the classic baba ghanoush. Instead of the sesame or tahini paste actually used together with eggplant puree, a hazelnut paste is used. The yarrow adds a slightly bitter accent. Visually wonderful and together with a lemony crème fraîche a great start.
In between I had the opportunity to look over the shoulder of the new kitchen team around Tim John Frontzeck, Marcel Hapke (previously Lenz) and Ergül Ceylan during the preparation of the tartes for the evening and to convince myself of the correct wrapping technique of the individual eggplants.
Potato with hay is the title of the next course, which tends to be a slight understatement. The potato is boiled in hops and hay, then smoked with hay and then confit in hops-hay butter, finally briefly flamed. Four steps in the preparation may seem a lot at first, but they build on each other. The smoke can be accepted by the potato only if it is cooked beforehand, and the subsequent confit intensifies the flavors again. Where the hops are not perceptible concretely, but rather a diffuse sweet accent. The presentation in straw then directly sets the appropriate taste associations with the guest. The potato is served with cottage cheese and hay oil, so in principle quite traditional. Quite fabulous what you can conjure up from such a supposedly simple product!
The trout for the following course comes from Deister Mühle in the old country and is served with sorrel, trout caviar and a hot broth of trout á la nage. The fish is cooked very slightly by the hot stock. Pumpernickel roasted in nut butter provides the crunch. You have to be careful with the amount here, too much pumpernickel can very easily dominate the plate and quickly drown out the delicate sounds of the trout and the broth.
That we have not quite left winter behind us shows the lamb with wild cabbage. The luscious piece from the hip is cooked tenderly, however not sous-vide, but quite classically to avoid overcooking or too strong denaturation and the accompanying loss of texture. The cabbage is roasted in nut butter for a great texture and intense flavor that alternates between cabbage, roasted flavors and popcorn.
The French roots are also evident in the cheese course – even if the products all come directly from the surrounding area. The delicate blue cheese Edler (or Blauer) comes from Elmshorn from the Demeterhof Dannwisch. The apples come from the old country. One is boiled down as apple-quince compote, the other is dehydrated powder from the peels. The latter in particular adds a fine layer of sweetness and intensity to the light cheese. 
The menu closes sweet and round with a crumbled macadamia bundt cake with milk ice cream and violet dust.
Since we have photographed in the afternoon, I waived exceptionally on the wine accompaniment of Lutz Lonchant (from 28€) which is actually always a recommendation and fortunately also the one or other natural wine in the repertoire has taken up.
The menus of the coming months will be even fresher and greener, Fabio assured. Salads and vegetables will become more and more central to this. Whereby it is also currently no problem to change the menu to a purely vegetarian orientation.
Tarterie St.Pauli
Paul-Roosen-Strasse 31
22767 Hamburg
Phone: 01517 2423046
E-mail: hunger@tarterie-stpauli.de
