Le Saint Martin

Chapaize is an attractive little village with about 170 inhabitants. There are two restaurants and a bar selling bio snacks so they are spoilt for choice for eating out on their own doorsteps. There is also a handful of stalls forming a small Sunday market, a group of potters and a couple of galleries, and a church dating from the C9, but that’s pretty much it - no ubiquitous tabac, coiffeuse or pharmacie. As with most such villages I suspect the downside as far as the Chapaiziens and Chapaiziennes are concerned is the large number of tourists who crowd the streets in summer.We added to the crowd, visiting on a hot Sunday for lunch at the restaurant Saint Martin - not to be confused with the church of the same name opposite of course. We did eat here several years ago, and felt it was time to pay another visit. Trusting to the meteo forecast we booked a table on the terrasse, and arrived early enough to bag one in the shady passage to one side.There are no set menus, and the dishes are listed on boards on the wall. As readers of previous reviews will know, my wife loves fish. As I am not so keen she tends to make the most of her chance when we eat out, and here there were several choices; quinoa salad with crab and wasabi mayonnaise or salad with crispy whitebait as starters, and three mains - medaillon of lotte with cream, chorizo and peppers, or omble chevalier with a spicey sauce (which I always think should be sea horse but know is actually the trout-like char), or risotto with cuttlefish ink, squid, Dublin Bay prawns, and cockles. She chose salade croquante friture de la Saône (whitebait), followed by the risotto.She voted her whitebait as probably the best she’d ever had. They were crispy but lightly cooked, retaining the fishy taste so often lost when they are overcooked. She did feel that although the salad was a good salad it would have been greatly improved with a little lemon in the dressing. Her risotto gained top marks, with a great variety of flavours and importantly also of textures.A green pea gaspacho with goats cheese sounded appealing as the sun was so hot, and I had rolled local sourced breast of limousin veal with vegetables as a main. The gaspacho - effectively cold green pea soup in this variant - was fine but unremarkable. The veal was very good indeed, with a handful of lightly cooked vegetables and light jus.Chef/owner Luc Ory himself came to the table to tell us the choice of desserts of the day, and we had a chocolate gateau with raspberries and a deconstructed lemon meringue pie. I would far prefer a really good lemon meringue pie in its original form, but I guess that is not really a very cheffy dish in a restaurant, so deconstructed it has to be.My wife is happy with a light red wine to go with her fish when I’m eating meat, but this time I chose a Viré Clessé vielles vignes from vigneron Jean-Marie Chaland (white of course, as only chardonnay grapes are grown there).Reading the menu choices you can see that although we are in rural Burgundy, the cooking is far more eclectic. Luc Ory may be an alumnus of the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon and have Burgundian roots, but here he is not frightened to introduce a wide range of flavours, mostly with great success.Another place for us to come back to.

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There are so many things to love about the St Martin in the off-season... the chef is at his most creative, going to the market every morning to select the best of the seasonal produce on offer, and he has the time to invent delicious, unusual combinations that you will not find anywhere else (such as the starter I enjoyed on a recent visit, composed of fresh sardines that he marinated/cured himself, set on top of perfectly crisp thin toasts that had been alternately layered with tapenade and cream of artichoke, all on top of a bed of seasonal greens that were perfectly dressed, see photo). TO DIE FOR. The service is more relaxed since they are not dealing with huge hungry crowds and I cannot think of a better way to spend an evening in this area. Now that they have switched from a "prix fixe" to an all "à la carte" menu, we have the freedom to mix and match and eat as much or as little as we like. On my last visit, my partner and I each chose a starter that we split (I got the sardines, he got a fantastic combo of squid with potatoes) and then we couldn't resist the pulled lamb (agneau effiloché) which is a house specialty and OUT OF THIS WORLD. We also split dessert, a fabulous mix of apples, chestnut mousse and a hazelnut butter cookie... We left with our tastebuds overjoyed and our stomachs full but not painfully so, and no damage to our budget, as the value for money is unbeatable. Perfection. Their hours are more limited in the offseason, from Friday to Sunday night (perhaps the only restaurant around that is open on Sunday nights!!) and sometimes on Thursday nights, so it's best to call to book.

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We went on the recommendation of friends in the area with a large party. The Chef was incredible, coming by the table several times during the evening to chat, make suggestions and ensure out experience was positive. The food was divine. The table was split between the salad with small fried local fish which was delicious, not too salty, nor fishy as many salads like this can be and the foie gras de canard which simply melted in the mouth. The chef recommended the wine pairing and it was perfect. The second course was again split at the table between the fish and the lamb (two different preparations of the lamb were served to different persons). Again, wonderfully paired with with wine. Deserts were served to finish the meal. The price was extraordinarily reasonable for the food and wine per person. A great experience. Thank you to the chef, Luc and his team for making the eave Bing so enjoyable,

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Le Saint Martin serves delicious seasonal fare in a convivial space across from Chaipaize's ancient church. We started with an organic cremant from a local producer and the chef recommened a pinot blanc and a Beaujolais Cru for our table, the latter of which went perfectly with my roasted saddle of lamb and the amazing pulled lamb that others at our table ordered. My starter was a salad with petit friture, mild sardine-sized fried white fish from the nearby River Seille, and dessert was a perfectly not-too-sweet hazelnut cookie with apple and chestnut mousse. The chef and staff were attentive and helpful, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food was sublime. Will definitely be back.

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We went on the reco of some friends who live nearby. Every dish at our table of eight was delicious. The chef (who shops at the market daily for his menu) came by our table several times to check on us and make sure we were enjoying our meal. Even though most of us didn't speak French, it was clear from the big smiles on our faces that this was an amazing meal and an experience not to be missed!

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