Michael W.
Google
Full disclosure: I am an executive chef with multiple Michelin star experience.
The ambiance, AC-cooled dining room, service, price point, and the meal I had (magret de canard) was on point. Bravo.
However, my partner is vegetarian and the only option is the "vegetarian plate", which is a chef's selection "depending on the season." Even the 3 salads contained meat.
Ok, it's France, and Périgord at that, where meat = dinner. But... as a chef, I really don't like when vegetarians are treated as if their dining experience doesn't matter. It is extremely lazy when a chef can't put the same thought into a veg meal as he/she would a meat dish. And it's the height of summer! Veggies are abundant. How about even some basic items like grilled eggplant, sautéed mushrooms, a ratatouille, stuffed zucchini, roasted corn, a risotto, a cous cous or tajine dish, pommes de terre fondantes, or any number of (relatively easy) items that let your customers know that "everyone should have a good meal at my restaurant."
The veg plate came with a tiny salad, half a baked potato, some cherry tomatoes, and a few thin slices of watermelon and cantelope - for 18€. Same price as the butcher's cut of meat with sauce/fries/salad and only 1€ less than the beef tartare. Surely you can do more with vegetables, which are far cheaper. My wife left hungry and disappointed.
So... 5-stars for the restaurant - for most people - and 0 stars for the lazy chef who couldn't be bothered to take a moment to thoughtfully develop a vegetarian main course (or 2) that are just as delicious, eye-catching, and pre-meditated as the other courses.
I hope this review inspires positive change. Professional cooking is 1000X harder than the TV-chef watching public realizes, but the reason we work so hard is to deliver happiness through a dining experience worthy of their time, money, and trust.
