5 /5
Note moyenne
★
★
★
★
★
I was over in France when the May sunshine was shining up in the French Alps. I have not been to La Rotonde before although I have passed it on numerous occasions in Morzine.However this time there was not a great deal of choice. Very few restaurants are open in the closed season months of May and November.I love Morzine at this time because you can walk through the market square, stare at the disappearing snow on the surrounding mountains, and not see a soul! Most of the shopkeepers have gone on holiday elsewhere!The restaurant however was very busy-mainly with local people. This is probably because the cuisine is traditional for the area. I guess that most of them have not arrived in cars. The on street parking nearby is not particularly helpful.There are two roads passing on each side of this restaurant which is set on a large triangular piece of land. There is nothing circular about, it so I do not understand how it is got its name which means a circular building.The Inner restaurant is like a ski chalet, with all wooden walls and roof beams.On one wall there is the usual hay rack. There is an easy entrance to this for disabled people on the right-hand side. Outside however the atmosphere is quite different. There is artificial grass laid out with well-placed tables, surrounded by dark basket chairs., good lighting and low-level music-presumably to take care of the noise of the passing cars.The trickling sound of a charming wall of water cascading into a pool also helped..I should have come here before. It has been purchased by Vincent and is managed by him and his brother Thomas. They have earned an excellent reputation with their other restaurant L'Etale. I was welcomed by the day-to-day manager François. He advised booking in the busy season on 0450791630 or emailing on [email protected] were seated under one of the wide white umbrellas. Nearby some young men were grilling their own raw meat on hot stones before placing it on their plates with salad and chips.I had a mountain rabbit with leek on one of the lovely tilted white plates. I particularly like rabbit and this was done in the same way as my mother used to do it when I was a boy--in a rich gravy roasted for several hours.It came in an earthen ware pot. A stone jug of iced water was placed on our table immediately.When my wife Linda found that the beef she had ordered was red, it was immediately taken back and cooked to her taste.All of our food was extremely well presented, very tasty and we went back there for two more occasions.I could not fault the service. On the first occasion I had left behind a pen on the table. This had been loaned to me by my daughter and was of sentimental value. It had a picture of the Mona Lisa on it which she had got on her trip to Paris with her boyfriend.I thought we'll never get an ordinary pen back. UNTRUE.. On the next occasion,, when my wife had a huge tenderly cooked Ladies Steak, François took the pen out of his pocket and said he had been waiting for us to return.