In one of the few evenings hubby was free from work, after I had a meeting and couple of drinks at Le Royal, we decided to stop there for dinner. We always find us short on ideas for restaurants open on Monday evening and we were attracted by the renewed settings of the hotel. Last time I have been to Le Pomme Cannelle was ages ago – really, five or six at least – and my memories were related to the opulent and ceremonial service and old-fashion dishes.

We skipped the aperitif, as we had already at the bar, and were accommodated to a large table on a couch. The decors are classic but not redundant: the restaurant was quite full, but you could preserve your privacy as the distance between tables is considerable – this is one element I always appreciate very much in certain contests. Some businessmen, as well as couple and families. If you exclude we entered from the bar corridor, nothing can lead you thinking you are in the restaurant of a hotel.

We went for two courses each: I had bread-crust tuna tataki with avocado sauce while hubby had a red mullet cake, followed by two main fishes courses: cod in breadcrumbs with tomato and fava beans for me and sea bass with penne and crunchy vegetables for hubby. Our dinner was anticipated by two amuse-bouche. A delicate fish mousse as appetizer and a tasty beef welcome from the chef. We accompanied the dinner with a bottle of Viognier.  and I concluded with a selection of cheese.

After the pictures of our dinner, you will find some more impressions on my side.

What I liked about the dinner at Le Pomme Cannelle:

• The food: sophisticated but not extravagant, classic but not boring. All our dishes were composed by main ingredients, perfectly combined and mixed. Some choices were precisely delicate, as my tuna fish, some were more colorful and intense, as the red mullet cake. All were outstanding.
• The service: while extremely cordial and always on point, we never felt the service was “too much” as in the past. Settings are formal, but you can enjoy a relaxed moment, unbuttoning your tie if you wish
• The location: while it still preserves an important style, pretty far from the new minimalist trends of new restaurants, Le Pomme Cannelle welcome you in a warm and different atmosphere, where you are taken away discovering the small details of the room. I particularly appreciated the comfort of the seats and the distance between the tables.

What I liked less about the dinner at Le Pomme Cannelle:

• I have to say I like pretty much everything. If I have to find only one thing, as we ordered both two fish dishes and the welcome from the chef was taken afterwards, it might be pointed out it was a meat (mini) dish. I always appreciate when my amuse-bouche is slightly coordinated with my meal, but, as hubby pointed out, this is a very silly point of mine 🙂

To sum up. Le Pomme Cannelle has a new refreshed atmosphere and has lost the oldish negative acceptation of “hotel restaurant”. It is a place, high-end one, you can definitely visit for a special family occasion, a romantic date, a friends celebration. You are offered an outstanding level of service, a tasty classic menu with some indulgent touches and a very good and reasonable offer in terms of wine.