La Chaumière - Dole

Best restaurant in France read more Best restaurant in France

Tuesday to Thursday La Chaumière offers a gastronomic bistro menu that is ridiculously good value at under €40 with a good choice of wines by the glass. My star... read more Tuesday to Thursday La Chaumière offers a gastronomic bistro menu that is ridiculously good value at under €40 with a good choice of wines by the glass. My starter was mussels with a sorbet-like celery garnish that brought out all the flavours of moules marinièers with a refreshing twist. Friday to Sunday it's the Michelin-starred tasting menu where chef Césari's tasting menu is first-class. This time the starter was foie gras with pomelos, brought together with a langoustine broth. This, surprisingly, worked extremely well as did everything else on the menu. I suggest booking into the hotel for a couple of nights to enjoy both formats.

We stopped for lunch on our way back from the Alps to the UK. The restaurant is much less austere than it looks on the website, and is rather stunning in a mode... read more We stopped for lunch on our way back from the Alps to the UK. The restaurant is much less austere than it looks on the website, and is rather stunning in a modern style. The chef greeted us and showed us to our table. He returned after service was largely concluded to go round the tables talking to guests, something I like to see. Service was efficient and friendly and I like the way that drinks orders were taken quickly and appetisers also appeared very quickly, rather than the eternal wait that characterises some restaurants. As it was 14th February, the Menu Plaisir was not available, so we ate a la carte. We both had tarte friable and chicken with vin jaune and morilles. The tarte was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten; a superb combination of flavours with the scallops shining through. Absolutely delicious. The chicken was very good, particularly the leg, with superb tiny carrots. I had the Pomelos desert which was visually clever (including a sphere with a clear top of sugar and a white lower half of meringue containing chocolate crumble and a sorbet) and was an excellent combination of sharp and sweet. The mignardises were excellent and a mini desert in themselves. An expensive meal, but well worth it and fully justifying its Michelin star, and its rating in Gault Millau.

Food is indifferent and pretentious when I complained to the owner, she told me I was not the kind of customer for her restaurant jaw dropping read more Food is indifferent and pretentious when I complained to the owner, she told me I was not the kind of customer for her restaurant jaw dropping

... to explore new tastes that spoil your palates ... ... to be treated as real guest as it has to be like ... We‘ve experienced two dinners in this friendly pl... read more ... to explore new tastes that spoil your palates ... ... to be treated as real guest as it has to be like ... We‘ve experienced two dinners in this friendly place, à la carte and the wonderful menu „Plaisir“ „pleasure/treat“ . We‘ve been seated in the nicely designed garden: Cosy atmosphere. The dishes are presented in a delightful way and taste extremely well. The head knows how to combine tastes that offer new experiences. The menu „Plaisir“ offers good choices: exceptionally tasteful amuse bouches so called „Mise en Palais“, preparing the palates , two, three or four courses Carpaccio of calf, Arctic char, lobster, lamb, cheese tasteful goat cheese or a rich variety of hard cheeses , a dessert and little sweets mignardises . Two courses for reasonably priced 72 euros cheese and dessert in addition to the two courses so it is in reality a four course dinner . The service has been attentive and friendly. The hints for local wines have been very helpful: Go for the local wines. The sommelier will find a wine that suits you. And last but not least we‘ve enjoyed two herbal teas, made by a local master in Dole. Just delicious. Our stomachs felt at ease the next mornings. As we’ve slept in the hotel our beds have been just upstairs. We shall return.