We liked this restaurant’s intimate casual style, retro modern décor, and complex, unique and adventurous cuisine. Well presented dishes were accompanied by a small amount of table side showmanship.
The ambiance was reminiscent of dining at the home of an acquaintance who happened to be a gourmet food lover. Each course was a mini world unto itself.
The employee wearing a rubber apron and processing shellfish at the entrance and the bistro style ground floor dining area belied the refined ambiance we found once we climbed a narrow staircase to the first floor of Rech, long known for its seafood in a city preoccupied with eatable treasures from the seas. As the first to arrive for lunch we were thrilled to have the dining room to ourselves for a few minutes until the next guests appeared.
Over time this restaurant in a wonderful location a step off of the ultra famous Champs Elysees has made loyal fans out of us. A beautiful dining room with an elegant meal service, quiet interior, and attentive and detail oriented service matched the superlative meals prepared by Chef Christian Le Squer. Over the years his Brittany influenced culinary style has remained light, innovative, refined, flavorful and satisfying.
Every time we have dined there we have had an enjoyable experience. We return because of the restaurant’s reliable, expertly prepared, pretty and well served meals.
On our most recent trip to Paris we made time to revisit the Louvre in part to discover the new wing. We’ve been there many times over the years and were bracing ourselves for the overcrowded museum of past visits. In an attempt at a more leisurely and less crowded experience we arrived late in the day on a weekday when they were open into the evening. The later hour made a surprising difference.
The history of Alsace is well documented, as far back as 58 B.C. when along with the rest of Gaul (great swaths of what is now France) it was conquered by Caesar. Rome attached the region to its Germania Superior province. Thus began a tumultuous two-millennia history during which this wedge of rich alluvial plain, 190 kilometer (118 mile) long by 50 kilometer (31 mile) wide at its largest, between the western bank of the Rhine River and the Vosges Mountains changed hands several times between France and Germany. This generated a unique culture that, while remaining resolutely French, abounds with unmistakably German elements in its traditions, architecture, arts and cuisine.
In a city that exudes at every turn the allure of a millennium of rich historical memories, Romantik Hotel Le Maréchal stood out as a gem of timeless romance. Located in the heart of Colmar, in the medieval neighborhood known as La Petite Venise (Little Venice), the property consisted of four adjoining 16th century houses built on the remains of 11th century fortifications overlooking the River Lauch. The rear of the hotel faced the river, while the three-story façade opened onto a small private courtyard. At every window a riot of red geraniums tumbled from windowsill flower boxes. Above it, the impossibly steep red tile roof that is a trademark of Alsace housed two additional stories of chiens-assis (sitting dogs, as dormers are called in French). Inside, common walls had been opened into passageways that jogged and slanted between the various parts of the property to form a welcoming maze of cozy nooks filled with local antiques. Most inviting of all was the restaurant, L’Echevin (a medieval title for a high-level magistrate) at the rear of the first floor. In addition to superb cuisine, this noted bastion of local gastronomy offered a lovely view of the tranquil river and the colorful ancient homes that lined the opposite bank.
