Auberge de L'Ile Barbe

An unforgettable dining experience... Last night’s dinner with Jean-Christophe and his team was one of the most joyous culinary events of my life. The restaurant’s setting is amazing, tucked away on an island in an old stone house. I was greeted before I even entered by The Chef and one of the two front-of-the-house staff that served. They invited me to have an aperitif outside, which I enjoyed on several large cushioned couches that lie just outside the entrance. The Chef joined me for several minutes to explain the menu and his rationale for it, and to swap stories about our favorite restaurants in San Francisco. Once inside, I was taken to my table where I felt like a King. There were only 4-5 tables in this modern and tastefully decorated room arranged in a circular pattern, with great spacing and a calm, almost worshipful aura permeating throughout. The Chef spent a great deal of time out in the dining room explaining the dishes, supporting wine selections and serving the courses side by side his staff. He seemed to truly be a man at peace with his cooking and his restaurant. And it showed in the food. There was a lollipop starter. A crab and citrus ‘panna cotta.’ The Chef’s signature porcini and foie gras ‘cappuccino’ soup. And a scallop, spinach and truffle lasagna. Mains consisted of a Thai inspired Turbot Tom Yum Goong and a Duck Breast dusted with a 12 spice sachet packet. The various courses spoke to one another and occasionally shared some common ingredients, but each was unique in its presentation and flavors. Multiple desserts followed, including a somewhat surprising cream cake stuffed with artichoke. Attire was not overly formal - a couple sports coats, many without. The wine list was well chosen, diverse and affordable, and presented on an iPad tablet. The fixed menu pricing is higher than most restaurants, but expected (and dare I even say a good value) for a dining experience of this quality. The food, service and setting were all truly memorable. Bravo Chef! If you’re a gourmand, add this to your bucket list. HIGHLY Recommended.

Very special venue. Cozy beautiful room with oval white leather tables. The food was excellent... as was the wine and cheese. Perfect!!! Our only regret.... We forgot our personalized printed menus after dinner. Too much to drink???

The only reason for only five stars is that is the limit on this page. If only I could give more! Be it known that this is not a casual restaurant, though the atmosphere is pleasantly relaxed. Attentive service, direct attention from the chef, a true master of his craft, and . . . not "food," but a series of gastronomic masterpieces all assembled into a coordinated presentation of a dinner to be remembered for the rest of one's life. Some would say this experience is very pricey even expensive. But "expensive" tends to reflect the perception of value received. Our experience was worth every Euro.

A fantastic restaurant with a wonderful meny, a very comprehensive wine list, and a service level of highest rank. Me and my family enjoyed an evening at the restaurant, where we opted for the larger tasting meny. We were first greeted by the chef, and were seated outside in their beautiful garden to enjoy some starters together with a glass of champagne (juice for my two daughters). The chef came by and we discussed the meny and wine options. Afterwards, we were invited to our table, and the feast begun! Every dish was perfectly crafted and presented, and the sequence was timed just right. It took us almost five hours to get through the full meny, and we enjoyed every minute of the experience. We will definitely return to this fine restaurant.

We've made a reservation online for lunch. Received confirmation email. When we've arrive at the restaurant it was closed. We've tried to call but nobody answered. There were no updates on the site or on their answering machine message. We also met with two other couples there who were in the same situation. Not something you would expect from a Michelin stared restaurant.

We came to Lyon to eat, and this was definitely the best meal we had. Attentive and personable service, idyllic setting, and inventive delicious food. Maybe the best meal I've eaten.

A memorable dinner! It was all perfect and exquisite from start to end. The staff is highly professional. Thank you!

Quiet and intimate atmosphere. Food is excellent and the chef takes his time to wander around greeting everyone

Food was not good service was slow,, no attention, left alone for long periods of time. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Chef was very nice but unfortunately his team does not deliver even close.

I was really looking forward to a spectacular meal at a two star restaurant. As in the other reviews, it starts off well - the setting is ideal and the champagne was perfect. Unfortunately the food, for a two star Michelin, was not up to snuff. we ordered the surprise menu with wine paring. We also got the white truffle upgrade. Anyway, we received two pasta cources in a row (maybe not a big deal at Olive Garden but not in a two star...) - one a sort of lobster mac and cheese and the other was our truffle dish. The truffles were smothered in cream and cheese and you lost their taste. After the truffles they brought out a casserole to show us the 24 hour pork roast which was done on a very low heat with some hay. They took that away, and then served us the pork, which when plated consisted of two fatty slices of pork smothered in a honey sauce. Honestly - it was very close to southern BBQ. They must have run out of the actual pork that cooked for 24 hours, because if that meat had been cooked that long there would be no fat left on it. We often cook 7 hour lamb and the fat just melts away. The sauce was so sweet that any subtlety of the cooking process (they put hay in the pot to cook it) was lost. They then served us the cappuccino of porcinis with foie gras soup, the signature dish which is as tired as the chef it seems to me. That turned out to be the end of the meal as we were then asked if we wanted cheese or dessert - very strange way to end the main meal. They only served us white wine which also seems strange for a dinner of that magnitude. When we asked/commented on the meal, the younger waiter mentioned to my friend (who is from Lyon and knows food) that he must not be used to "une grande table". And therein lies the problem - my party is used to "une grande table" and this was not one. I think they are catering to tourists - warning bells should have gone off when we easily got a reservation and then added two people to our party. I do not think French people eat there much, it seems it is more for tourists who are dazzled by the setting and the champagne.

so picture this: the taxi pulls off a bridge, around this tiny tree lined ramp and onto this little island, with gravel roads, old rock buildings and this rather amazing 2 Michelin Starred restaurant. The staff open my door and i step out into the sunshine. would i like a glass of Champagne while sitting on a lounge under the trees? but of course. from the next couch over, the head chef sends his welcome, where he sits smoking a cigar and enjoying a conversation with some guests. As we sip our champagne, 2 little girls in Ballet outfits skip by, followed by a little boy with a silk scarf on a bike - naturally. There were a few Amuses while we still sat outside enjoying the perfect weather before we continued inside. Exposed wood beams, old stone floors, candles - all very rustic, yet refined. and the food. course after course of perfect dishes. There was this lobster and Foie Gras thing that was out of this world. and crayfish with pike mousse. and the "cappuccino" soup. and so much more. The service was spot on. They were polite and knowledgeable while still being friendly and human. At the end, having remembered that we both worked in restaurants ourselves, they gave us a tour of the kitchen. amazing. yes it cost an arm and a leg. but you know what? it was the *perfect* start to a trip designed for food and therefore totally worth it.

They absoluteley deserve their 2 Michelin stars! Tucked away in a little island on the river, this place is worth the trip. Service was impeccable, friendly and extremely attentive. I loved the atmosphere in the small dining area and although the menu isn't very extensive, everything we had was exquisite! We started off with two cute amuses bouche, one served on a spoon and one with a fork. Great start to the meal! Next we had the appetizer of lobster in a curry broth. Perfectly cooked, amazing flavors, and surprisingly light. I almost drank the broth right out of the bowl! For our main course we had a white fish with mushroom sauce. It sounds simple, but the flavors where actually quite complex. I loved the mushroom crust on the perfectly cooked fish and the creamy mushroom sauce it was served with. And for dessert, I had the light and fluffy souffle, followed by these complementary small ice cream cones with homemade crunchy cone and a hard caramel star. Kind of playful, and also delicious. One of the best parts of the meal? The wine, of course! I'm a lightweight and don't usually drink a lot of wine, especially with lunch, but I was in France at a great restaurant. The sommelier highly recommended this white wine that he said was very unique and would go well with our food, and said that we could take the rest home, since we told him there was no way we could finish a bottle of wine with our meal. But it was just so good that we happily finished it all, and left the restaurant happy and a little tipsy.