Just got reminded that I left you all hanging in regard to the Michelin restaurant so I had better go back three nights and address this. It was simply a great, genuine experience. We first chose our menu out of three options. I chose the local one but without two courses- the trout and the smoked eggs. WH chose the beef menu without the frogs legs. They then presented us each with a little typed menu translated in English. . Next we were to choose an aperitif from the cart, this was just a ginormous bucket of ice with about 8 bottles of bubbles in. The sommelier (that’s fancy for wine man who knows everything about wine) explained each bottle and then asks us to choose. “You go” i say to WH, no “you go” he says and I know that we are secretly scared we may order a 100 euro glass of champagne. If so what a waste on WH when i know he really wants to order a beer but there is none on the trolley. I order and it’s delicious. Even WH says its tasty.
With two deleted courses I had four to come and before the first course even began we are first given some sort of water in a small glass which cleans and refreshes the mouth. Next the most delicious mousse thing, followed by this little biscuit thing with beef carpaccio on top again delicious. We haven’t even started our menu yet and a little loaf of warm you guessed it delicious looking bread and a big spoon of whipped up butter turns up. I say delicious “looking” as I am trying to just stare at it. Step away from the bread. Luckily the first course is served.
As you can see from above it’s served beautifully. Those green balls in mine are mustard ice cream and WH’s bit on the side is like beef crackle. Mine has a little brioche bread with it which they pour over some sort of olive oil sauce. They tell you where each ingredient is from either from their own gardens or the producer 2ks down the road, some of which they have worked with for over 20 years. Then next comes the Breton lobster which i don’t enjoy nearly as much as the tomatoes.
We had ordered a lovely Pinot noir from the area (the prices were on the menu so it wasn’t to hard) and enjoy the next rounds of courses. I am extremely grateful that I skipped two. The service is exceptional and they accept our nearly non-existent French with joviality and most of the time there English is enough for us to get the gist.
We end on dessert and the soufflé was delicious but I had eaten it all before remembering to take a picture of the other courses and anything else as the meal went on.
The place used to be a pub where the Michelin chef grew up and he took it over when his parents died and it’s now a restaurant where people from everywhere go to.It still has a pub meal across the road, where we ate on the first night and it was a good pub meal. Just before the main we are asked to go to the kitchen to meet the Chef. It is a hive of activity and the chef shakes our hands, we talk about where we are from “nouvelle Zealand” as we always like to get that in quick. He takes a piece of meat with some green stuff though it (some sort of leaf) and sears it on a very hot cast iron plate, whilst telling us these are the same plates his father used 40 years ago and it has all the history and all the flavours in it. It is delicious.
So all in all. A 9 out of 10 for fancy food. A 10 our 10 for service. A wonderful and memorable experience. Not one I think I would need to do again but the delightful unpretentious service and staff made me very glad we picked this restaurant to do it in.
PS
Just as a side note I will say that on finishing this delightful meal we were both extremely full. The young couple sitting next to us had the full menu and ate the bread and they were skinny. Also further to all of the above both of us had an upset stomach that night and a crappy sleep. In the morning we went to the restaurant for a pot of mint tea (not even coffee) and a slice of dry baguette and sat in awe as the said young couple ate a course of yoghurt and fruit, followed by a plate of meat and cheese and bread, followed by three pastries each. We are amateurs.
PPS the champagne was not 100 euro a glass, phew.