A wonderful experience was had by all. I had dinner at L'Hotel des Bains the other night with two friends. We sat in the outdoor patio (which is entirely shaded by numerous old trees) and had a wonderful, relaxing, delicious time. We were seated immediately, service was great (attentive, yet not overbearing), wine choices were wonderful, food was delicious.
They have multiple fixed-price menus, from 15€ to 40€, as well as "a la carte" offerings. I chose from the "les gourmands" menu (27€) and they both had the terroir and tradition" menu (20€).
I had :
* terrine de foie gras de maison (with truffles)
* carré d'agneau rôti en croute d'herbes (a rack-of-lamb with herb crust) accompanied with an eggplant "caviar"
* cheese tray
* crème brulée
* the "wine flight" (3 glasses to accompany the first 3 courses - extra 14€)
They had :
* rillettes de haddock
* pastilla de pintade with gratin de ravioles side dish
* dessert
My foie gras with truffles was exquisite. So was the lamb - a delicious herb crust made from herbs and mustard and shallots and who knows what else was fantastic. It was perfectly cooked (rosé inside) and very tender. The eggplant "caviar" was a purée of eggplant with seasoning that was a delicious counterpoint to the lamb. The large selection of regional cheeses was scrumptious and the crème brulée was creamy heaven with a hint of vanilla.
I tasted the "pastilla de pintade". Yum. (Pantade is "guinea fowl" in English. Use google if you aren't familiar with it - basically a tastier chicken.) I hate to call it a "chicken popover" because that just doesn't do it justice. The puff pastry was light, flaky and tasty, the meat was seasoned, and since it was a pastilla, almonds and north-African spices were used as well (lightly). The side dish (gratin de ravioles) was creamy goodness. Ravioles are a regional specialty : mini cheese-filled raviloli (of a certain typle of cheese) served with a cream sauce. But this was a gratin, so it was presented like lasagna, served piping hot in a baking dish, bathed in cream sauce and with a crunchy top of bread crumbs and grilled cheese. My friends had the home-made sorbet dessert (3 flavors : local ripe raspberries, wild strawberries, and lemon).
Although this place is "just a country inn", the food rivaled some of the better restaurants in the SF bay area. It wasn't snooty or pretentious and the meal was hearty, not that nouvelle cuisine mini-portion crap. And the price for dinner with wine, including tax and tip, for 3 people was around $135. I will *definitely* be back next time I am in the area (unfortunately I only come through every 2-3 years or so). I really regret waiting until my penultimate night to eat here, or I would have gone back and tried other dishes (I had planned on going from the beginning - I just didn't make it until the very end). read more