REVIEW: The Restaurant at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey by LALIQUE

There are some restaurants in the world that leave you satisfied and happy and there are others which leave you gasping at every dish, in awe of the kitchens talent and surrounded by jaw-dropping beauty. The latter is exactly what we got from the one Michelin starred Restaurant at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey by LALIQUE in Sauternes which is looked after by head chef Jérôme Schilling – the former executive chef of Villa René Lalique, awarded two Michelin stars.

As you approach the table, Lalique covers just about everything. The candle holder, the napkin rings, all of the glassware, the vases – even the chairs and everything single piece of furniture. The ceiling is even decorated with a hundred and twenty Semillon leaves in gold crystal. As we enjoyed the beauty of the dining room, we tucked into the hotels famous “Sweetz” cocktail. A glass of Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes served with a few ice cubes and some orange zest. Simple and such a joy to sip on.

Canapés here are not only stunning little creations, but so is the presentation and I’ve not seen anything quite like it before. I loved the cut bottle of wine they used to present and then each bite is presented on top of the bottle which had been specially made to fit. It was all absolutely delicious.

Even the butters were a work of art. Rich, churned, salty, decadent. Gosh were they good! As was the selection of freshly baked breads which made their way around the room, though I sadly forgot to take photos of them.

After we devoured those outstanding canapés, we tucked into the first dish from the Menu Lalique 1er Cru. I can’t really work out how to describe this dish, but it was a sort of mousse made from Jewfish (aka grouper), then topped with the most insane amount of caviar and surrounded by a slightly lemon scented sauce if memory serves well. I’ve never really had a dish like this before, but trust me when I say this was a stunning creation and each mouthful was such a joy to eat

I think if I had to pick my dish of the year, it would be this candied John Dory, smothered in the most delicious zesty and perfumed sauce. Equally as good was the modern take on the classic pissaladiere that was served alongside it. It was so soft, packed with flavour and the slivers of anchovies brought a lovely touch of saltiness to the whole plate. If you see this dish on the menu, make sure you don’t leave without trying it.

Probably one of the most glorious dishes I’ve eaten this year was this milk-fed veal which was cooked to utter perfection and had the most amazing flavour and texture to it. The piece of meat was surrounded in a thick, crunchy black crust which added a real depth and richness to it, as well as a sauce made from elderflower juice which helped lighten everything. Some pressed vegetables were topped with slow cooked veal and a red pepper mousse had been encased in an imitation pepper which bursts apart as your fork touches it.

Dessert was a cooling and refreshing meringue like creation, oozing sweetness and acidity. A creamy, citrus foam topped the airy meringue and a sweet, glossy raspberry sauce sat at the bottom. I can’t quite recall the name of this dessert, but it was a lovely way to near end our meal.

If that wasn’t already the perfect end to an extraordinary meal, the petit fours got us all excited again one more time. They arrived served on top of a wooden wine box dotted with lights and each piece rested on them to illuminate. They looked pretty and they tasted even better.

Sadly it was time to leave that incredible dining room and enjoy the views from the other-side of it with a cheeky glass of Sauternes wine on the outside terrace. Thankfully we were also staying at this incredible property to continue the “LALIQUE” experience and I’ll remember every moment of it. If you’re driving past, staying here or even looking to book a trip – make sure this is at the very top of your list. Would we return? Absolutely – The Restaurant at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey by LALIQUE is extraordinary.