Traveling along the Breton coast, we stopped in at Domaine de Rocheviliane for lunch, and it was…read morequite spectacular.
The lounge and adjoining dining room is perched on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Biscay, the source for many of the items available on the menu, most notably the Breton Blue Lobster. Dark in color with a definite blue tinge, and lightly speckled, this is said to be the best tasting lobster in the world, so naturally we had to give it a try.
Perusal of the straightforward two page menu took place over apertifs in the lounge. The wine menu was extensive, and my french friend noted that the prices were reasonable. I was pleasantly surprised to see a selection of housemade beverages without alcohol.
We proceeded to order, and two of us ordered a Breton classic: Lobster roasted in butter with sauce coraillée (lobster roe, white wine, butter and possibly some other magic. Or just butter...) and tagliatelle. Prior to being seated, our live lobsters were presented to us, and they were quite vibrant in their color and their writhing.
For starters I had poached scallops over ribbons of zucchini bathing in a radish foam- a flavor combination I had never tried before. Delicate, subtle, delicious. My friend's foie terrine with cherry gelee was met with rave reviews, and offered a rich counterpoint to the scallops when I sampled it.
The highlight of the meal however was always going to be the lobster, and it lived up to its promise. Our two servings were rolled out on a caddy- bright red and glistening. The tails were removed from their shells table side, and then the lobsters were reassembled on our individual plates, with a small nest of tagliatelle in the middle.
Sweet, flavorful and buttery, I could easily have devoured the entire lobster without anything else. But the sauce coraillée added a level of decadence and concentrated lobster flavor I had to restrain myself from not slathering it over everything. Or just drinking it straight up.
There was dessert was well, and it was quite good, but honestly the lobster was so memorable I'm having a hard time recalling what the dessert was composed of. My french friend selected a few items from the well composed cheese tray.
Our experience at Domaine de Rochevilaine reinforces why usually the best food is simply prepared, because doing so allows excellent ingredients to shine. Our lobster dish was composed of probably six different items, but it was one of the best meals we had on our trip to France.
Overall, a stand out restaurant featuring standout ingredients in a picturesque, pleasant and romantic setting. But then, there are quite a few of these gems in Brittany.
