L'Entracte, La Rochelle (France)

Having managed eating out really easily on the Ile de Re, it suddenly became really hard at L’Entracte. I suppose this is because the emphasis wasn’t on seafood in the same way. Still, we managed to explain the problem eventually, and had a great meal. Once we had managed to explain that I couldn't eat flour the staff could not have been more helpful.

This restaurant is part of the Coutanceau empire in La Rochelle, which includes a two Michelin star restaurant, a seafood place and this ‘modern bistro’. There is also a cookery school, and it all reminds me a bit of Rick Stein in Padstow, which certainly is not a bad thing. Gregory has now joined his father Richard in cooking in the restaurants.

L’Entracte has a very modern feel when you walk in, and the waiters were all charming and chatty as we arrived. We decided the set menu looked good (again), although I had to have my smoked salmon without the accompanying potato goufre (waffle). R had it though, and what arrived had been made in an old-fashioned waffle iron, and certainly got full marks for presentation, although apparently it was a bit bland.

I then went for the duck. We had identified that it came with cabbage and mille feuille potatoes, but I wasn’t expecting it to be shredded duck wrapped in a cabbage leaf. Unfortunately it was full of onion and I wasn’t sure what else was in it, so I swapped it for R’s fish. I am the least fussy person when it comes to food, so I hated having to do this, but if the diet makes me feel better then I am determined to get it right. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the potatoes were also delicious. Full marks also to R who was prepared to give up the meal he had chosen for his unhelpful wife!

For pudding I had ice cream and chocolate sauce. My father’s pear wrapped in pastry (I can’t remember the official name!) looked seriously tasty, and he seemed very reluctant to share it! Everyone else had strawberries in orange syrup, which was a light and fresh way to end the meal.