Baggage Claim Philosopher Patently, A Cut Above feels like the sort of place you’re not supposed to know about, hidden inside the Berwick Springs Hotel like a discreet mafia nightclub where deals are done quietly and the food is used as leverage. You don’t wander in accidentally; you discover it, and then you wonder why no one told you sooner. We went for lunch with four people and ordered a small parade of starters and 1 main to share which immediately escalated into a full-blown commitment.
The seafood linguine was divine, not just good, not just memorable, but genuinely the best I’ve had, the kind of dish that makes you pause mid-conversation and stare at the plate as if it’s betrayed you by being finite. The beef tataki was equally impressive, delicate and perfectly judged, while the oysters, topped with bacon jam or shaved yuzu ice, were confidently above par, playful without being silly, indulgent without apology.
Dessert sealed it. The panna cotta was the best kind, calm, precise, elegant, and the sort of thing that convinces you restraint can still be thrilling.
This is also a place that knows its drinks. We washed it all down with Piper-Heidsieck and what may very well be the best martini in town, the kind that makes you briefly consider ordering another and then wisely deciding not to.
A Cut Above is high class, polished, and unapologetic about it. You pay for the best, and here, you actually get it. It’s the kind of restaurant that doesn’t announce itself loudly; it just delivers, quietly, confidently, and exceptionally.
5 /5