There must be something in the water of Bray, as in this tiny village, you can find 2 three-Michelin starred restaurants. The Waterside Inn has also been in possession of three Michelin stars for an unbroken period of 19 years!
The Waterside Inn is actually a Relais & Châteaux hotel. It is run by the extremely famous Roux family. Upon arrival, we were met by the valet parking guy. There were only a few car spaces in front of the hotel entrance so I guess it is great that there is a person here to take care of the parking.
There are a summerhouse on the terrace which overlooks the river. It must be a nice spot to relax during summer.
We were then shown to the lounge area and were quickly offered an apéritif and some canapés. We did have some communication problems with the waiter though. I told him that I can't eat cucumber and he turned up with a couple of cucumber-based canapés. You probably can't see it in this pic but there was also a large strip of cucumber lining the plate. He was holding the tray in front of me, waiting for me to pick one, while I tried again and again to explain to him that I don't eat cucumbers! "Please try this other one", he said as he points to the pastry. I wish he would just take the plate OFF my face :-P
So long after, we were shown to our table and were served really nice butter with our bread. The butter was so smooth and creamy! Yummm!
Escalope de foie gras poêlée sur sa tranche fine de pain d’épices,jus réduit aux prunes de Damas en pickles agrémenté d’airelles rouges (Pan-fried escalope of foie gras with a thin slice of home made ginger breadserved with the juice of pickled damsons and a few cranberries). The foie gras is very yummy but it is quite similar to Paul Bocuse's foie gras. Nothing too special for a Michelin-starrted restaurant but nevertheless a yummy dish!
Tronçonnette de homard poêlée minute au porto blanc (Pan-fried lobster medallion with a white port sauceand ginger flavoured vegetable julienne). I absolutely love the dish. The lobster was fresh. The ginger adds additional flavour to the already excellent sauce. I believed it is Chinese-inspired. I was licking the fork long after I have finished the lobster!
Sorbet rafraîchissant tutti-frutti d’agrumes (Refreshing tutti-frutti citrus sorbet). Nice and fruity.
Caneton challandais grillé et “glacé” d’un mélange d’épices, gnocchi relevés de raifort,petits kumquats mi-confits, sauce au Cabernet Sauvignon ( Roasted Challandais duck glazed with spices, confit kumquats,gnocchi seasoned with horseradish, Cabernet Sauvignon sauce). This dish can be only be ordered by multiples of 2 portions. It seems quite luxury to have a duck between two of us, but in the end, I feel that I can eat more of this.
The server, with his very sharp knife, quickly dissect the duck into two portions. I was dribbling as I watched!!
Ta-da!!!! The depth of the flavour is exceptional. This is some of the best duck I've ever had!
I've asked them to give me the duck leg but I found it less flavourful then the duck breast. It is also much less tender. It was a shame :-(
Soufflé chaud aux mirabelles (Warm golden plum soufflé) Minimum order is 2 portions so SP and I decided to try it. All the chefs from the Roux family began their culinary journey as patissiers and their desserts are supposed to be legendary. Michael Roux has even created a soufflé for Queen Elizabeth's birthday dinner. The 35-year-old signature recipe, also by Michel Roux, contains mirabelle plums, which is a delicacy from the Alsace region in France. The soufflé we had is what we expected a perfect soufflé to be. It rose perfectly. It is light, fluffy and moist all at the same time. However, I am not a fan of cooked fruit (don't ask me what I ordered!) and liquor. So, in the end, SP polished most of it by himself!
The waiter and waitress have been very attentive during the meal. The waiter was also a pretty good photographer! Only one take was required!
Just before we finished, I have asked for a signed copy of the menu. Usually, other restaurants will just give you a paper version of the menu, but they ended up giving me a proper copy of the menu! They even put them in a paper bag so that I can carry it around!Summary
The menu is unashamedly classical French in style. The restaurant has not even attempt to incorporate any 'modern' flavours into the dishes. It may be boring for some. At these prices, some may expect a certain level of ingenuity and originality. I personally love the fact that it is traditional. SP and I have both enjoyed the food and service.
Just a note: there were lots of wealthy-looking old men (and ladies) eating there. For those who is looking for a sugar daddy (mummy), it would be a good spot to pick up! :-P
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