France Restaurants See also Restaurants in Paris and Food in France: Wine, Markets, Books |
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Valence is simply a nice French city located along the Rhône River with
an excellent, newly awarded, Michelin 3-star restaurant headed by Chef Anne-Sophie Pic.
One of those unforgettable moments was when, without asking, I was invited into the
kitchen. Anne-Sophie Pic took the time to shake my hand while I watched her and the
staff at work for a few minutes. Memorable, let me tell you.
Later in the evening, Chef Pic came by each table and we had another handshake and
a few moments to say thank you to her for a most delightful dinner.
Our Menu - "HIVER DECLARE"
L'AMUSE-BOUCHE
LES COQUILLAGE DES COTES FRANCAISES
LA LOTTE DE PETITS BATEAUX
LE LAPIN REX AU POITOU
LES FROMAGES FRAIS ET AFFINES
LE MARRON DE L'ARDECHE ET LE CASSIS
We were celebrating two birthdays and every other event we could think of.
Including a cocktail, water, wine and coffee the bill came to 486 euros.
For a very special treat, do book with Maison Pic. It was perfect.
We arrived early and had not reserved for Saturday lunch.
There is a cozy, busy, even chaotic ambiance in this smallish restaurant that is
part of Des Bistrots de Cusiniers by Chef Lacombe right in the center of Lyon.
Do note: we were in the bistrot next to the much pricier restaurant
of the same name with chef Jean-Paul Lacombe.
And there are 8 other restaurants in the group called Des Bistrots de Cusiniers.
Saturday lunch came to 52 euros for the two of us.
I would recommend booking a table, as this is a great little find
and it is always busy!
Le Petit Léon
The Caro de Lyon has a most unique decor - it's like being in an old bookshop and there are
real books on the shelves you can pick up and read.
Located just behind the Opera you really should book a lunch or dinner here.
We had the house cocktail and the set menu at 39 euros, half a bottle of water and
a bottle of Saint Joseph 2004 red wine.
I found the wine a bit overpriced at 52 euros, frankly.
But the ambiance, food, service and a nice night out on the town was worth it.
Total: 154 euros for two
Le Caro de Lyon
Our hotel, the Casa Païral,
was delightful, perfectly situated, with a dainty swimming pool, lovely large patio courtyard with a
fountain, trees and flowers.
Collioure is anchovy country. So we bought anchovies in a local shop to take home.
We had an excellent dinner at the Neptune restaurant.
This Michelin one-star restaurant has a superb
view on the port and the town and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.
Neptune Restaurant
Casa Païral
Languedoc-Roussillon
Once every ten years we visit a top restaurant in France. With a trip to the Alps
for skiing we decided to stop in Roanne and have dinner at La Maison Troisgros.
Troisgros is in every guide book worth its salt and the evening was simply perfect.
We started with cocktails in the modern bar area done in brown and beige tones with soft lighting.
The dining room is also subdued, modern and comfortable... well it should be you might say, but
one wouldn't expect anything less.
My partner chose the Black Truffle - La Truffe Noire menu which had truffles in every dish
except the cheese. Truffles were used with scallops, chestnuts, pears, and rabbit.
Pierre was over the moon.
My choice was the Winter Menu - Impression d'Hiver which included oysters, foie gras, scallops,
and lobster. Exceptional for me as well.
If you feel like a splurge, La Maison Troisgros would be a great place to put on your 'to visit' list.
So with aperitifs, two menus, 2 bottles of wine and water, our bill came to 480 euros which included
the 13% service charge. With the federal tax of 94 euros on top of that, you can see what I mean by splurge.
La Maison Troisgros
Our charming room had a lovely terrace with lounge chairs and a view on to the ever changing
rising and lowering of the tides.
The evening meal for five of us included oysters, a variety of fish dishes, cheese and
desserts. The web site has a good overview of the set menus and à la carte offerings.
Set Menu - from 30 to 83 euros
This lovely restaurant is located within the heart of the Château de Chantilly, under the arches of
the ancient kitchens of Vatel.
We had a most pleasant lunch with table settings and copper kitchenware passed down from the Duke of Aumale.
Chef Benoit Détemmermann prepared us a lovely lunch and the service was good.
This is also where you discover the secrets of genuine Chantilly whipped cream - so be sure
to order a dessert with Chantilly cream.
Starters from 7 euros, main dishes from 9.50 and desserts from 6.50.
La Capitainerie - Château de Chantilly
We had a most wonderful traditional Savoyard dinner - with, do believe me -
a view from our table on the cows in the stables.
We had the house apéritif, delicious cheese fondue, super blueberry tarte,
local Jacquerre white wine and coffee. The bill came to 48 euros each.
I returned the next day to visit the cows at 18:00 and in the farm shop I bought
the most delicious cheeses at unbeatable prices.
Raclettes starting at 25 euros
La Ferme de l'Adroit
We left Paris from the Gare de l'Est for a 2 hour trip to Epernay and stopped at the doors to the champagne
cellars of Mercier.
Mercier champagne was served on the trip and in their beautiful reception room with a
nine meter high ceiling.
There are even 'street' names so you don't get lost and beautiful wall sculptures along the kilometer long streets.
On the trip back to Paris we had a very, very good dinner starting with Bisque d'Ecrevisses,
followed by Foie Gras de Canard with Mango Chutney.
Then veal with sauce Bonnefoy as the main course.
And to end the meal a cheese platter and a delicious Charlotte with apples and pears for dessert.
The white wine was Pouilly Fumé Michel Bailly les Loges (2003) and the red Château
Beau Site Saint-Estèphe (1998).
Coffee, bread by Max Poilâne and the catering by Lenôtre.
The Pullman Orient Express is a great idea for a company excursion. We were about 200 people.
Thank you to Arche - Omnetica Group and Nokia.
It was really a special treat to take the train.
For a lovely lunch or dinner at reasonable prices, do try Le Pyrène. It's a contemporary ambience,
with beautiful and unique presentation plates, on the main street in Saumur.
My poêlé Saint-Jacques with lobster sauce and a Catalan crème brulée were
ever so tasty.
We shared a Minevoir red wine that went with fish and meat very nicely.
This restaurant is very good value for money, with the bill coming to 28 euros per person for a
main dish, dessert, wine and coffee.
Le Pyrène
It seemed strange to go to a restaurant called le Bistro de Paris, stay in
the Grand Hôtel de Paris and not be in Paris... as we were, in fact, in Laval.
You simply cannot believe your eyes when you see a three-course 23 euro menu by chef Guy Lemercier.
Value for money in every sense of the word. Chef Lemercier even takes the orders at each table himself,
which is a lovely personal touch.
The decor is art nouveau, with wall to wall mirrors brightening the room. The impeccable service
from start to finish was the cream on top of a most delightful dinner.
I had a frivolité de bar à l'oeuf éclaté, jus léger au cerfeuil
to start and Pierre chose the flan léger de foie gras, salade de rouget barbet, crème de flageolets.
Continuing with fish for our main course, Pierre had blanc de turbot, duxelle à la sauge, jus de
brocolis aux bigorneaux and the chef suggested lotte en escalopines macaronade de foie gras, jus vanillé
for me.
Our white wine was Ladoix, Les Hautes Mourottes, 1998 which went perfectly with the meal.
The desserts were heavenly: truffe glacée au romarin et banane caramélisée, dattes
au safran and meringue de fruits frais à la pistache.
We decided to have a dessert wine, too: a 1990 Côteaux de Layon - pure nectar.
We strolled back to our hotel enjoying views of the town on a warm evening. Perfect.
Le Bistro de Paris
In the heartland of France, between Poitiers and Clermont-Ferrand you'll find Châteaumeillant.
We left the autoroute for the tranquility of a small town, a lovely auberge and
a most excellent restaurant - the Le Piet à Terre.
The 'Menu au fil des nos inspirations' tempted both of us and we were most impressed.
Our starter was garden fresh green asperagus with white and black truffles, then turbot on a bed of
artichokes, followed by a homard and celery emulsion. The meal continued with pigeon and
ended with 2 wonderful desserts.
"The flavors exploded in my mouth." Pierre said - talking about each dish!
My oh my, but this was a dinner more than worth the detour. Excellent.
We had a small glass of wine, each different that matched the flavor, freshness and beauty of
each dish.
With color, creativity, modern and old world charm, take the time to have a meal
at Le Piet à Terre on your next trip around central France.
Le Piet à Terre
Set Menu: 33 to 86 euros
Our table looked out over the Alps in Courchevel on a splendidly sunny day.
Pierre started with sea urchins on a bed of sea salt and topped with a crème de coquillage, followed
by tender lamb with an anchovy dip and a chocolate dessert with passion fruit.
I chose the Saint-Jacques with 5 salad greens for my main course and had a melt-in-your-mouth pear with honey and
lemon sauce for dessert.
We shared a half bottle of white Condrieu 2002 La Loge - Jean Michel Gerin and a red Margaux 1996 from the
Château Marquis de Mons. Heavenly.
The service was perfection as was the beautiful presentation and taste for each dish we had
including the mise en bouche and the mousse d'epinard with a shrimp emulsion.
Lunch lasted from 13:30 to 16:30 and it was a most memorable way to remember our skiing holiday in
the "3 Valleys" of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens.
Bateau Ivre - Hôtel Pomme de Pin
Put this lovely auberge on your to visit list.
We had the most perfect lunch in the most beautiful surroundings - the glowing fire added a special touch.
The dark wood beam ceilings, linen table clothes and very friendly and efficient service
made us feel right at home.
There were three plat du jour featuring boar, hare and deer: civet de sanglier (13 euros),
civet de lievre (15 euros) and civet de biche (14 euros).
Tarte tartin was also a house specialty,
but our main course servings were so copious we didn't have room for dessert!
We had a lovely Beaujolais nouveau wine which went perfectly with lunch.
Le Beauharnais
I had to laugh at a the description of dinner in a
Paris restaurant in Metropole Paris. It reminded me of a rather
tasteless late supper in a not to be named Japanese hole-in-the wall place
in Paris I'd had recently.
Yes, sometimes, one does not dine all that fabulously in the land
of wonderful cuisine.
Ric Erickson writes: "[My meal] was very good, even if I thought
it was the strangest veal with ham and melted Cantal that I had ever
seen. I dug right in and didn't look up until I was finished. I couldn't
believe I ate the whole thing.
Ric's story did, fortunately, lead me to the most mouthwatering descriptions
of food and wine by Randy Harber.
Randy has a collection of restauants and travel tales from a recent
visit to France and Paris that will have you packing your bags now just
to try out all the places he has written about.
"Les 3 Cedres, R.N. 113 - 33190 Gironde-sur-Dropt, Tel. 05.56.71.10.70
-- Jean Jacques Dugardin, the chef at Les 3 Cedres, does not yet have
a Michelin star, but I don't think, judging by his food, that he has
long to wait.
Among our starters was a Moelleux D'eschates une Poignee de Girolles
Saute Quelque Herbs du Jardin, which translates to be shallots with
a handful of chanterelle mushrooms sauted with herbs from the garden.
Moelleux, which means soft, lush and velvety, is just about the right
set of adjectives to describe this dish. The shallots have lost all
their sharpness, blending smoothly with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms,
laced with hints of parsely and thyme.
But the starter I chose was even more spectacular. The menu promised
vegetables -- cooked in a pot-au-feu -- layered with foie gras. What
that meant when the plate came was a slice from a terrine made with
a layer of Next came a fillet of dorade, known to us as red snapper. It was sauted,
then served atop a cake of polenta and napped with a butter sauce made,
the chef told us later, with sauternes, chardonnay, and cream. Mixed
in were grapes that had been sauted in a beefy broth and chunks of toasted
almonds.
Then came the main courses. Among them was braised lamb shoulder served
with sauted veal sweetbreads over creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. Another
include confit of duck, taken off the bone, packed into a ring mold,
covered with a thin layer of mashed potatoes and topped with a nest
of toasted leeks.
I had loin of rabbit, the tender meat covered with a mixture of four
spices and baked. The loin was placed atop a cake of saffron laced potatoes.
The dish was garnished with halves of plumb tomatoes that had been slow
roasted with thyme and olive oil until they just melted on your tongue.
With these wonderful dishes we drank a red Graves, Chateau Lehoul
Plenitude 2000..."
See what I mean? And this is just one of the restaurants - do read
the wonderful dining adventures in Randy's web column The Fire and the
Hearth.
We had a pleasant lunch at Les Moulins Bleues in Thionville. Ironically it was a 'restaurant
de Provence'!
We chose to eat indoors as it was nearly 40C outside on the umbrella
covered terrace.
Tip: when the weather is just too hot, ask for a table indoors!
Savor this description of the gastronomy in Lorraine, which I quote
from this web page: "La quiche est le plat préféré des Français. Mais en Lorraine,
il n'y a pas que la quiche, ou la potée, même si elles se savourent
avec bonheur surtout en hiver.
Etangs et rivières regorgent de carpes, sandres et brochets... Les
forêts sont à l'origine de mets savoureux... Le célèbre pâté lorrain,
ainsi que le petit salé, ou bien encore le munster géromé, le brouère
et le vachelin sont des spécialités du terroir...
Une gastronomie qui intègre dans ses recettes les petits fruits
dont bien sûr la mirabelle, fruit d'ambre et de pourpre, véritable
ambassadeur aux couleurs de notre région.
La bière a trouvé en Lorraine une terre d'élection et entre dans
la composition de bon nombre de mets. Sans oublier le vin gris de
Toul et les vins blancs de Moselle et de côtes de Meuse..."
From the web pages in English, one learns this: Born in Domremy,
Joan of Arc, France's symbolic figure of patriotism, led the army
of King Charles VII to victory in driving the English out of the country,
and thus became patron of Saint France.
Les Moulins Bleues Offical Web Site: Lorraine
Conseil Régional
What a lovely dinner we had in Oiron, which is in
the Deux Sèvres département, and only a short drive
from the Château de Ranton,
The fresh warm asparagus starter was perfect; the fish of the day
so tasty, and that was followed by a platter of more than a dozen
cheese to choose from.
Then I had a beautifully presented dessert with crème
brulée in a white porcelain pot and coffee-flavored ice
cream.
A four-course meal for just 20 euros with friendly service and staff
that speak English in case your French is a bit rusty.
Relais du Château Château de Ranton: http://www.rantoncastle.com/
The choice was not easy, but we opted for the 80
euros menu and we were so pleased!
The mise en bouche started with cappachino de palourdes,
homard gratiné and The omble chevalier en meunière was a perfectly done
deep water mountain fish, which had a delicate 'trout' flavor. The
Roulade de cochon du Cantal that Pierre had was mouthwatering.
The wine waiter suggested the Pinot Noire 2001, vin de Savoie, to
accompany our meal. It was an excellent choice.
Dessert was heavenly - pomme confite au miel de sapin - apple
with honey and an assortment of chocolates and other delights followed
by an excellent coffee.
I shook hands with Chef Rochedy and he told me his team of 18 was
'an orchestra'. Our lunch was an unforgettable dining experience on the sunny terrace
accessible directly from the ski pistes. Simply amazing!
From the web site: "Dans un décor alpestre et la chaleur des
boiseries, découvrez une des meilleures tables de Savoie. Fort de
son restaurant entièrement rénové, Michel Rochedy vous propose sa
cuisine toujours inventive, à la fois traditionnelle et originale.
Vous pourrez déjeuner sur la terrasse ensoleillée au bord des pistes,
ou dîner dans la salle à manger principale ou en salon privé dans
une ambiance feutrée et luxueuse, pour le plus grand plaisir de vos
sens."
Hotel & Restaurant Le Chabichou
Montluçon is in the heart of the
Auvergne region and the Le Grenier à Sel restaurant is worth
the trip for lunch or dinner. They also have spacious and elegant rooms
from 80 to 100 euros. The hotel was fully booked but reception graciously
helped us on the spot to book the comfortable Hôtel des Bourbons
- 46 euros for a double.
Our dinner was simply perfect. The cold zuchinni soup with white
truffles was exquisite. I had ham on the bone and my partner a 'sardinade'
and we enjoyed a bottle of Julienas Beaujolais 2000. This was followed
by fromage blanc au huile d'olive fermier and then gorgeous
fruit tarte desserts. The food, wine, service and setting all got
an A+ in my book.
Montluçon has a lovely medieval old town which was lively
and fun to walk around after dinner. The Hôtel des Bourbons,
a 10-minute walk from the restaurant was perfect for a short night's
sleep.
Le Grenier à Sel Hôtel des Bourbons
Vicomte and Vicomtesse Vignial hosted
the most memorable Renaissance dinner at their splendid castle on a
beautiful evening in late June.
With long dresses for the women and tights, short trousers, We visited the château grounds, the kitchen garden and admired
the view from the formal gardens of the rolling countryside, the splendid
keep and castle and the ruins of what were once outer fortress walls.
While sipping a cool mulled wine we sampled a dozen different kinds
of appetizers before listening to renaissance music and all of us
danced to a tune played on a renaissance instrument.
We had a foie-gras and pear starter, followed by duck and carrots
and a creamy cake dessert. I don't have the recipes, but each dish
had flavors quite different from what one is used to.
Ginger, spices and herbs enlivened the flavor of dishes one knows
by name, giving them a very special and enjoyable taste.
The French television channel TF1 filmed the entire evening and
the story was shown on the 13:00 news program on 8 August 2002.
View more photos http://www.wfi.fr/paris/renaissance/
from this enchanting evening.
With the perfect excuse of taking some
good friends to lunch, we drove towards Chartres from Boullay. Winding
our way on the back roads rather than taking the autoroute, we
arrived at Esclimont Castle for a delectable lunch.
Our table for four looked out on the gardens and moat of the castle.
We had snapped photos before going in, admiring the park surrounding
the Château. The sun came out as we finished dessert. We all chose the menu gastronomique at 58 euros accompanied
by a Chinon Château de la Grille 1997 for 39 euros.
The deserts were simply divine and we wondered how we could continue
eating after so many courses - but we did.
The kirs we had before lunch were not made with Aligoté white
wine - they should be in my opinion. But the setting in one of the
salons made up for the overly sweet aperitif. A scotch on the rocks
or a glass of champagne would have been a better choice.
You'll need a car to get to the castle and be sure to reserve for
lunch or dinner. It is well worth the visit and from central Paris
it is about an hour's drive.
Château d'Esclimont
L'Hostellerie de l'Horizon, nestled in
the hills above Gan, is owned by Monique and Pierre Eyt. Pierre began
his career in Pau and has been at the prestigious Palais in Biarritz,
the Château de Brindos and the Martinez in Cannes.
The choice for lunch was so difficult as every dish was tempting.
We settled on Blinis de noisette aux oeufs de saumon and Velouté
crémeux de potiron, raviole de canard as starters. Heaven.
For dessert we had gratin de fruits au sabayon de jurançon, crème
d'amandes and grosse tuile dentelle, glace au greuilh de brebis,
sirop d'érable et coulis réglisse. More heaven.
And, not forgetting the main course, we had the choix de poisson
and for wine a delicious Jurançon wine, Chapelle-de-Rousse.
And more heaven.
There's a selection from the current menu here http://www.hostellerie-horizon.com/carte-eng.html
to tempt you, too!
There are seven lovely rooms with a view on the surrounding woods
on the hills of Gan set in a haven of calm among 8,000 square meters
of trees.
I hope you'l have a chance to stay and enjoy many a meal at L'Hostellerie
de l'Horizon!
L'Hostellerie de l'Horizon
See also: http://www.parisinsites.com/guzet/home.html
On our trip to Guzet the half-way point was perfect: we had lunch
in Vers at La Truite Dorée, a lovely restaurant and hotel.
My partner, Pierre, ordered foie gras and confit de canard. We both
tried the 1996 Bergerac Château Montravel white wine - excellent!
I had trout with almonds as a main course and the tarte aux noix
dessert, which is a specialty of this restaurant.
A 1990 Château de Chambert, appellation Cahors controlée
red was perfect with our main course.
La Truite Dorée
Our dinner at the Jacques Decoret restaurant was one of the finest
dining experiences I've ever had in France. Simply superb from start
to finish. Decidedly contemporary decor, creative cuisine and perfect
service means you should put this restaurant on your 'to do' list.
We chose the 270 franc menu and the entrées the day we dined
offered snails or foie gras, followed by coquilles Saint-Jacques or
lamb, a platter of 12 regional cheeses and either a delictable pear or apple-based dessert.
We had a white St Pourçain and a red Côte Roannaise
which both went delightfully with our meal.
I regret not taking photos of the exquisite and creative presentation
of every dish - pure artistry. The Gault Millau guide calls it 'une
adresse en or!' and the Michelin Guide Rouge gives it a one star:
I couldn't agree more.
Jacques Decoret
See also: Travel Articles by Linda Thalman |
Being the first customers of the day, we had a choice of tables and
attentive service for ordering the house aperitif, set menues and a
pot of Beaujolais.
Murano lighting, mugs, flowers, all kinds of nicknacks, paintings... you don't quite know where
to look there's so much to take in.
What a jewel of a port town Collioure is.
We enjoyed a most pleasant stay in the Hôtel-Restaurant de la Marine and had a fine dinner.
Absolutely one of the most original restaurants I have ever been to.
A special invitation for a special train experience on the Pullman Orient Express was simply first-class.
Millions of bottles of champagne are stored in the cellars which were dug out of the limestone.
We were entertained with jazz music and a magician who took my watch off and
put it on his wrist in a blink of an eye while doing a card trick... simply amazing.
Five of us had a most enjoyable dinner selecting from their regional specialties -
Languedociennes, Catalanes et Midi-Pyrénéennes.
We'd planned to have lunch at the Bateau Ivre for about a year - and what a delight.
The two dining rooms are decorated with harnesses, fishing equipment, farm tools and stuffed animals.
I couldn't believe that Nigel had only eaten a third of his. As he pulled
and hacked at what looked like a yellow glob glued to a slab of grey
rubber, it occurred to me that my veal might have been his stewed beef."
tiny leaks, cooked soft in the meaty broth of the pot-au-feu, then a
thick layer of foie gras, then another layer of leaks followed by more
foie gras and then finished with a final layer of leeks.
We drove through the Lorraine region of
France going and coming back on our trip to Germany.
where we spent the Easter weekend.
gaspacho avec guacamole. Devine. Pierre had the mushroom consommé
and I was delighted with a Beaufort cheese starter.
I can indeed confirm that our meal was a 'symphony' from start to
finish. The 2 stars awarded by Michelin and the 18 out of 20 rating
from the Gault Millau were spot on.
splendid hats for the men, we looked and felt like we were of a different
era.
From the Riviera to Gan - Pierre and his wife Monique - with her ever
present smile and good humor - welcomed us personally as she will
for all their guests.
The lunch set menus ranged from 82 to 115 francs - all good value
for money.
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