Last month I ate here with the whole family. Came upon the restaurant by chance, basically went in on the looks of the patio/garden. It was fantastic! Excellent service, and food that's several notches up from what else is available around this area. The chef seems to be interested in serving up interesting and very tasteful dishes, and not just churning out steak-frites at the highest margin. (Don't get me wrong, you can wake me up for a decent steak-frites :-) Staff was very friendly, and even managed to keep the children happy :-) read more

Last night, I ate at L'hotel des Bains which is both very intimate and beautiful. It is nested near a lake and the decor would remind you of that fantastic movie "AMELIE". The walls have that rusted-bronze shade that is so in (think Pottery Barn and the Restauration Hardware store) and it is peaceful but yet alive. Who go there? Everyone goes there *business men, houseviwes, tourists, children,people with a pulse* It is a great place to have great food. I often hear that Americans struggle to find inexpensive but yet amazing restaurants while in France. The search has ended! The food was exquisite and there was plenty. The menu starts around fifteen dollars per person including a salad and a dessert. This is a family owned business with a family style restaurant (nothing like the US). It is an elegant venue to have a date or get together with friends. If you go there, please have the fritture and the amazing gratin. I will go back before I return to San Francisco. Tell your friends. Much love from France, JP read more

L'Hôtel des Bains - French Near Me - Charavines, 38

A wonderful experience was had by all. I had dinner at L'Hotel des Bains the other night with two friends. We sat in the outdoor patio (which is entirely shaded by numerous old trees) and had a wonderful, relaxing, delicious time. We were seated immediately, service was great (attentive, yet not overbearing), wine choices were wonderful, food was delicious. They have multiple fixed-price menus, from 15€ to 40€, as well as "a la carte" offerings. I chose from the "les gourmands" menu (27€) and they both had the terroir and tradition" menu (20€). I had : * terrine de foie gras de maison (with truffles) * carré d'agneau rôti en croute d'herbes (a rack-of-lamb with herb crust) accompanied with an eggplant "caviar" * cheese tray * crème brulée * the "wine flight" (3 glasses to accompany the first 3 courses - extra 14€) They had : * rillettes de haddock * pastilla de pintade with gratin de ravioles side dish * dessert My foie gras with truffles was exquisite. So was the lamb - a delicious herb crust made from herbs and mustard and shallots and who knows what else was fantastic. It was perfectly cooked (rosé inside) and very tender. The eggplant "caviar" was a purée of eggplant with seasoning that was a delicious counterpoint to the lamb. The large selection of regional cheeses was scrumptious and the crème brulée was creamy heaven with a hint of vanilla. I tasted the "pastilla de pintade". Yum. (Pantade is "guinea fowl" in English. Use google if you aren't familiar with it - basically a tastier chicken.) I hate to call it a "chicken popover" because that just doesn't do it justice. The puff pastry was light, flaky and tasty, the meat was seasoned, and since it was a pastilla, almonds and north-African spices were used as well (lightly). The side dish (gratin de ravioles) was creamy goodness. Ravioles are a regional specialty : mini cheese-filled raviloli (of a certain typle of cheese) served with a cream sauce. But this was a gratin, so it was presented like lasagna, served piping hot in a baking dish, bathed in cream sauce and with a crunchy top of bread crumbs and grilled cheese. My friends had the home-made sorbet dessert (3 flavors : local ripe raspberries, wild strawberries, and lemon). Although this place is "just a country inn", the food rivaled some of the better restaurants in the SF bay area. It wasn't snooty or pretentious and the meal was hearty, not that nouvelle cuisine mini-portion crap. And the price for dinner with wine, including tax and tip, for 3 people was around $135. I will *definitely* be back next time I am in the area (unfortunately I only come through every 2-3 years or so). I really regret waiting until my penultimate night to eat here, or I would have gone back and tried other dishes (I had planned on going from the beginning - I just didn't make it until the very end). read more