Le Vivarais - Réserver une table

We had only stayed in Vals-les-Bains as it was midway between 2 points on our journey, and close to the gorges, so we were totally ignorant of what this town, hotel and restaurant had in store. At check in at the Hotel Helvie, they noted we didn’t have a reservation for dinner in their restaurant, and asked if we would like to make one as the following night was fully booked. Even with that hint we were still unaware of what would await us. We are not at all fluent in French, nor are we connoisseurs in any sense of the word, however we do like good food and wine, and what was to follow was amazing. The welcome at the restaurant was warm and not pretentious, however we did notice that this was probably slightly more up market than we had expected. Even after 5 weeks travelling France, the all French menu was too much for me, and we asked the Maître'd to assist. He was so obliging and not at all condescending, he even apologized for his lack of English!! We chose our menu and then the catwalk of artwork and food began. In previous visits to high end restaurants in France, we had thought the complimentary dishes in between our ordered menu was actually complimentary, only to be disappointed when the cheque came, so when we received beautiful dainty morsels at this restaurant we were wondering if the same applied here. The wait staff (and there were many) were so professional, knowledgeable, warm and attentive, without being intrusive. I only wish we had that sort of service and pride in the craft of being wait staff in Australia, as I am yet to experience it at home. In keeping with the standard of the restaurant, the Chef did come out and in spite of our language barrier I think he was aware how thrilled we were with our experience. The evening was an absolute surprise and we can safely say it is the best meal and restaurant experience we had during our 7 week holiday in France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Stylish, relaxed, entertaining (our waitress had been to Australia and was very charming and interacted with us, without being overbearing) amazing food, truly astounding service in such a surprising location and a town we had never heard of before we planned our trip. Once we had experienced this, we wondered what the bill/cheque would be, and even though our wine was not expensive, the bill for the food alone should have been much more, so value for money in my book was very good too. Congratulations to the chef, staff and all involved with this restaurant, because the locals are lucky to have such a treasure in their town, and anyone within 100 miles should travel here just for the experience.

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We opted for a 35 euro menu and it was fantastic from start to finish. Service was formal but very impressive and attentive. The food was an incredible experience. We had never been to a Michelin start restaurant and could not understand all the fuss until we came here and then you appreciate the sophistication, the extreme care and the innovation in the cooking. We will never forget our wonderful dining experience here.

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We had no intention to eat in a one star restaurant, but as the lady at the reception gave us an attractive reduction for the hotelroom, we decided to eat in the restaurant outside. Adter three simple meals it was a real treat and very very much worth while!!

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Now up in our top 5 in France......and we may even eat here again tonight it was so good! A range of set menus or al a carte and an immense wine list!

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very haute cuisine, nice choice in the menu but slightly pricey however most of the establishments in that area are.

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