Back in October, we had the pleasure of spending one night at Manoir de Lébioles. Having dinner at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant was a part of our stay. Unfortunately, due to some technical issues, that turned out to be impossible. So we postponed it for a month or so, returning at the beginning of December. What a delight it was to eat at the Manoir de Lébioles restaurant!
Furthermore, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The Christmas decorations at Manoir de Lébioles were stunning! The Christmas tree in the main entrance was the main attraction. As tall as the high ceiling, the decorations were beautiful and elegant. Naturally, I couldn’t resist photographing it!
Back to the main subject though, we chose to have lunch instead of dinner. In the end, I was glad about that choice and not just because it was easier to photograph. But also because we saw a bit of snow whirling outside while we were cozy inside!
Anyone that appreciates haute cuisine will love this place. Manoir de Lébioles’ gastronomic restaurant was recently awarded 14,5 Gault Millau points! The new chef focuses on local and seasonal ingredients. Each dish is paired with a wine that perfectly complements it. The restaurant is open from Wednesday to Sunday, upon reservation. Meaning that you don’t have to be staying at the hotel to dine here!
During the summer, you can enjoy your meal on the beautiful terrace that overlooks the grounds. The restaurant offers 4-course and 6-course menus, depending on what you prefer. Plus, both of the menus are available in their vegetarian versions. And naturally, they differ every month, following what is in season!
Starter
After a few appetizers, we started off lunch with a smoked celery soup garnished with roasted peanuts. Normally, I’m not the biggest fan of celery but this soup was full of different flavors! The smoky flavor of the celery was perfectly juxtaposed against the roasted peanuts.
Main course at Manoir de Lébioles restaurant
The main course was an instant hit with both of us! A potato and nori seaweed gratin coupled with tuberous chervil root cream, black garlic, and redcurrant seasoning. Without a doubt, my favorite part was the chervil root cream. I’m familiar with chervil as an herb but I had no idea you can use its root. And I definitely didn’t know it tasted so good! In fact, I went ahead and bought some at the shop recently in order to prepare it myself.
Dessert
The dessert was an intriguing blend of passion fruit, chocolate, and kefir. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t understand how kefir was incorporated into this dish, I just know that it tasted amazing! The combination of flavors and textures was unlike any dessert I tried before.
To finish our appetizing lunch, we chose coffee and tea. Those were accompanied by interesting confectioneries. An apple and parsley jelly, a raspberry marshmallow, and chocolate brownies with chanterelle mushrooms. The original combinations didn’t disappoint! The unique chocolate brownie was my personal favorite of the three.
Overall, dining at the Manoir de Lébioles restaurant is a unique culinary experience. In fact, we agreed to return for our anniversary! It’s the perfect place to visit on a special occasion. I love how the dishes were constantly surprising us with their original combinations and distinctive tastes. The entire event feels like more than just a meal, it was a genuine feast for our taste buds!
