Meredith A.
Yelp
It took me two years, but I finally came back for a second visit. The food was just as glorious as I remembered, although this time the service was quite disappointing. But oh, it is worth it. And I'm hopeful that it was just a blip. Honestly they could throw this food at you with a scowl and it would still be worth going here. It's so good.
We managed to snag their last reservation for a Saturday night, and enjoyed the assiette of charcuterie - just as good as I remembered it, and served with beautiful warm homemade bread. For our mains, we shared the crispy duck confit with gratin potatoes, french beans, and bacon, and the pan fried stone bass with saffron confit potatoes, tomato, and samphire. It would be impossible to say whose dish was better, as they were both perfect examples of what great duck and fish should be. I normally favour fish dishes, and while this one was perfectly cooked, light, flavourful, and lovely, the duck was the big surprise. It was so succulent, with really flavourful meat and wonderful potatoes served in an individual cast iron bowl. It could easily be the best duck I'd ever had. The vanilla creme brûlée was a classic way to finish the meal. Very delicious, with flecks of vanilla bean visible.
I don't know what happened with the service, to be honest. Large party upstairs, maybe? We didn't even get menus for ages, and had to ask for them. My request for tap water (I'm pregnant, so get pretty thirsty all the time) wasn't met without a reminder. That's how the whole evening felt. Honestly, I got the feeling it was a language barrier issue. One young woman, perhaps French (as several staff seemed to be), just could barely understand us. She had to get the manager to talk to us when she couldn't understand what I'd said when I asked for "tap water." It was a shame, because the food was so fantastic and very good value. Even if sometimes there is a service blip, an apology would have been nice, as I think we were noticeably waiting for menus and drinks for quite an unusual length of time.
Still, it wouldn't stop me from coming back, especially to take advantage of the set menu deal. I am telling you, I do not know how they make their food so delicious, but it's worth driving from afar to taste it for yourself.