French Restaurant Review: Villa Dufflot, Perpignan | EUROtoday

This Perpignan deal with is headed by chef Mickaël Meunier who works with native produce and serves refined however flavorful dishes.

This pretty lodge and restaurant is on the outskirts of Perpignan, an enchanting Catalan metropolis that was the capital of the Kings of Mallorca in the course of the thirteenth and 14th centuries and which solely grew to become a part of France in 1659 on the finish of the Thirty Years War. It's a pleasant base from which to discover the Roussillon area and in addition makes an ideal stopping level for anybody touring north or south by automotive.

Arriving right here for an evening earlier than assembly mates in pretty Collioure the next day, we had been warmly greeted and escorted to a really comfy room with a balcony overlooking the lodge's stunning backyard and swimming pool. These comfy and attractively adorned quarters additionally include a shower with Jacuzzi tub and separate bathe and beautiful, honey-scented Nuxe facilities (the lodge additionally has a Nuxe spa). At the Villa's restaurant, chef Mickaël Meunier takes his inspiration from the best native seasonal produce to create authentic up to date French dishes which might be refined however absolutely flavored whereas exhibiting fascinating contrasts of texture.

Our starters supplied excellent examples of his fashion, with zucchini flowers full of shrimp and garnished with girolles mushrooms and napped in a luscious Parmesan sauce. The child peas smothered in lettuce with braised white onions and foie gras in a bacon foam was fairly glorious, too. Baby lamb chops from the Pyrenees had been completely cooked and served with entire chickpeas with mint, chickpea puree and panisses, the chickpea-flour chips well-liked in southern France.

Salmon confit with citrus and olives, a mousseline of child peas and onions, and caramelised carrots was one other glorious major that echoed on the native traditions of Catalan cooking with a sobrassada sauce. Sobrassada is a tender sausage seasoned with pimentón (smoked paprika) from Mallorca that's well-liked all through each French and Spanish Catalonia.

Desserts by pastry chef Najil Benjafine had been charming, together with native apricots roasted with thyme accompanied by white chocolate ganache, almond sponge cake and fromage blanc sorbet. The wine record showcases the numerous glorious wines produced on this a part of France, together with a favourite white, Mas del Coume Folio 2018 Collioure, a meals wine of remarkable magnificence. A wonderful collection of dessert wines from the Maury AOC area round Perpignan, Rivesaltes and Banyuls-sur-Mer are served by the glass.

Villa Duflot, Avenue Charles Deperet, Rond Point Albert Donnan, Perpignan, Tel. (33) 04 68 56 67 67,

Average à la carte €80

From France Today Magazine