For the past week, the terraces of Luxembourg have been open for business again. Kiki Jost, manager of Buvette Rotondes, shares an inside look at their reopening, as well as how they’ve revamped their menu and adapted their Sunday brunch in light of the current circumstances.
After the closure of the Horesca sector in November, Luxembourg’s terraces were finally able to open again last week. Despite the existing constraints and the suboptimal weather conditions, many restaurants and bars took part in this Outdoor Reopening, including Buvette Rotondes.
What were your predictions for the reopening of Buvette? Did the first week meet your expectations?
“Well, first of all, we are glad to have the opportunity to reopen our restaurant again. Of course, the circumstances are far from easy and none of us could have made any serious projections of what to expect. Nevertheless, we were hoping for a large number of customers. And on the first days, we were not disappointed on that front, the terrace was well attended, despite the wintry conditions. Hot drinks were almost as sought after as the beer for that matter.
However, the rainy weather of last weekend set us back a bit. In the current circumstances, we are more dependent on the weather than ever, which effectively makes any serious planning for the next few weeks virtually impossible.
All the same, we are happy to be working again and to see the joy in the faces of our customers. We all missed the contact with our guests! Despite the opening, however, our business is still on a tightrope, which makes the government’s continued financial support all the more important.“
The reopening also brought with it a new menu. Based on what considerations were these changes made?
“Throughout the lockdown and the closure of the Horesca sector, we reflected on how we could change and/or improve ourselves. In addition to internal organisational modifications, the reorientation of our cuisine had been on our minds for quite some time. As customers increasingly request vegetarian, vegan, organic and local products, we decided to implement some new ideas with this in mind. Although we haven’t dropped meat altogether from the menu, our main focus is now on vegan/vegetarian street food cuisine. We remained true to our “street food” concept, just with a slightly alternative and more up-to-date twist. In addition to our Summer Tropical Burger, a blend of tofu and mango that goes down exceptionally well with customers, you can also explore our oriental dishes as well as our special ‘Buvette Roll’s’.
With this new menu, we have taken a step closer to our guests and we hope that they will be satisfied. And the first few days have vindicated us in this respect, with feedback that has overwhelmingly been positive. We will continue on this new route and come up with more delicacies in the future.
In addition to our main menu, we are also offering a weekly menu, varying every 7 days. We also retain our Mixed Grill Tuesday, a day on which we offer an exclusive barbeque. As soon as regulations and opening hours allow this and similar evenings will take place again, complete with DJ who will ensure a great atmosphere.“
And your Sunday brunch?
“For some years now, it has been our pleasure to sweeten people’s Sundays with an attractive brunch buffet. Due to the Covid-19 measures and hygiene regulations, we have currently opted for a different kind of brunch. Guests can now decide what they would like to offer their stomachs out of a small selection of the finest organic and local products. In addition to our ‘Avocado Boom’, the menu includes salmon, eggs, fried sausages, croissants, homemade smoothies, jam and chocolates. The brunch takes place every Sunday from 10h00 – 15h00.“
For the time being, table reservations can only be made for Sundays.
More information and reservations: rotondes.lu
Pictures: © Ruben Dos Santos
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