W C.
Yelp
We stopped in Dijon on our way to Macon to experience all the culinary goodness in this city. After touring Musee des Beaux Arts (HIGHLY recommend--what a magnificent and incredible museum), buying wine, and walking around, we were ready for dinner. And to fulfill our dream: eating beef bourguignon and drinking Burgundy wine IN BURGUNDY.
We sadly didn't plan ahead and several places were already booked up for the night, but DZ'Envies took us in at exactly 7:00 pm and we were grateful because we had a toddler with us who was up way past her bedtime. The restaurant is decorated minimally and has a nice feel to it, and we were seated next to a lovely elderly couple from Switzerland who were infatuated with our daughter and made the evening all the more pleasant.
Drinks. Kir royal (it *IS* Burgundy and you must drink creme de cassis)=A+. The Aperol Spritz was subpar, but nothing will ever top the one we had at Cafe St. Regis in Paris. Wines were good for the price.
Dinner. We started with the salad, which was fine and simple enough and the Escargots Burgundy. Snails were amazing! So buttery, so yummy, so much garlic, this is what France is all about. Our daughter was very happy with her frites. Our main dish, the beef cheeks bourguignon--aka What We Had Been Waiting For--was a massive disappointment. The meat was tender and everything else (mushrooms, pearl onions) was cooked well enough, but the sauce was so watery and bland that we couldn't even believe it. There was no discernible flavor on the plate. One of us has made beef bourguignon at home twice, and it is a sad day indeed to think that your own homemade beef bourguignon is superior to the one that you're eating in Dijon.
Dessert. A few ice cream flavors--gingerbread and apricot rocked the house, while pistachio and lemon played second fiddle. The vanilla creme brûlée was also good, but we're not huge fans of that dessert, though felt obligated to get it at least once in France, so why not.
Service. It seemed like they were trying really hard, but just didn't know what they were doing. The manager lady was awesome and accommodating, but the young woman who was our waitress constantly needed to be given repeat directions (oui, en Francais) or flagged down.
All in all, we had a lovely meal and a wonderful time here and are happy to have gone, but if you're looking for a classic, or even stellar, Beef Bourguignon, then you should go somewhere else.