Restaurant Reviews: L’Ô Dissay at Château de Dissay in Poitiers

This magnificent château near Poitiers, which was built during the 15th century, has been renovated to offer 10 rooms for guests, and more to come in the future, and an excellent restaurant, L’Ô Dissay, helmed by chef Christophe Poard, who most recently cooked at the acclaimed Michelin-starred Park 45 restaurant at the Grand Hôtel in Cannes.

Poard, a native of Cherbourg, has also worked in the kitchens of Taillevent, Joël Robuchon and the Grand Véfour in Paris, and cooks according to the motto “make exceptional what’s already good,” as in, the finest seasonal, local produce. Poard’s style imbues traditional French dishes with a discreet and very personal creativity, and a welcome lightness, as seen in starters like his tartare of smoked beef with caviar, and main courses like the daube of Poitou lamb with ratatouille and a jus de thym; and pigeon breast with oyster sauce.

Desserts are excellent, too, including a chocolate fondant with coconut ganache and a pear poached in Souchong tea syrup with grilled almonds. Service is flawless, and the dining room itself has a regal elegance with a huge mirror over a wood-burning fireplace and a large tapestry on one wall.

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From France Today magazine