it's not always easy to choose a restaurant between two that are empty. to be fair, restaurants here in la rochelle open at 19h00 for dinner and i had been walking up and down the street since 18h30 before i short listed "la cote de boeuf" and "l'entracte". in fact, on recommendation from a friend, i was due to have dinner at "chez andre" tonight, but i decided the other two not only had a better atmosphere but the menu on presentation looked more in line with what i had in mind.

in the end, i chose "l'entracte" for 2 reasons: it had huitres in its appetizer list and it is michelin recommended. mind you "la cote de boeuf" is gault millaut recommended, so the choice was still difficult to make.

i am now learning to make the difference between michelin and gault millaud in the same way i have made the difference between gambero rosso and veronelli in italy.

i still have not made up my mind and so i will tell you about that much later.

the service was friendly although nervous. i am not sure why since i was the only customer for most of my visit. In any case, it was efficient and knowledgeable, which is always something i like.

i had les huitres, for appetizer (but of course) and the "noix de coquilles st-jacques" for the main.

oysters are oysters so i will skip that description. the coquille were served with a risotto of tomatoes and parsley and "jus de viande". although the risotto arrived yellow as mustard, it was surprisingly tasty. in fact a bit of coquilles together with risotto and jus was absolutely divine on my palate. the coquilles being in season were soft, tender, and slightly sweet tasting. first time i have this kind of taste and texture, lovely.

i ended my meal with cheese "de brebis", goat cheeze in english which does not sound nearly as nice...

a delightful meal. highly recommended if you visit la rochelle.

you can click on each photos for a larger version:

l'entracte, 35 rue st-jean-du-perot, la rochelle, tel. +33 546 52 26 69