There was something almost magical about the evening we spent at Le Clos Mirande. It begins with…read morethe entry into the bright and warm limestone farmhouse after navigating those dark country roads that weave between the vineyards. The warmth is all the more intensified by the smiling and gracious greeting by the owner/chef. She clearly intends to make you feel like an invited guest.
The dining room is smart and very nicely appointed, while still retaining the rustic charm of the old farmhouse. The service is very friendly, if something less than fluent in English. But their good humor and willingness to please makes any linguistic hurdle easy to overcome. The food was exquisite. My pate foie gras was as good as I had had on this visit to Bordeaux. My main, roasted duck rolled in a crunchy pastry, was excellent. My wife's turbot was incredibly fresh and perferectly prepared. My dessert was delicious although I must confess I don't know exactly what it was, something between a custard and a panna cottam floating in a pool of a fruity sauce that added just the perfect acidic counterpoint,
The wine list offers a nice range of wines, mostly from the St. Emlion region. We were able to find some moderately priced (30-40 Euros) reds 9 to 10 years old that were quite pleasant and paired well with my duck.
But the capstone to the evening was the coffee service. We were invited to take our coffee in their lovely semi private rear dining room. It was the perfect setting to relax away from the dining room and savor the coffee and entire evening experience in quiet comfort. This evening tops the list of our many wonderful dining experiences here in France. A charming and romantic evening we will not soon forget