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Relais and Chateaux Hunting Lodge is an award winning 2 star Michelin gastronomic restaurant located in a magnificent 19th century with an award winning chef Remy Giraud, who has earned a reputation as the most creative and talented chef in the whole Loire region it's resident resident chef for many years, make this spot a must try for me - a gourmet dinner just for my wife and I in the luxurious dining room.
There are three dining areas in the domain: one, that is classic, under beamed ceilings and the other two are more lined with modern art and outfitted with elaborate place settings. Today, we were seated in the large one at its very end. Before even starting dinner, you will be transported into the fine luxury of this restaurant that will activate all your senses. Tonight was exquisite and started with Saumon Tiede et mousse de Carottes, but the overall experience was a bit too complicated for my taste. In the preset menu chosen we had Foie Gras in both dishes even though his way of preparing it is like no other tasted before. The chef uses a lot of Foie Gras in many of his dishes making too much - as the saying goes more is always less.
We ordered the preset menu:
- Le Foie Gras De Canard: Chutney De Cerise Griotte. Girolles De Sologne Et Poireau A L'huile D'amandons De Pruneaux - Le Poulet De Mr. Reveau: Supreme Flanque De Foie Gras. Cuisses En Galette De Vermicelle, Gateau De Foie Blond. Coulis De Cerfeuil. - Chariot De Fromages Affines Par Rodolphe Le Meunier - Le Soufflé Au Citron Giraud's self-proclaimed classico-modern style results in subtly innovative dishes such as scallops with pears, a potato and eel salad, beef poached in white Montlouis wine, and, of course, the excellent local game in winter.
The food:
- Foie Gras: almond, white and red sauce with a special emptied cherry Served on black ardoise
- Crunchy bread covering two rounds of foie gras, Yummy!
- The chicken noodles rectangle had too much butter. It's very heavy.
- Dinner is very generous and fulfilling. A positive point for a starred chef.
- The soufflé is not my favorite dessert in general but this one was very good. I appreciated it a lot
The Pluses:
- A very nice salmon colored decoration with tables set in a professional way facing the garden - All tables are round for adequate discussions - Silver chandeliers with three candles lit on each table - Very nice chinaware plates following the same decoration of the curtains - Silver cutlery is from the famous Ercuis brand - I liked their cystal light glasses for the wine and other glass thick ones for the water - I loved the professionalism of the staff and the different colors they wore. White for the waiters, black tuxedos for the head waiter. - The sommelier's redingote is nice. He looks very professional.
The minuses:
- We were asked which butter we prefer to be served. In such a high-end restaurant both should be proposed at the table - Salt should not be presented in fine dining restaurants, specially for a Grand Chef like Remy Giraud - The bread is too hard. I didn't like it at all.
Les Mignardises (The little sweets):
Diamands de fruits, Macaron au myrtille, Feuillete pistache et serise are all mouthwatering.
