Michael Pitzner-Bruun
Google
The setting is stunning, we had both lunch and dinner at the restaurant and the lunch was really good - unpretentious southern French food with a good and pleasant service, but the evening dining experience was absolutely not what you would expect from a hotel of this standing. It started with the greeting when we arrived - where it was clear that our designated table had been given to someone else and then the hostess left us hanging and started seating other guests, which was just rude, and I honestly don’t think this has happened to us before in any restaurant that wants to claim to be in the league of Michelin starred restaurants. We asked to be reseated as we were just randomly placed - which was reluctantly done until the restaurant manager came - just a really bad start to the dinner, and feels even more awkward when you are staying at the hotel (we were at the hotel 3 years ago too - very different atmosphere back then). The wine list is good value for money, but the menu is mediocre. The amuse bouche and the first course were delicious (tuna tartare and deep sea scrimps) second course was very nice and delicate (yellow tail with cucumbers) but then totally overpowered but adding caviar ( I love caviar but it has to fit the dish), which seemed to be added more for “poshness” than for the dish itself. The main course was bouillabaisse - which in the attempt to make it chic lost all the richness it normally comes with - especially the soup had been turned into what was more a bouillon like fish/bisque, that dish did not work at all. The desert consisted of a mix of olives, olive oil and chocolate- the idea of mixing salt and sweet is a classic, but the olive oil mousse was almost separated in texture and the olives were overpowering the desert aspects. Compared to what you can get for the same price at Michelin starred restaurants this was a clear disappointment, which is a shame as the location is stunning and it has a lot of potential. The service during dinner was fine and they definitely tried to make up for the unpleasant arrival experience. And then just a small thing but still - the China was chipped which also comes across as below standard for a place like Les Roches Blanches.