Halfway through my trip in the Savoie, I met up with friends for lunch at Le Bateau Ivre (“The Drunken Boat,” from a poem of the same name written by Rimbaud), a two star restaurant situated in a beautiful and intimate park overlooking Lake Bourget. We were welcomed warmly by a young man at the front desk and lead to a corner table by the chef’s daughter. The dining room is modern in style with tables spaced far enough from each other that one cannot not hear conversations from other diners. Large floor to ceiling windows offer stunning views of Lake Bourget, the largest lake in France. Only the three star Le Petit Nice in Marseille has a more dramatic and sweeping view of water, in this case the Mediterranean.
Four menus are on offer in addition to the carte. We chose the Menu Rimbaud, a tasting of eleven dishes plus all the extras at the beginning and end. Four of the plates are fish and shellfish, five if one chooses not to have lamb, the only meat course in the menu. Pride of place belongs to the Omble Chevalier, a delicate fish caught in local waters and a must when dining in these parts. The Omble was roasted and sauced with an emulsion of wild garlic that was mild enough not to overpower the fish. There were no missteps in the entire meal, and each course was spaced at just the right intervals. The cooking here has it all - quality of ingredients, beautiful plating, intensity of flavor, texture, creativity and balance of ingredients on each plate. This is close to three star cooking, lacking only a bit more refinement that distinguish restaurants like Troisgros, Le Petit Nice, Pic and Michel Guerard. The bread (three different ones on offer) at Le Bateau Ivre is delicious, and one knows the quality of the bread making when a small loaf is broken to expose a large amount of air pockets inside. A cheese course is not included in the Menu Rimbaud. During the three hours we were there, I saw only one table eating cheese.
Service is informed, attentive and engaging. The wine list could use some breadth and depth if the restaurant aspires to a third star. We drank the 2006 La Pousse d’Or Clos de la Bousse d’Or, the second oldest vintage on offer of the red burgundies. The highly competent and engaging sommelier told us it was the last bottle she had, and what a beautiful bottle it was. Slight bricking, intense nose of black fruit, flowers, earth, violets and a touch of game. Good concentration and mouth filling, with flavors of cherries and violets. Palate staining finish. This drank beautifully for the first two hours only to tighten in the third hour. The restaurant’s cellar is probably not cold enough as this bottle was just a touch above proper serving temperature.
After the meal, we repaired to the salon upstairs for coffee. The salon has a great view of Lake Bourget and the sofa chairs so plush and comfortable that one could easily have fallen asleep.
There is a hotel on the premises, and it is part of the Relais et Chateau portfolio.