restaurant

Le Doyenné

Restaurant Le Doyenné (Saint Vrain)

© James Patisson

  • Date
  • share

Out in the countryside and against all odds, the brilliant Aussie chefs James Edward Henry and Shaun Kelly (who used to work at Au Passage, Bones and Yard in Paris) are finally reaping the fruits of several years of labor at the vegetable patches of the Le Doyenné farm. These days, in the heart of agriculture-heavy Essonne department, they pamper their phenomenal fruit and vegetable production under a monumental glass-ceilinged space, in what was previously Niki de Saint Phalle’s atelier – it has since been redesigned by Ciguë studio, centering around farm tables, a solid wood bar, and vintage half-moon banquette seating… The day we went for lunch, all of the following graced our plates: sliced raw, smoked mackerel with pickled yellow tomatoes served over plump focaccia, briny Oléron oysters with chili pepper granita and garden-fresh trumpet zucchini, carrot and cornichon masterfully dotted with fresh herbs, for the classy amuse-bouche; an exceptional medallion of raw, line-caught Albacore tuna with pistou, plus a veil of raw yellow zucchini; a umami-esque Bigorre pork chop raised on the Le Doyenné farm, served perfectly pink with plenty of jus, an onion cooked over the wood fire and berries; before an amaretto-style hazelnut cookie topped with Gwell fermented milk, plus a rhubarb and peach leaf granita, all of which was placed atop a bed of pistachio ice cream. In short, a restaurant where the grass is definitely greener! // James Patisson

FEELING THIRSTY? The master of wines Thibault Chauvet (ex-108 in Copenhagen) has you covered: a Loire pet’ nat’ from Philippe Tessier (€10 a glass), a Gamay from Yann Bertrand (€14, an Arbois Chardonnay from Les Bottes Rouges (€65 a bottle)… and for a (nearly) ethanol-free drink, there’s kefir made with figs from the garden (€6).
PRICE: Set menus €45 (lunch) and €80 (dinner).

Save this spot in the Fooding app, available on iOS! Download it now in the app store.

The new Le Fooding France Guide is available!

Inside the latest edition, discover our top 400 restaurants, bars, wine cellars, shops and hotels from all over France that’ll be the talk of the town in 2024. Anything else? Our 16-strong list of award winners you’ll not find anywhere else, and nine articles which shine a light on the taste of the times!

2021 Le Fooding guide frontcover
I WANT IT!
About

Le Fooding is a print and digital guide to all the restaurants, chefs, bars, stylish hotels and B&Bs that make up the “taste of the times,” plus an annual awards list for new establishments across France, a series of gastronomic events, a tool that allow you to make reservations at some fantastic bistros, and an agency specialized in event planning, content production and consulting… And after conquering France, Belgium is Le Fooding guide’s latest playground!

Fooding® is a registered trademark.