Le Corbeau

The desserts didn't make much of an impression. The lava cake and ice cream were pretty average, and the pineapple carpaccio was mostly just fresh pineapple. The starters and main courses were much better. We had crispy shrimp and mi-cuit Foie Gras to start, then pepper sauce steak and chicken Roulade with sides. The chicken was tender and presented beautifully, while the steak was juicy, cooked as requested, and surprisingly good quality. The Menu Sensation was three courses for 35 Euros each, and the wine by the glass was fairly priced. We came to Auxonne for lunch and a riverside walk on a Monday, when the town was nearly empty and parking was easy to find. We booked two days ahead because the menu looked interesting and the feedback was good. There was a brief mix-up about our Bulldog, since dogs can only be outside, but it was quickly sorted out as we were happy to sit outdoors in the sunshine. The cook seems talented and uses good ingredients, with plates presented professionally. I'd probably choose cheese instead of dessert next time, but I'd come back to try other dishes.

Dinner was mediocre, and the Steak au poivre vert was the worst part. The meat was bland and tasteless, like it had been defrosted, with no salt and no care put into it. The sides were just thrown onto the plate, without much thought about the vegetables. One was a whole, unpeeled raw tomato warmed only by the very hot plate. It was basically a taste of sadness.

The food was lovely and the service very friendly. We stopped in twice during our boating holiday on the Saône.

The food was top-notch, and the price matched the quality really well. You can tell they care about quality from how good the wine by the glass is.