Stéphane Derbord

Pre-Coffee Sweets

On our way back to Italy, we made a special detour at Dijon (in Burgundy) and lunched at Stéphane Derbord. We have been following the rise of this restaurant since it started in 2001. Since then, the Chef has won his 1st Michelin Star and in June this year, he was named a Maître Cuisinier de France. Those of you who attended my wedding at the Château de Beaulieu (but it was sold in 2003 and is now just a hotel) a few years ago will perhaps remember the quality of the meals prepared by the Chef who's also a Maître Cuisinier de France. It is what we would call a Label Sûr.

Amuse-bouche Part 1

Back to Derbord, his prices have flambéed over the years, but the pleasure of dining at his restaurant allowed us to overlook just that. His is the kind of restaurant where you pay not just for the food but for the service (the staff turnover is almost zero and the first thing they said when they saw us was, "My, how your children have grown!"), the decoration (lovely plates, for example) and the ambiance. And the inspiration that his inventive cuisine would provide us when we return to our own much more humble kitchen.

Amuse-bouche Part 2 (Tuna, Cream of Tomato, Beef Tartare)

He experiments quite a bit, the Chef. Seasonal fruits and vegetables, certes. But also spices and other goodies taken from shores further away. That is what I really appreciate about French cuisine. What they do traditionally they always do it well. At the same time they are in perpetual search for innovation, invention and perfection. You can walk into a French restaurant anywhere and ask for a Steak and it may not always be served the way it was served in the last restaurant you ate in. They understand how the vegetables or just potatoes they serve the steak with could make or break the meat, for instance.

Les Escalopes de Foie Gras de Canard Poêlées
Croustillant de Betteraves Rouges
Citron Confit à la Coriandre

Les Queues de Langoustines de Loctucdy
Sandwich de Légumes Grillés
Jus Réduit à l’Orange et Basilic

Amazing Cheese Trolley

My Dessert (Strawberry, Chocolate, Peach, Orange-Verveine)

So this last time we each took the 62-Euro Gourmet Gourmand (starter, main course, cheese and dessert) Menu, while the kids had the Menu Enfant at a really affordable 18 Euros (Duck Liver and Smoked Salmon Salad to start, followed by a choice of either Charolais Beef or Grilled Salmon, 3 scoops of ice cream to finish) per head. With the wines (a white St Aubin 1er cru and a red Ladoix 1er cru - both very good), our total bill came up to about 270 Euros.

Kids' Salad

Kids' Salmon (delicious sauce)

Kids' Dessert

After lunch we went straight to our hotel Balladins Nuits St Georges. It has a little pool, small playground and all twin rooms come with an en-suite bath tub. All that for just 35 Euros per room!

Hubby's Salmon Main Course

The next day we lunched at a pretty good restaurant Le Pré d'Antoine at Pont de Fillings near the Swiss border that we came across really quite by chance most restaurants being closed on Sunday. They had a dessert trolley full of different cakes and fruit, yummy!

Stéphane Derbord
10, place Wilson
21000 Dijon
Tel : 03 80 67 74 64
http://www.restaurantstephanederbord.fr/fr/index.html

Le Pré d'Antoine
Pont de Fillings
74250 Fillinges
Tel : 04 50 36 45 06
www.lepredantoine.com