La Réserve de Beaulieu

On September 28, 2006, four of us had dinner at La Réserve de Beaulieu.  After passing through the charming courtyard and the elegant, formal, baroque dining room, we sat down at a table on the edge of the terrace in a quiet, lovely setting on the sea watching the evening light fade on Cap Ferrat.  The service was excellent, the other diners did not annoy and we could hear the piano player in the bar.  On top of all that: the cuisine was at or above the restaurant’s two star level.   Linda and I started with Bellinis, a house specialty.  There were little hors d’oeuvres served.  We all four ordered the Menu La Réserve, which offers two choices in a starter, a main course, cheese and a dessert.   After considerable banter with the imposing sommelier we ordered the Château Pibernon white wine and had a second bottle as we progressed.

The excellent amuse-gueule was a roasted fig with a fresh almond alongside a little fresh herb nems, or spring roll. Two of us had the superb lobster salad with generous pieces of blue Breton lobster mingled with greens and other appropriate garnishes; the other two had a generous slice of foie gras cooked en torchon, which they said was very good.  All four of us had the St. Pierre with a citron-verveine sauce, served with black rice.  (There was also a chicken offering for the main course; that sounds ordinary, but I am sure it was not.)  The cheeses from the cart were not unusual, but were in tip-top condition.  The pre-dessert was an elegant little parfait with miniature ice cream cones.  We finished with the soufflé Grand Marnier.
All of this charm and fine cuisine does not come at a bargain price.  The Menu La Réserve was €150 @.  (If one refers back to my posting for La Réserve  from October 3, 2005, one will see that it was €135 just a year ago.)  The à la carte menu and the wine list are also very expensive.  There is a large Menu Dégustation at 190 €.   MR