Whether it’s a Turkish pide joint, a family bistro, a pizzeria, or an extravagant fine diner, it’s important to feel good about being there, relaxed, un-stressed. I like it warm, welcoming, attractive, with a waiter that knows whether I want to gab or not and a sommelier that isn’t out to gouge a week’s rent from my pocket for a bottle of wine. And, of course, I want the food to be outstanding. It doesn’t always happen, even in lofty Michelin 3-stars. La Maison Troisgros, though, has it worked out, deliciously bridging the gulf between ‘ouch-that’s expensive’ and ‘hell yeah, that’s worth it’. It’s a great restaurant experience from the breezy welcome to the casually contemporary decor (tulip tables and tweedy swivel dining chairs sat side-by-side), from the tour of the 25+ kitchen to the cooking. Michel Trosgros’ dishes are not overly complicated. There’s no grandstanding. Troisgros invents, wisely and beautifully. A cherry tomato lollipop coated with sesame seeds to kick off. Deep-fried croquettes with a flavour burst of runny pea purée and mint inside. Mackerel with sweet, fresh pineapple to haul in the pungent fishy factor. Just-done scallops on a lacy “stick to your teeth” toffee disc, I-like-eating-this-skin-and-all pieces of red mullet, rosy pigeon breast in a peanut dust crust. Then dessert, chocolate leaves and cardamon and my favourite Easter egg ever―L’oeuf “rococo”, meringue ‘eggs’, a healthy fleck of gold leaf, coconut ice-cream, ginger, and passionfruit granita. A liquorice infusion tea, tiny chocolate and strawberry tarts, meringues and appley tarts to finish off. We stayed over in a ‘double’ room, which ended up being double of what we expected–a bedroom, a 2-sofa living room and 2-bathrooms! A door knock came as we were still whistling our amazement, delivering a tray of warm orange flower brioche and a pitcher of strawberry vinegar iced tea. Love, love, love. Breakfast, another example of simple excellence, with morning-made brioche studded with pink praline, croissants, madeleines, just-sliced ham and unctious individual portions of scrambled eggs with a dob of homey tomato sauce on top served up by cheery, non-obsequious wait staff backing up from dinner service. Checkout was seamless, no pesky signatures, just a wave from the desk and a treat for the road–a bottle of Evian. La Maison Troisgros gets it right from start to finish. The venerable insitution, perched opposite the Roanne railway station since 1930, will be pulling up stakes come 2017, relocating 10km out of town to set up anew in the midst of a 17 hectare park, adding a spa, pool and huge garden for the delight of guests lucky enough to snare one of the dozen or so deluxe rooms on offer. Menus from €240. Les Nuits des Etoiles food and accommodation package from €740. Pl Jean Troisgros 42 300 Roanne. Closed Tue & Weds & Mon lunch.
