Went here on the recommendation of several knowing friends, at midday on a weekday in early September. It was possibly the best meal of our lives; certainly in memory. The key is to go for lunch, since you're going to spend nearly four hours enjoying the very local wine and exquisite food. We made the choice to walk around the town and neighboring plots before the meal, so we recognized many of the houses on the wine list. The chef himself fortuitously welcomed us in the alley outside; his wife was our server, and another award-winning chef happened to be sitting at the next table. Wine-industry locals and a group of tourists occupied the remaining seats (the latter in a separate room.) The dining room is intimate, yet spacious and well-appointed. Overhearing others' conversations is not going to be an issue in the pleasant but quiet venue. A complete meal for two with a bottle of C-M and coffee came in at $200 (1 euro = $1.24) - about half of what we'd budgeted. There's talk of the ascendancy of another place in town. We didn't dine there, but peeked in, and had to doubt it would surpass Le Chassagne except as a place for a glass on the terrace. It's probably true that reservations are needed weeks in advance, and indeed the room filled up within ten minutes past noon, but it's certainly still worth trying. The food comes in lots of tiny courses; every bite is exquisite. One is never overly full, just pleasantly satiated. There's careful attention to the selection of wine, and then temperature and pouring. My spouse, a native of the country, did all the talking; I'm not sure a non-French speaker would enjoy the experience quite as much, since there was plenty of interaction about what we liked and how to enjoy the food. Altogether perfect. read more
