For over a millennium, French cuisine has been inextricably linked to its culture. UNESCO even added the “Gastronomic meal of the French” to their Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010. To celebrate, the French Government created La Cité internationale de la gastronomie et du vin, a venue to showcase French gastronomy and wine. And what better place to choose than the home of UNESCO-listed vineyards, boeuf bourgignon, and escargots! I had the opportunity to visit their “vinostronomic” restaurant, La Table des Climats Restaurant in Dijon. Here is my review.
Menu
Burgundian Cuisine
Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin
The Restaurant Concept
The Review
Overall Thoughts
Burgundian Cuisine
Burgundy is the birthplace of many of France’s most iconic dishes like snails and gougères. Of course, as an important wine region, many of these dishes also contain wine too! Besides boeuf bourgignon (beef stew made with red wine), think coq au vin (rooster slow cooked in red wine), œufs en meurette (a personal favourite: eggs cooked with lardons and red wine), or la matelote d’anguille à la bourguignonne (eels stewed in wine sauce).
Dijon in particular is also famous for mustard (it home to Maille Mustard) and Kir (a cocktail made with white Burgundy and blackcurrant liqueur) as well as spice bread and “Belle Dijonnaise” pear (pear poached in wine). The rest of the region has other delicacies like Charolais cattle (known for their high-quality meat) and poulet de Bresse (famous free-range chickens).
Of course, no French table is complete without cheese. My favourites come from this region, including Brillat-Savarin (an unctuous cow milk triple cream) and Époisses (a strong creamy cheese rinsed in Marc de Bourgogne). Other local cheeses include Aisy Cendré, Charolais, Saint-Florentin, and Vézelay.
Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin
With incredible wines and such strong cultural ties to gastronomy, it is no wonder that the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin opened its doors in 2022.
The Cité is on the site of an abandoned hospital dating back to 1204. The ancient buildings have been restored and new, modern architecture has been added. It is a visually attractive foodie city within a city. And it has something for everyone inside.
Find a giant exhibition space dedicated to the wine and foods of France and the world. Interactive displays, multi-sensory activities, a movie theatre. The Ferrandi Paris School of Culinary Arts has a campus here. There is a Gastronomic Village in the courtyard with amazing boutiques and pop-up bistros with menus created by famous French chefs. My personal favourite is La Planche, a cheese shop with a staggering selection. The Experiential Kitchen offers masterclasses with guest chefs with cooking lessons, tasting sessions, cocktail workshops, and more. All sorts of events are hosted weekly, usually around a particular theme.
There are two permanent restaurants at the Cité. Le Comptoir de la Cité is a casual wine bar with classic Burgundian bistro dishes. La Table des Climats is more upscale and offers Michelin starred menus at (relatively) affordable prices.
In terms of wine, the Cave de la Cité is worth the pilgrimage. A monumental wine library of three floors, it has 3000 labels on its roster, and a whopping 250 of them sold by the glass. And that includes the Cave des Grand Crus, some of the most expensive and exclusive wines in the world. Here is the chance to sip on those “once in a lifetime” bucket list wines.
The Restaurant Concept
La Table des Climats is a “vinostronomic” restaurant, a place to experience a French gastronomic meal with a focus on wine. In fact, they have a fantastic wine list with more than 800 references from Burgundy, including around 40 wines by the glass. Hugues Picot, head sommelier of La Cave de la Cité, selects the wines.
The restaurant seats 50, including beautiful faulted indoor dining areas and terrace at the foot of the Grande Chapelle des Climats, the ancient chapel of the former general hospital of Dijon. A view of the kitchens greets diners as they enter the restaurant.
La Table des Climats offers several menus, from 2 to 5 courses. They are imagined by Eric Pras, the 3 Michelin Star Chef of Maison Lameloise. They are created by Chef Kévin Julien (who worked with Chef Pras for several years) and his team.
The Review
My first impression of La Table des Climats Restaurant in Dijon was wow. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, intimate, and a beautiful melange of old and contemporary. The entrance opened to an impressive wall of wine, similar to the decor of La Cave de la Cité. The dining area is roomy and comfortable with tributes to Burgundian wine culture decorating the walls. I was fittingly seated by a photograph of Château du Clos de Vougeot, a visit of which was the reason for my trip!
As I settled in, I was presented with the menus and chose a wine by the glass. I liked the creative presentation of the wine list in a scroll. Note that wines by the bottle are actually in a tome of a book! Wine pairings are available for the meal. The staff are knowledgeable and can answer any questions.
The restaurant offers several menus with a varying number of dishes. Guests can choose between a few options, however do not expect anything vegetarian. The Menu Chapitre temped me, which includes amuse-bouche + entrée + plat + dessert + mignardises.
Mise en bouche
The meal started with a tasty trio including a cheese-filled gougère (puff pastry made with cheese), a mustard pillow, and a smoked salmon sablé. It is a nice introduction to the regional cuisine.
Following these bites was a more substantial treat of poached egg with foraged mushrooms and sauce sabayon. This was really lovely: egg and mushroom is one of my favourite combinations. Overall, a nice introduction.
Entrée
This entrée is the reason why I chose the Chapitre Menu. I absolutely need to eat Escargots de Bourgogne every time I am in the region! The snails from Burgundy are famous for being big and qualitative. They are really one of my favourite foods of all time.
La Table des Climats has their own take on this classic dish. Instead of the usual butter-parsley-garlic sauce, these snails are alongside an interesting octopus and pig foot carpaccio, scallops, and a local saffron emulsion.
I enjoyed the creative flavours and the different textures. The saffron sauce was really delicious and the carpaccio was unique. While I do not regret choosing this option, I feel like the escargots are hiding in this dish, when they should be the star. But I am a little biased!
Plat
The seafood theme continued through the main course. Monkfish with roasted hazelnuts, squash Agnolotti del plin, and grilled chicory. A caramelized onion sauce is poured at the table.
The monkfish is phenomenal. Perfectly cooked with a buckwheat crust, it just melted in my mouth. The sweetness of the butternut paired perfectly with the bitterness of the chicory. The flavours were spot-on and I loved the velvety purée that dotted the plate.
Dessert + Mignardises
I am not a big dessert eater so I rarely order them at restaurants. But this was surprisingly the highlight of my meal! All sorts of citrus adorn a sablé with lemon sorbet and served with citrus-infused chantilly.
Absolutely divine, this dessert is perfectly light and refreshing after such a rich meal. There is so much flavour and it is not too sweet. I wish I would go back just for this!
I was really full at this point so I made a great effort to eat the mignardies…. pretty well had to roll myself out of the restaurant by the end.
Wine
For the wine, I chose Domaine Ghislain Kohut AOC Marsannay Blanc En Larry 2020. This ended up being a great discovery.
This seductively golden wine holds aromas of delicate white flowers, juicy citrus, and fresh butter. The mouth is ample but surprisingly fresh with bright minerality. From the closest wine appellation to Dijon, this was a perfect pairing for most of the meal, including dessert.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, I loved my experience at La Table des Climats Restaurant in Dijon. The service is attentive, the decor is lovely, the wines are fantastic, and the food is impressive. It is great value for money, a taste of Michelin Stars but at a much more affordable price. The restaurant is a great immersion into the worlds of Burgundian wine and gastronomy, but also breathes new life into such a traditional region. A hidden gem I highly recommend visiting when you are in the region!
