Ile de France: Le Corot

As a native of New England, where you often need a sweater in June, I have a hopeless weakness for the pleasure of dining outdoors, which is why the idea of settling in at a table in the thatch-roofed open-air pavilion of Le Corot, in the Hôtel Les Etangs de Corot is irresistible. Overlooking the tranquil étangs—a large lake-like pond and a few small ones—in the suburb of Ville d'Avray, the hotel is named after the painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, who lived nearby for several years. Just a half hour from central Paris, Les Etangs offers a rare oasis of fresh air and rustic pastoral charm within a spur-of-the-moment distance from the city.

Chef Benôit Bordier at Le Corot

Since the arrival of chef Benôit Bordier, formerly at the bistrot Chez Jean in Paris, it's also become an interesting dining experience to boot, although Bordier has taken some time to settle in and his minimalist and cerebral style of cooking has been a puzzle to suburbanites more accustomed to large portions and straightforward French food. The menu is strictly seasonal, but a recent dinner began with a delicate crayfish royale, followed by grilled scallops with a seaweed butter and spinach purée. A selection from the terrific cheese trolley stood in for dessert.

53 rue de Versailles, Ville d'Avray, 01.41.15.37.00. €70

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