For the past few weeks, Scott’s Pub in the Grund offers a new dining experience: the First Floor. Far from the traditional, yet tasty, burgers and fries served on the ground floor, welcome to an ethical, creative and ephemeral universe that lives according to the seasons.
Ephemeral
João explains: “Nothing stays on the menu for long. Whether it’s the dishes or the cocktails!” So you’ll have to come regularly to taste all the novelties of the creative duo: João Russo, behind the bar and in the restaurant, invents his cocktails according to the seasons. Orlando Ribeiro works in the kitchen, offering refined, surprising and appetising dishes.
On that Thursday, the day of our visit, the bar tender is preparing its latest creation: the “Make Me This a Pear”. A tequila and pear cocktail, whose peak season is autumn. “We worked around this fruit, using a Luxembourg pear brandy, and we prepared a tequila with pink berries.” The result is fresh, light and fragrant. Prost!
Ethical
For his part, the chef prepares his seasonal dishes. Here, the menu changes every month.
“We work as much as possible with local or regional products,” explains Orlando Ribeiro. “Our honey comes from Echternach for example, our ceps from local forests, we work with the grocery shop Thym Citron, which always chooses high quality products and tries to promote small producers, our herbs are largely “home-made”…”
“In order to reduce carbon emissions, our wines have not gone beyond the borders of Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, etc.) and we do not use products that have to be brought in from too far away, such as exotic fruits,” adds João Russo.
It is clear that the restaurant aims to be ethical and eco-responsible. These are often imperceptible details,” explains Orlando Ribeiro, “but they are important in the end! For example, we try to use as little water as possible in the kitchen.”
Zero waste
And being ethical and eco-responsible also means “recycling”. “We don’t throw anything away, we have a zero waste policy”, explain the partners. For his cep and oyster mushroom dish, the chef used “coffee beans that had already been used by João for a cocktail. I made an oil and a coffee butter with them.”
“We also do a lot of work on fermentation. For another dish, I used tomatoes from this summer, as well as rhubarb from July, and it makes delicious sauces.” Validated!
Cosy atmosphere
The First Floor is therefore different from Scott’s pub, but its philosophy remains the same: “We want to keep people with us as long as possible so that they have a great time! You can arrive early for a cocktail and then take your time with a good meal! We don’t have services, so you arrive when you want and leave when you want!” The vibe is evident all the way up to the bar beams, with rows of Polaroids of customers’ tables hanging over your heads!
The First Floor,
4 Bisserweg
L-1238 Luxembourg
Wednesday to Saturday, 6pm to 10pm (kitchen closing time).
In summer, the terrace along the Alzette, with one of the most beautiful views of the Grund, is reserved for the restaurant.
www.scotts.lu/en/thefirstfloor
Photo d’en-tête : The First Floor