<a target="_blank" href="https://www.logisdelacadene.fr/">Logis de la Cadène</a>

3 Place du Marché au Bois

33330 Saint-Émilion,&nbsp;France

Tel +33 (0) 5 57 24 71 40

BY NEAL MARTIN | OCTOBER 26, 2018Food:

Course 1 – Drum fish
Carpaccio with sour condiments: ginger-carrot sorbet, a wafer-thin beetroot
meringue and a sea asparagus foam

Course 2 – Foie gras, orange
cream and pistachio “lollipops” and coco bean and black truffle cromesquis

Course 3 – Perlita
caviar with blinis

Course 4 - Truffle “Tuber
Aestivum” with risotto and shaved Parmesan

Course 5 – Squab of
pigeon from Marie de Guen cooked three ways: breast, confit of leg and cromesqui with liver, with cep-stuffed
potatoes and amanitas of Caesars, in parsley oil

Course 6 - Norwegian
omelette with melon-lemon sorbet, red berry coulis and badiane sorbet

Course 7 - Chocolat,
pannacotta Heart of Guanaja on a raspberry puffed rice pie, Manjari raisin
ganache served with a light infusion of hibiscus flower, mousse and raspberry
sorbet

Course 8 – Petit fours

Wines:
















<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 NV Henri Giraud Fut de Chêne Aÿ Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2009 Château d’Aiguilhe
 </td>
 <td>
 90&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>

Once upon a time the
Right Bank was a dismal place to eat out. It was even worse than the UK.
Pomerol might have been studded with famous châteaux, but try buying a measly
croissant...it was harder than finding a legit bottle of 1991 Petrus. Nobody
ever ate out in Pomerol because there was nowhere to eat except the Libourne
branch of McDonalds, and trust me, it does not boast the best wine list in the
world, so Saint-Émilion it had to be. There were only two choices: blow a large
hole in your wallet at La Table de Plaisance or make do with poulet fermier et pommes frîtes at
trusty bistro L’Envers du Décor. It was usually the latter and in any case,
there was always a good atmosphere, a burning log fire, decent grub and Alain
Vauthier chatting to Jean-Luc Thunevin in the corner.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1540575072097-logis+de+cadene+truffle.jpg"> 

Black truffles

Thankfully the Right
Bank has come a long way in culinary terms. Pomerol has the consistently excellent
La Table de Catusseau, currently earmarked for a future Vinous Table. The
Plaisance still caters to millionaires – far too posh for an Essex rake. Its
owner, Gérard Perse, bought L’Envers de Décor a couple of years back and reopened
it as a bistro. I await to see whether it has retained post-refurb charm.
Fortunately, Saint-Émilion’s restaurant scene has blossomed with numerous
places to dine, and yet one restaurant soars above the rest – Logis de la Cadène.

I have frequented this
restaurant for a long time both before and after its acquisition by the de
Boüard family, and give credit where credit is due. The owner of Château
Angélus got everything spot on when the restaurant reopened.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1540575095231-logis+de+cadene+risotto.jpg"> 


















Truffle “Tuber Aestivum”
with risotto and shaved Parmesan

The de Boüards could
not change the restaurant’s enviable location in the heart of medieval Saint-Émilion,
tucked down one of its steep cobbled arteries. The vertiginous walk down to the
entrance is just a few metres, but my advice to ladies and men in touch with
their feminine side – wear your trainers and change into your high heels once
inside. The restaurant looks cozy and inviting, with its large vine-clad
pergola accommodating those preferring to eat al fresco, and a discretely
designed interior with a few luxurious rooms upstairs. The de Boüards make the
place feel reassuringly “posh” but also welcoming – upmarket, but not
self-aggrandizing. That is a tricky feat to pull off. The waitresses are all
smartly dressed and helpful, while the sommelier team is willing to guide, but
not pressure, you towards more expensive bottles.&nbsp;

Of course, what matters
is the food. For me, food hits the sweet spot when I pay more for the food, but
it is not outrageously expensive, and the dishes more than deliver for the
price. Chef Alexandre Baumard is clearly a talent. Where Logis de la Cadène
gets my approval is not just in the detail and presentation with respect to the
main dishes, but the exquisite quality of the amuse-bouches and pre-desserts. I
think of them as “free extras”. When a kitchen has clearly put so much effort
into these surprises, you finish the meal feeling as if they pushed the boat
out to ensure gastronomic contentment and went above and beyond what was
required.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1540575114618-logis+de+cadene+squab.jpg"> 












Squab
of pigeon from Marie de Guen cooked three ways: breast, confit of leg and cromesqui&nbsp;

I opted for the “Menu
Signature” at €75 per person, which also comes with a wine-pairing menu at €140
per person. The amuse bouche commenced the meal in style and was followed by
the small white dish of drum fish carpaccio with sour condiments including a
ginger-carrot sorbet, a wafer-thin beetroot meringue and a sea asparagus foam.
In many ways it was the most daring combination of the entire night, but when
mixed together and popped in your mouth, it resulted in a riot of flavours: refreshing,
palate-cleansing and revivifying. This came with orange cream and pistachio
“lollipops” inside which we found foie gras, served alongside cocoa bean and
black truffle cromesquis.&nbsp; We decided to push the boat out with an
additional course of Perlita caviar from House of L’Esturgeonnière with the obligatory
champagne. Simply served with blinis, the caviar was tangy and texturally right
on the money.

For starters, I chose
the Truffle “Tuber Aestivum” that was shaved upon a bowl of risotto with
Parmesan. The “Tuber Aestivum” is a summer truffle, as opposed to the “Burgundy
truffle”, and is said to be less aromatic and slightly fleshier. I confess to order
the same starter EVERY time I dine here because it is off-the-scale delicious.
It is simple but utterly perfect, belly filling and dangerously addictive. The kitchen
serves just enough to put a big fat smile on your face without leaving your
belly protesting at the indigestible sphere of expanding glutinous rice.&nbsp;

For the main course we
had squab from the revered supplier, Marie de Guen cooked three ways (breast,
confit of leg and cromesqui with
liver) served with cep-stuffed potatoes and amanitas of Caesars, in parsley
oil. My pigeon was medium rare, pink and perfectly tender. The confit of pigeon
sucked off the tiny leg bone like a lollipop and oh so more-ish. Everything was
perfectly seasoned, likewise the potatoes melted in your mouth.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1540575140753-logis+de+cadene+chocolat.jpg"> Chocolat, pannacotta
Heart of Guanaja on a raspberry puffed rice pie, Manjari raisin ganache served
with a light infusion of hibiscus flower, mousse and raspberry sorbet

The pre-dessert, a
Norwegian omelette with melon-lemon sorbet, red berry coulis and badiane
sorbet, was a cool and refreshing dish that wiped the palate clean and prepared
it for the actual pudding. Again, I went for the obvious: the intricately
designed and stunningly presented chocolat, pannacotta Heart of Guanaja on a
raspberry puffed rice pie, Manjari raisin ganache served with a light infusion
of hibiscus flower, mousse and raspberry sorbet. This was magnificent, not just
in terms of execution, but achieving that crucial balance between sweet and
sour, and in terms of texture, balance between the smooth chocolate and a
slight crunchiness imparted by the rice pie. You simply could not improve this
dessert.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1540576205169-Logis+de+Cadene+wines+vinous.png"> 

The wine list is
faithful to the Old World more than the New, obviously centered upon Saint-Émilion,
commencing with multiple vintages of Château Angélus. I wanted to keep within
budget. Caviar and champagne are one of the handfuls of food and wine matches
that I approve of. We enjoyed the Non-Vintage
Aÿ Grand Cru Fut de Chêne Brut from Henri Giraud (2012 base). The Pinot
Noir really defines this outstanding Champagne, quite rich and nutty on the
nose with hints of brioche, whilst the palate is deep and quite rounded. If you
are seeking a tense, livewire champagne, this is not for you. It is almost
sumptuous in style, the oak discretely used with touches of baked bread and
hazelnut towards the finish. For the rest of the meal we polished off an
excellent and well-priced 2009 Château
d’Aiguilhe since I do not often encounter Stephan von Neipperg’s Côtes de
Castillon with maturity. Deep in colour, the 2009 has a gorgeous bouquet that
probably reflects the growing season more than the terroir: scents of black fruit, black olive, a little iodine and
just the right amount of comforting alcohol warmth. The palate is full-bodied
yet balanced, with rounded clove-infused black fruit and a light black truffle
note on the glycerin-rich finish. The 2009 might actually be a year away from
its peak; it is one of those wines that go for the sensory jugular rather than
the intellect, and why not?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Saint-Émilion is packed
with visitors throughout much of the year as you expect from one of the most
idyllic and unspoiled villages in Europe, perhaps, something I take for granted
given my familiarity with the region. Any visitor should go straight to Logis
de la Cadène to experience fine dining without shelling out an obscene amount
of money (unless you really are craving that Petrus). Observing the clientele
on a warm evening, I admired how the restaurant caters to both those who have
dressed up , without the stuffiness and haughtiness that puts an increasing
number of people off. To state it another way, the waiters’ shirts are clean,
but not overly starched. The adjacent tables were occupied by a family with two
young boys and a couple with two miniature Scottish terriers begging for
tidbits. The atmosphere was filled with enjoyment, laughter, delicious food and
fine dining without the stuffiness. What more could you possibly want?

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