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Special guest contributor Mark takes you to some of the restaurants further afield. Mark is a confirmed Francophile and an accomplished 'foodie'. We certainly hope you will benefit from his jottings. Enjoy! |
Crispol, Fontette
Head through Vezelay, down into St Pere and on towards Avallon. As you leave St Pere you'll see almost at the top of a low hill a modern looking hotel complete with neon sign and fruit orchards in front. Follow the twisty main road up the hill, curving behind the hotel and turn left into the car park. Still modern but certainly not ugly, a bit motel-ish, still somewhat out of place in the region but bear with it. In you go and you'll soon be swimming in a sea of cream tiles, cream walls, shiny everything, polished everything, lots of glass and just well, over the top in a weird French way.
This is modern but not minimalist! It's not buzzy, it's not exciting but coolly rather nice as you settle in. After all, you're here for the food....but don't forget the view. Big picture windows from the dining room give a spectacular view of Vezelay just a few kilometres away back the way you've just driven, the light changing on the basilica. It works at breakfast time, lunchtime and the sunsets aren't bad either. Simply stunning. Good choice on the menus, you'll be well fed as is the Burgundy way and there'll be more than a few modern twists on duck, or lamb or whatever.
The two desserts to go for are the cream cheese (a real Burgundy speciality) and the chocolate mousse. Crispol doesn't do the nice, beautiful and artfully presented mousse that you'd expect from the decor and maybe earlier courses. No, this comes in a huge glass dish as if to feed a party of 20, it's just left for you and you alone to spoon out onto a plate and there'll be questions if you don't eat it all. Oh, and be warned. It's lovely.
Cheval Blanc, Vezelay
You can't really miss this one. It's to the left of the large open area at the base of Vezelay village before you walk up the hill to the basilica. On the corner of the small road which leads along the town walls to the parking under the trees. Umbrellas at the front for outside dining, go inside and it's old world beams, ornaments and cosiness and then a third dining area further through is lighter, airier but still French! In summer the outside tables are brilliant for people watching and also for car fans. For some reason, Vezelay is a must do for car clubs so don't be surprised to see a regular collection of exotic things roll by be it vintage Citroens, gull wings Mercedes, old Rolls Royces, Alfas and badges that you've probably never heard of. How about Salmpson Cars ? Wonderful looking machines.
Good menu choices of local specialities including fish, meat and pasta and a specials blackboard of really good value. You'll eat very well here and yet again presentation is excellent. You'll also eat heartily to say the least. The steaks are big and very, very good. You may see rabbit on the menu, lots of scallops perhaps as a starter with parmesan or with pasta as a main course. Perhaps Guinea fowl, or salmon, or sandre fish.The chef does seem to like far eastern and Indian spices be it in the dish or artfully sprinkled, garnished, hinted at etc The spectacular though is saved 'till last and the deserts are a riot of colour, spun sugar and wild creativity.
Can recommend the wines from just down the road at Asquin
Les Fleurs, Pontaubert
On the right as you go into the village en route to Avallon. It's a nice, crumbly old village with this restaurant as one of the highlights. Behind is a nice garden whilst the inner dining rooms are bright, light and smart with doors opening out onto the garden. More good value menus, yet another good local wine list and very good cooking. Volnay at about 30 euros is a steal - don't share it with too many people....
Auberge du Chenets
Valloux, just south of Avallon
we thought chenets might be a local
rodent served up in a creamy, winey sauce but they're not. This place is a real
gem albeit the position on the main N6 may not initially appeal. But the
welcome will as indeed will everything else about the place. A warm,
welcoming dining room, log fire when needed then you're into real
burgundian cooking, as always now, beautifully presented. And it's not all eye
appeal for at the heart of this restaurant is serious good value cooking 'of
the region'. Fine ham with parsley is a feature of the starters and oeufs a la
meurette is just fantastic. Poached eggs in a red wine sauce sounds a
bit weird and perhaps not too appetising but just try it. It's magnificent
and worth the entrance money alone. And in case you wondered, chenets are fire
irons !
St Etienne, Vezelay
On the left as you walk up the steep hill on the main street to the basilica. A small restaurant mixing stone with very smart, modern lighting. The chef patron worked in the George V in Paris and his wife, who is really nice, does front of house with one assistant. It's serious food, quite pricey (but not Marc Meneau level), very nice. Pork fillet with a chicken mousse stuffing was extraordinarily good.
L'Esperance, St Pere
If you're celebrating...or wanting to try Michelin star cooking....or just wanting to unload cash, this is the place to do it. Marc Meneau is a 2 star (and recently a 3 star) Michelin rated chef and has a splendid place in St Pere, just outside Vezelay.You can't miss it really due his having his name and that of the restaurant on large signs by the main road. Will the food live up to the ego ? Well, the time to go is on a Thursday or Friday lunchtime when he offers a 'value' menu. We'll get to that in a bit.
Park on the road outside the restaurant, or on his extensive property opposite or indeed drive in and have your car valet parked. Up the steps into the rather nice house and reception (it's a hotel as well) and be greeted by very smart, Chateau & Relais badged staff and invited through for a drink. The dining rooms are in the splendid conservatory at the back which in turn overlook a very nice garden. Feel free to wander around and watch the trout in the stream running through the property. Perhaps choose your fish for lunch ?
Back to the menu. Yes, the late week lunch is available at a mere 90 euros (!) with a very limited choice and no cheese on offer. Doesn't sound good ay? We opened the event with a glass of the house champagne cocktail (not included) whilst sitting in the garden, then time to get serious. A magnificent plate of the finest, tastiest ham arrived and that was folowed by the most perfectly cooked salmon dish. A large glass of local wine was served and that reminds me that M. Meneau also has his own vineyards. On then to beef fillets all artfully arranged as seems de rigeur in such places meaning now that it doesn't look much but by now you're suddenly pretty full. More wine, this time a nice gentle red, again local. Remember there's no cheese and we'd pre-ordered souffle for desert. But before dessert came the pre-dessert ! Bloody hell, this was a very large plate of chocolate things, meringue things, pastry things even espresso cups of coffee chocolate mousse. It would ahve fed a family of ten for weeks, so far more use than a senior bank official these days. Then came dessert and to call this a souffle just doesn't do it justice. Grand Marnier, fluffy eggs, a towering top, creamy...just perfection in a dish.
Brilliant cooking, a chat with the man when back in the garden with coffee and those pre desserts, amazing presentation, a walk round the garden and another around the bar lounge (more like a gentleman's club) and we emerged from L'Esperence poorer in cash but dramatically richer in experience and enjoyment. And had lost over four hours of our life - what a way to go.