> SlowTrav > France > Restaurants > Reviews > Alsace-Lorraine

La Vancelle: Auberge Frankenbourg

13, rue du Gal de Gaulle , Phone: 03 88 57 93 90
www.frankenbourg.com
Closing day: Tuesday

Reviewed by: Amy from MA, review #3544

When: 2010

A charming Michelin one-star restaurant in a mountaintop village. Very fair prices for high quality food, setting and service.

Directions: On the main road in La Vancelle, about a 10 minute drive from the Wine Route or Selestat

dessert, photo by Amy

The restaurant is in a soaring room in the hotel, with lots of glass walls and light wood. The staff (including the chef's mother) are charming, very sweet and at the same time perfectly correct. The atmosphere is pleasant and not at all "stuffy." We decided to go with the "Gourmet" complete menu of 5 courses, with paired wines for 64 euros apiece. Service was like an elegant little theater production - lots of changes in silverware, murmured explanations of what all the tiny details were in the food. The cooking isn't groundbreaking, just nicely done classics with the occasional twist. The menu changes seasonally.

We were first given a little amuse-bouche. Crab mousse on cucumber; and a gelled tomato relish with rice crisp. Another little course followed, lobster under a citron creme; and I have no idea what the other dish was, except it was perhaps based on chicken and mushroom, and delicious.

The first course was outstanding foie gras, perfectly seared, with a little apricot confit and sprinkle of good sea salt. The fish course was beautifully cooked cod, so tender it almost had a sushi texture, on a swirl of gazpacho with a cucumber and apple relish. The meat course was pork, but as rich as beef, in a delicious sauce with the best polenta I've ever had. The cheese course was my one minor disappointment, although my husband liked it more. A mascarpone mousse with parmesan cracker, with a little salad of crisped herbs and sprouts. Dessert of a perfectly roasted cocoa-dusted peach on an almond sauce, accompanied by delicious tiny pastries. The Auberge has hotel rooms and is on the hiking trails, so this would be a lovely place for a weekend.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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