Metz: La Voile Blanche

Doubtless taking its name, La Voile Blanche (the white sail) from the white canvas roof of the stunning new Centre Pompidou Metz, the museum’s new restaurant is not only a welcome amenity for art lovers but also for anyone visiting this charming city in Lorraine, an easy day trip from Paris on the TGV if you get an early start. With its decor of petal-like panes of glass by designer Patrick Jouin and architect Sanjit Manku, the stylish dining room offers a splendid setting in which to sample the excellent cooking of chef Jean-Marie Visilit, whose nearby La Grange de Condé is one of the best restaurants in the region.

Visilit’s menu is a mixture of contemporary French dishes and regionally inspired ones, and if the former are excellent, it’s the latter that should claim first attention. I loved my grilled foie gras with a succulent chutney of cherries, figs and hazelnuts, and the roast rack of suckling pig came with a pinot noir demi-glace, cassoulet-style beans and ratatouille. There’s also a terrific assortment of regional cheeses, along with several vegetarian options and a children’s menu. The museum is beautifully illuminated, so the restaurant is especially striking at night.

1 Parvis des Droits del’Homme, Metz, 03.87.20.66.66. Fixed-price menus €25 and €35, à la carte €45 per person, without wine.

Originally published in the December 2010 issue of France Today

Alexander Lobrano’s book Hungry for Paris is published by Random House. Find Hungry for Paris and more in our bookstore.

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