Akira Nishigaki’s historic restaurant L’Ourson qui boit closed its doors in 2019. But lucky for us, a duo from the Têtedoie stables (Nicolas Lhôte in the kitchen and Tristan Picot in the wine cellar) has taken over and given things a fresh new feel: an arched ceiling, exposed rafters, blonde light bulbs, velvet chairs, light wood tables… And on the plates? A beautiful homage to the region’s producers, whose names are sprinkled throughout the menu and whose photos adorn the walls. For us, the night we went: a lovely poached egg (from Mionnay) with a broad bean salad (from Les Jardins de Pompoko in the Isère department), cooked in their shells Moroccan style, and slices of guanciale; delicious plump yellow chicken breast from the Dombes with its thigh prepared as a ballottine, paired with flat beans, pickled turnips, delicious whole roasted carrots and a jus de volaille; before a chocolate sorbet sprinkled with a fennel seed crumble – or rhubarb poached in a lemon balm syrup and paired with yogurt sorbet. // A.S.
FEELING THIRSTY? Tourbillon de la Vie, a Roussillon Macabeu white from Jean-Philippe Padié, or a Crozes-Hermitage red from the Domaine des Entrefaux (€6 a glass), Les Vignes de Montgueux, a Champagne from Jacques Lassaigne (€75 a bottle) or another Crozes-Hermitage, from Dard & Ribo (€59).
PRICE: Menu €20 (weekday lunch) and €39 (lunch and dinner). À la carte €39-48.
