We went to Europea expecting to be blown away by an experience similar to that of Per Se or a Michelin star restaurant based upon the reviews here.
This place has pretty good food. The service is excellent. But, unfortunately, I was not blown away by any one dish. The flavors never challenged my palate. There was something about eating here that felt very assembly-line-ish. Every table had the same amuse bouche. Every table was eating the same Lobster Cappuccino. Every table had the same desserts. So while the food was pleasantly presented, it didn't feel like it was served with love. I imagined rows of hundreds of beef jerky apps lined up forever in the kitchen.
Europea puts you through the motions of a fine dining restaurant, but without very much choice or personal aspect to the food. It's a bit like swimming in a pool as a child vs a creek. Sure, the pool is a safe bet. But it's sanitized. The creek has characted and memories. Eating here after eating at the small family restaurant Toroli made me feel sad that this type of experience is what we call fine dining. The meal experience at Europea was clearly designed to appease tourists and wanna-be foodies. I was not impressed by the thin veneer. If I'm going to pay $60 for lunch, I want to be blown away by the food. This simply did not happen. It was a safe experience with little culinary adventure involved. Don't be fooled Yelpers, this is not a 4.5/5 experience.