The Petit Snail Restaurant

Went to The Petit Snail for dinner recently and enjoyed it greatly. Though they were super busy, Chauby (the hostess - who had called for reinforcements an an additional waitress turned up soon after) greeted us very warmly and personally. We shared a half litre of the house red, the selection of pates, the pork neck and duck, and then the creme brulee. Mains came with two types of veg. I can honestly say everything was DELICIOUS. It's not a fancy restaurant; but the service, atmosphere and food were top notch and we'll certainly go there again (next time we get willing babysitters!!) PS: The creme brulee is famous for good reason. Best. I. have. ever. eaten.

The Petit Snail has all the signs of becoming a venerable dining institution. It is very definitely French, rooted in classic dishes that have sustained generations of French people in their homes and local bistros / cafes: not fussy kids' sized portions arranged by a feng shui practitioner, but generous portions of expertly cooked seasonal produce. To start, we shared a charcuterie plate and a herby rabbit terrine: the duck liver pate on the charcuterie plate was nothing less than sublime and the rabbit terrine was exceptional. My partner then had a piece of beef cooked to perfection and which was served with Roquefort butter. I had a beautifully cooked and presented trout. Individual bowls of nicely prepared vegetables and vegetable dishes, like ratatouille, accompanied these main courses to which we were invited to help ourselves. We then enjoyed a small selection of cheese (sheep's, goat's and cow's milk) then shared a freshly made Tarte Tatin. Well done: we'll be back!