Sema and I were lucky enough to leave the children with the in laws and escape for two nights at Troisgros, at the ‘new’ premises just a few kilometres from Roanne.
The hotel and restaurant are on a 17 hectare site, with an outdoor pool and a lovely large lake for rowing, fishing or just walking around.
The blend of natural and artificial materials in the building are beautifully integrated. Our room, one of the largest category (all that was available with two months notice) was beautifully furnished with a lovely view of the park. Not enormous but with a nice sitting area.
There’s an informality to the service similar to Bras but no lack of perfectionism as a result. A beautiful Tea with raspberry vinegar and orange blossom brioche arrived in the room minutes after we did, with another punnet of strawberries and plums the second day.
The main reception is in a huge Barn and then follows the restaurant and then the hotel rooms. I believe there are additional rooms in outbuildings.
Within the hotel is a library and the breakfast area. We used to like to take breakfast in the gardens watching the chefs through the large windows in the prior building, one of the few downsides of the new layout. Michel was greeting guests at breakfast as well as dinner, though absent on the second night Cesar was at the stoves but didn’t not walk the room.
Breakfast is of the highest quality, viennoiserie just on the cusp of being too crisp for some but perfect for me. Two excellent cheeses, perfect strawberries and a side of hams. Eggs available to order. Hard to find fault.
Dinner (well lunch too but we had two dinners) is taken is a horseshoe shaped building made entirely of glass built around an old oak tree.
No ties are worn in the room on the two evenings we ate, a few wore jackets, not many. The weekend guests almost exclusively French and almost all taking the tasting menu.
The wine list has lost some of the value at the very top end (no cheap Jayer any more) but there is plenty of excellent value to be found. Two sommeliers worked the room, the younger was very engaging and had exactly the right balance between friendliness and knowing when to let us enjoy. He was also very good as choosing cheeses to match wines for us.
We drank 2012 Coche Meaursault and 1995 Lafarge Clos Des Chenes on the first night, 2006 Comtes and 2011 Coche Rougeots on the second. Chateldon was decanted and came without request on day two.
We don’t normally like tasting menus, but the a la carte options are ‘limited’ to 6/7 options if you avoid meat as we generally, but not always do so we took the tasting menu the first night.
Substitutions were made with no fuss, ours a request to switch the sweetbreads with a fish dish to suit the Lafarge (actually the dish that arrived was my top pic from the a la carte).
There’s a great simple delivery to the food generally, that belies the complexity of preparation. Overriding themes are freshness and clarity of flavour. The ‘cuisine acidule’.
After a small ‘mushroom pizza’ flavoured with frogs legs inside, a beautiful warm salad of fruit and vegetables with Hare that literally brought the tatstebuds to life. The oyster dish, cooked with cabbage and curry was a massive highlight, but there was no miss. The only disappointing dish was Brill and tomatoes, where I found a fish sauce element a little overpowering. Quality of produce is exceptional. The lightness of the food means that by desert there is plenty of room left. I won’t spoil any surprises but the deserts are fun and balanced. Cheese as mentioned was left to the sommelier and of the highest quality in peak condition. Condiments of spiced apricot and apple and mustard were wine killers but divine. Special mention also to the fraises des Bois which were absolute perfection.
Day two and we went a la carte. My wife’s langoustines were perfection, though there was a slight confusion as her plate was whisked away on finishing, and we hadn’t realised it came in two services. The heads followed and had been grilled at great heat. We both tucked in.
The highlight dish and a highlight of my life so far was the St Pierre with Truffles. Absolutely amazing quality and painfully beautiful presentation.
The a la carte deserts were more substantial than the tasting menu. A baba with framboise eau de vie was perfect, maybe trumping Ducasse’s.
So a perfect weekend.
I could find some minor gripes if I tried but I won’t repeat them here.
A couple of pics to give some flavour, forgive the poor quality. I like to take them quickly!
