2nd trip back to this restaurant in a small village outside Poligny. The Chef is in a league of his…read moreown, very creative fusion cuisine. I had the Mediterranean Minestrone, it is not what you would assume it is. Sardines, mussels, tomatoes, and couscous. The Sea Bass stew was prepared with potatoes and saffron. They have a wine pairing menus with delicious wines from the Jura Valley and elsewhere or you can order on your own. Unusually large portions for a French restaurant. The restaurant has a very comfortable setting in this small French village with narrow streets. Service is excellent and especially helpful choosing the wines from the region since most are not familiar with this variety. All of the starters and entrees are impressive but the short ribs and sea bass are off the charts. All of this is followed by a cheese cart you walk up to and choose your 4-5 selections of local cheese. The local cheese is addicting. Fresh powerful flavors. I could not stop eating the cheese on this trip. Check out these photos from last nights WOW dinner.

From the owner: Restaurant gastronomique et hôtel 3 étoiles à Arbois, dans le Jura. Cuisine créative et saisonnière…read moreélaborée avec les meilleurs produits du territoire Jurassien.

We had a fairly great lunch here. I'd get the guinea hen…read moreover the coq au vin. The amuse bouche we had was totally delicious - this little curry cake thing. I still think about it. The staff was great and totally didn't make fun of us for our Frankenstein-quality french.

24 Oct 2015, one day before my the 85th anniversary of my father's birth…read more The name "Balance Food and Wine" might have an idiomatic meaning in French. Who would have expected such world class food and service in a small town of about 3,500 people in the Jura department of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France? I read about the restaurant before leaving home in the U.S., and my hopes were exceeded. The host, Alain, and our waiter, Louis, were very professional, responsive, timely, and helpful with all of our questions and getting us a wonderful dining experience during a brief visit of less than 24 hours to their commune here in France. We ate a list of dishes, each of which was certainly French: Rognonnade de veau dans sa sauce crémée, palais de polenta poêlée (Veal kidneys in a cream sauce with slices of fried polenta) Le foie gras poélé enrobé de sa panure aux petites graines (fried breaded foie gras with small seeds - for an additional €3) Very nice, but less than stellar, the only thing I _might_ have deducted points for, but didn't. Velouté Dubarry à l'huile de chanvre et son cœur croustillant au sumac (Velvety Dubarry -cream of cauliflower- soup with hemp oil and a crunchy center with sumac) Le coq nu vin jaune et aux morilles, servis en cocotte à l'ancienne (rooster simmered in vin jaune with morel mushrooms, served in a baking casserole) L'assiette du fromager: Comté & Morbier (slices of cheese, two of Comté and one of Morbier) Poire caramélisée et gelée au Poulsard, sa boule de glace à la créme Isigny They do NOT accept American Express, but to me, who cares? Not me.

From the owner: Un, deux, trois caudalies, trinquez ! Un petit tour sur la route des vins du Jura ? Au cœur des…read morevignobles d'Arbois, à deux pas de la maison de Louis Pasteur, se niche l'hôtel restaurant Les Caudalies, dont la cave en fera pâlir plus d'un... 3000 bouteilles à la dégustation ! Des vins suggérés par Philippe, sommelier lauréat du concours du Meilleur Sommelier franc-comtois et finaliste du Meilleur Ouvrier de France en sommellerie. Pour la mise en bouche, différents menus, différents prix : Plaisir, Symphonie ou Sélection, et un choix à la carte comprenant, entre autres, un Gratin d'écrevisses au parfum de safran, un Émincé de rognons de veau aux épices douces de cachemire ou un Foie gras de canard poêlé au vinaigre de mangue.

From the owner: Restaurant traditionnel,Gastronomie,Spécialité sauce au vin jaune et aux morilles,Truites,Filet de…read moreCannard,,Poulets,Coqs,Ris de Veau... Tous nos desserts sont fabriqués maison.

Thomas at the front desk was very friendly, polite, and helpful. He also speaks pretty good…read moreEnglish! His colleague, Léa, who is new today, was able to recommend a restaurant that serves escargot. Alas, it is not in Arbois. Subsequent visits to the front desk were always very pleasant and informative, responsive to requests for recommendations. Our room was over a street other than the one of the front entrance, overlooking the Promenade des Tiercelines - if that means something I'm unable to figure it out. There is a nice view of The Collegiate of Notre-Dame. It was a bit noisy when we were getting ready to retire, about 11:30 (23:30 for Europeans) but closing the window really kept the noise level down well. I would say that a couple more electrical outlets wouldn't hurt a bit, but my expectations there seem like they might be a tad unrealistic. On the other hand, maybe the hotel industry just needs a wake-up call and to provide more access to travelers. There are two of us, and if we wanted to plug in all of our electrical items at the same time, we'd be short two outlets. This IS a room for two people, after all. Soon enough, we'll be having the breakfast, so there will be more to comment on.

The perfect place to stay in the perfect French village. Hosts Thomas and Emmanuelle work hard and…read morefast to make every guest comfortable. They took the time to point us to the best sights and shops and restaurants, and helped us arrange all. I've been to 35 countries and seven continents, and not enjoyed a better stay anywhere. We sincerely hope to return.