Winnie May Chan
Google
Food:
Simply put, it’s an embarrassment to French cuisine. Definitely not where I would recommend one to go for a “gastronomic experience” in Ardèche unless you think “gastronomy” means plating every dish with a branch of rosemary and squeezing a little bit of balsamic-esque sauce on the plate. Prior to making our reservations, we had called in advance to make sure that there are vegetarian options available because I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian. The restaurant ensured us that they do accommodate for a vegetarian diet so we proceeded with the reservations. When we got to the restaurant, one of the managers said that they can prepare a vegetarian quiche for me as an entree with a side of local greens and for the main course, I will have a choice of pasta or potatoes with local legumes (which sounded appealing, because fresh and locally grown vegetables here in Ardèche naturally tastes AMAZING - I know this from experience having lived in Ardèche for work in the early fall and the summer months and benefiting from getting my produce from the local farmers). My entree, was a sad looking vegetarian quiche with large leafy greens drenched in olive oil and balsalmic vinegar (with that ridiculous aforementioned “sauce” splattered on the side of the plate in attempt to give it that “gastronomic” appearance. To my dismay, the tiny slice of quiche was served cold - like it was leftover from the brunch service earlier. It’s a shame, because the quiche was definitely flavorful, but serving cold leftovers at an upscale restaurant is utterly disappointing. Furthermore, the main course was a disgrace... to vegetables and everyone who knows how to cook. I was given a plate of under seasoned seared potatoes bits and a few pieces of overcooked and under seasoned aubergine, zuchinni (corgettes), and red pepper. It was literally two julienned slices of pepper, diced, two rondels of zuchinni and aubergine, diced and sautéed and forgotten in the pan. Instead of a side of pasta like I asked, they gave me a side of bland and undercooked mashed potatoes. Fried Potatoes and mashed potatoes in one dish... seriously?! Anyway, one of the managers also offered to give me a side of greens which again, was the large pieces of lettuce drenched in balsalmic and olive oil (ironically it was the best thing that was on my plate). My last course, I just ordered cheese because it’s something one cannot mess up. The meat dishes that other members of my group was having didn’t look anything special either. Overall, I am utterly disappointed with the experience I had because the chef made absolutely no effort. I dine out quite a lot around the world eating at some of the best restaurants from Michelin stars to restaurants fronted by up and coming chefs; cooking vegetarian is not a limitation, rather, it ignites creativity and introduces unimaginable flavours and texture. For example, just look at three Michelin Star chef Alain Passard’s Arpège (Paris) and La Bijouterie in Lyon (has an up and coming young chef). Needless to say, will not be returning to this restaurant again.
Service:
Mostly inattentive and below average especially for a higher end restaurant.
Ambiance:
It’s such a pity that the food and service is subpar because the location is beautiful and chic for Ardèche.
