Chartres Restaurants

The music was Caribbean, the cuisine pure French and the bread fabulous. When you see it from the outside, it looks like a Cuban or Caribbean restaurant. However, when you go inside, the menu is pretty French.

This is from their web site: "Bar - Cocktails – Cuban restaurant. Latino atmosphere - salsa – cigar cellar – salsa lessons on Friday nights. At lunchtimes: light meals and grill."

Excellent and friendly service but you do have to like meringue music.

Favorite Dish: My husband and daughter got salmon and I got the chicken. Both were excellent.

Jacqui, the restaurant lapdog, kept us company, watching very carefully from under the table and occasionally coming over to see that we were all right.

The meal was excellent including Ed’s dessert chocolate mousse that was just like fondant au chocolat and we wished we'd gotten the same thing although our desserts were good.

A very popular place indeed. All the inside tables were filled so if you wanted to eat something here, you had to sit outside. As it was not such a nice day, sitting outside was not an option, so we waited for a table.

Favorite Dish: Crepes filled with chocolate.

Georges has gotten a few good mentions on this site, and it deserves them. We had a really nice meal in this traditional fine dining restaurant. The clientele is older and the feeling is quite formal, but the staff did not blink at our jeans and sneakers during a Sunday lunch service. They may be less flexible at dinner time. As you would expect in a traditional French restaurant, there is an extensive wine list, but it contains some moderately priced options. As for food, you have the option to order a la carte (entrees ~30E), from a three course prix fixe menu (~50E) or a seven course tasting menu (~75E).

Favorite Dish: I really enjoyed my paté de Chartres, which was made up of various bits of duck meat in a pastry crust, served room temperature with pickled (!) cherries. The rest of the table started with foie gras, which went unexpectedly well with a pairing of asparagus. Although this comes across as a very formal, traditional restaurant, the chef seems to be having some fun. My entree was a well-prepared piece of fish with artichokes and grilled squid, although the fish came with a strange syringe of oil that I never did figure out. The rest of the table had pork. The desserts were fine but not transporting, then again, if you're getting the prix fixe menu, why not? Otherwise, save yourself for the plate of hand made candies that comes with the coffee.

This is the casual dining option in Le Grand Monarque hotel. They have an extensive drinks and cocktail menu and the small, old fashioned bar is a lovely place to have a drink. When the weather is warm they have seating out in front of the hotel, with a view of the large modern fountain in the Place. The menu is made up of well prepared typical brasserie food at a moderate (but not cheap) price. This restaurant is open for dinner on Sundays.

Favorite Dish: Our group had fresh oysters, fish, chicken breast in an olive tapenade sauce with mashed potatoes and a steak frites, and everyone was happy. The dessert of chocolate mousse with bits of orange peel stole the show.

4 more images

Because Laurie was 5 months pregnant at the time, her dining choices were somewhat limited: no foie gras, no unpasteurized cheese, no mousse (egg whites), however she was able to enjoy the amuse bouche we were served as well as that divine starter soup. I remember it as being a Cream of Artichoke soup, Daniel remembers it as Cream of Asparagus; either way, it was divine, perfectly velvety, subtle in flavor, nice and warm on that cold February day. Laurie then had a frothy Cream of Mushroom soup, Daniel had this fabulous pan-seared foie gras with plums and a frothy mushroom concoction served in a Martini glass, while I had these beautiful toasted coconut encrusted langoustines (like huge shrimp)!

I believe, all in all, we were served 6 courses: amuse bouche, soup, appetizer (entrée), main course, cheese platter and dessert. All for a mere 60 euro, including the bottle of Sancerre Rose that I suggested and Daniel and I shared. What was great is that these were people who loved food much as I do, who loved to try new things. I guess you could call this couple foodies (Daniel is writing a book about NYC restos) but yet they also loved simple foods, too, as long as there was a special aspect to the place. It ended up being a 3 1/2 hour lunch replete with witty and fun conversation. We shared each other's food (I love people who do that). We were the first ones in, the last to leave and we waddled out the door. It was a perfect meal!

Favorite Dish: Everything was fabulous from the sole meuniere to the Sancerre wine to the cheese plate but I'd have to say the food memory that lingers was the bite I had of Daniel's pan-seared foie gras, causing me to dream about the wonderful flavor and the divine texture. Cold foie gras leaves me, well, cold but pan-seared, ah!!!!, that is another story. It completely changes the taste and mouth-feel.

2 more images

My Sole de nos côtes cuite meunière, fricassée de pommes de terre rattes du Touquet à la fleur de Guérande- divine
Daniel's Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
Laurie - Filet de canette fermière à la coriandre et miel de châtaignier

1 more image

We originally chose this eatery because of location and a 10 yr. old. When we were hereover a decade ago, it was a brasserie. Its present owners are Italian and local tips on the Net state that it has the best pizza in town and an ambience to match. It is a pleasant place to sit out and if you are staying to see the Cathedral after dark, it should be worth a try.

The place where young and old meet, especially the budget travellers