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Rustic restaurant offering surprise plates full of flavors and finesse, chosen by the chef.
The view will delight you as much as what is served on the plate. This rustic restaurant does not have a terrace. However, the four rooms open onto bay windows that give a view of the old bridge and the Gartempe. After the chef's aperitif, the Saulgé, good eaters will choose the discovery menu: six surprise plates chosen by the chef. The cuisine is generous. Every day, new suggestions will be told to you like a novel. We love it: in the entrance, refrigerators from the old butcher shop opened in 1927 are still working!
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Members' reviews on LE ROMAN DES SAVEURS
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
I was a walk in solo diner as where I had planned to eat only did food at lunch and i only had a cursory look at the menu here as being pescatarian and very gluten and a bit dairy intolerant I am most chefs nightmare customer who needs a lot of adapting dishes to suit.
I had a little table in the window which afforded me a terrific view of a gorgeous coloured sky and the entertainment of watching people fishing ( both for fish and dates from what I could see of the interactions going on amongst local people chatting). The river is very pretty and I'm sure lunch would be a leisurely experience watching the water and the birds...but i digress...the food.
A waitress with limited English ( I have even more limited french) attempted to take my dietary requirements and gave up, saying she would get the chef. I figured this would probably end with my finding somewhere else to eat on the road as I had to drive back to the airport that night for an early flight the next day.
Unexpectedly a cheerful chef ( is that even a thing these days with the plethora of swearing self obsessed TV celebrity chefs to chose from?)Came out and asked exactly what I couldn't eat , and unusually, what I actually "liked" to eat.
I was taken aback a bit, but nattered for a few minutes and I said not to bother with a dessert as that's always hard at short notice, but he said it was a challenge and he'd surprise me...did I like pears and a bit of chocolate..not too much for dairy...
I have been surprised at how much france has taken on board alternative milks and products considering the reputation they have for being inflexible in their cuisine.
Well, who doesn't doesn't love chocolate?
I'm not going to describe each course as it was obviously not on the menu and he probably wouldn't appreciate people going in and asking for it en mass. But..this meal was soooooo good. A cold starter with smoked salmon and a sweet puree with beetroot amongst other things.
Main was as, far as I know as I'm not an expert in French fish, something like cod..Pollock.....?? The same fish anyway that I'd had the night before in another restaurant in town which was twice as expensive, overrated in stars and with the chef plastered over the walls like a cheap alternative to artworks. There it was dry, tasteless and unflavoured and I will not be going back. In THIS restaurant it was amazing. I have no idea of all the flavours and nuances in the sauce but I ate as slow as I could to try to see if I could decipher some of them. .The fish was perfectly cooked. It it was heaven on a plate.
But; to be honest it was the dessert which I won't forget. I will see if I have the photo to add still. I personally hate people who photograph their food but this meal was blowing me away by this stage.
A poached pear on a chocolate mousse that tasted like a brownie somehow?, freshly made pear sorbet and a little pot of clear liquor to pour over ( I don't know what it actually was). Sorry for my tastebuds being uneducated in french liquers...i will work on remedying that in the future!????The perfect end to what equaled what was my previous favourite meal ( at 'Atlantic Fish' in Boston, USA.
I have raved about this meal to everyone I talk to about food since I got back to Australia. This restaurant is going to be a favourite haunt of mine in the future as I have business that will necessitate my visiting montmorillon regularly ( lucky me...can't wait for the next visit)
While I selfishly hope this restaurant doesn't get madly busy as i liked its fairly quiet atmosphere and unhurried feel i suppose thats not really evey restraunters aim in business. I will be going back , hopefully many times and hope others read this and also go and enjoy....just not all on the nights I'm there!????
This restaurant is a gem. Lucky you Montmorrillon to have this treasure in your midst.