Dinner in Dijon
 

We are going to have a rendezvous with friends in Dijon at the end of next week (Friday). They, like us, are spending the night near the train station and none of us will have cars. Does anyone have restaurant recommendations within a reasonable distance (which I would guess would be a mile or so, since we're all committed walkers)? Something nice, French, not bank-breaking but kind of special. Thanks!

Take the bus if you don't want to walk. There's one that goes directly downtown from the train station for 1 euro. The free bus that goes from close to the station around the historic core stops at 7 pm, but it's not that far from the station to the center. I had a good, not bank-breaking, meal at the Bistrot des Halles next to the market hall. (See my TR: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-france.cfm?43 )

Stephane Derbord in Dijon – one of the top 5 meals of all time in France (we dine out about 40 times per year in France)
Michelin 1 star

First round of Amuse Bouches
Bite sized squares of Croque Monsieurs
Carp mousse with black & white sesame seeds
Parmesan chip and a bite sized tomato “truffle” with a semi-liquid center
Second round of Amuse Bouches
Sushi (California roll) with cockle, with Asian spices & bean sprouts
Potato puree
Leek Mousse with green beans
55E menu
-Smoked sander – thin rolls stuffed with finely julienned vegetables served with tart greens (incl dandelion greens) topped with paper thin lengthwise sliced carrots. The plate was edged with a piping of honey mustard and crumbled hazelnuts
-Perch with a wild mushrooms and green beans served in a deep plate with a “soup de poisons” reduction sauce
-cheese chariot
-Poached , pealed pear with a red wine sauce in pain epice with sage ice cream – all very refreshing

65E menu
-Sauteed scallops, each served on a cucumber “coin” with a topping of lemon cream & caviar, with julienned apples & dandelion greens
-Sandre on a bed of spinach with a butter sauce accompanied by a small tomato stuffed with diced cepes on a squash “coin”
-Filet of Cerf, served with berries & a dark berry reduced sauce with green beans & wild mushrooms with a ‘grain” of some sort
-Cheese chariot
-pre-dessert refresher
-Chocolate fondant – top & bottom layers of dark chocolate “sandwiching” lighter chocolate mousse with dark chocolate wafers & vanilla ice cream
-Post-dessert refresher

Stu Dudley

Although Stu's suggestion is good ( a bit expensive though if you cannot take the 25€ lunch menu), the restaurant is place Wilson and a bit far from the station. (no direct bus).

The nearest restaurants which have a good reputation among the dijonnais are Restaurant de la Porte Guillaume (near the triumph Arch)in Hotel du Nord
http://www.hotel-nord.fr/fr/restaura..._guillaume.htm
and also le Gril'Laure near St Benigne cathedral. (not far from the first one)
Welcome to Dijon!

I ate at the Hotel du Nord, and while the service was attentive I wasn't wow'ed by the food (escargots and coq au vin). Maybe the chef was off - it was a holiday weekend.

I stayed at the HOtel du Nord when I was in Dijon last year, and ate in that restaurant and thought it was just fine. I suppose I wasn't wowed, either, but that is pretty rare for me for a dinner. I mean, a meal can be very good but I wouldn't describe myself as being wowed by it. The OP didn't ask for some once-in-a-lifetime wowsome meal, so I think it would be fine. It's a pleasant place and an easy walk from the station (although a bus goes right there, also, but it's not that far).

From the map, it looks like about a quarter mile from the station to Porte Guillaume. Hardly enough to work off the first Amuse Bouche. Stephanie Derbord looks to be about a half mile.

Enjoy Dijon!

:-)

Dijon is a wonderful city to take a stroll through after dinner. I purposely choose restaurantrs about a half mile from the hotel, just so I'm forced to enjoy the city at night. Strolling through Place de la Liberation then down Rue de la Liberte is a delight. Even if my hotel happens to be near the restaurant where I want to eat - I'll still take an after-dinner stroll out & back.

Stu Dudley

According to google it's 1.5 km by the shortest route from the station to Stephanie Derbord. I looked at eating there, but it doesn't meet my definition of "not bank-breaking", although I'm sure it would be more than "kind of special".

That is a good idea Stu. I was about to ask nukesafe about the brasserie he tried in 2005 (already?!!) near the train station.

You'll find a lot of restaurants around the market and on rue Berbisey. le Bistrot des halles is next to the food market but I'm not sure I can recommend it as often as before. Reviews are quite mixed now http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran..._Burgundy.html (and also on French websites)

Le restaurant des Oenophiles rue Ste Anne is one the dijonnais favourites as well. If you can read French http://www.fra.cityvox.fr/restaurant...3279/Avis-Lieu
Personally I liked "le Clos des Capucines" rue Jeannin and "la Ruelle" 8 rue Quentin.
Hard to choose now! :-)

Coco cherie - i hear they got good mustard in Dijon, is that right?

I really can't be too authoritative about Dijon restaurants, Coco. It was four years ago, and we only stayed one night at the Campanile Centre Hotel, before meeting you the next morning for that memorable tour of the pastry shops you took all of us on. The only thing I have on restaurants was the excerpt from my Trip Report:

"Not wanting to eat in the hotel café, we walked across the street to a lively place named "Au Bureau". It was a big kitschy room, decorated with lots of old fashioned pictures and artifacts. Sort of a French pub scene, except you didn’t have to worry about bumping you head on low beams. We had drinks and a light snack in a very pleasant atmosphere before turning in."

This thread makes me want to come back!

:-)

"Au bureau" changed its name (and chef maybe) and is now called La grande Taverne http://www.lagrandetaverne.com/. The reviews are not that good now on cityvox.fr...
Hi Pal, yes the Dijon mustard is still good! :-)

Such good ideas! I love seeing how differently comments can be interpreted -- language is so imprecise (as, frankly, was my thinking when I tried to describe what I was looking for). I suspect which ever one we choose we'll be content -- after all, we will be with good friends and in France eating dinner and enjoying wine. That has all the makings of a great night, no? :-)

Reporting back -- we ended up at la Ruelle and it fit the bill perfectly! We had a wonderful meal and a great time. Thanks for the recommendation!

Thanks for the feedback. I'm happy you enjoyed one of my choices. I'm sure there were not a lot of tourists there since it is a bit hidden in a narrow street (ruelle in French). I hope you liked Dijon too!

For those coming to Dijon, I scanned all the reviews my guests wrote about restaurants, shops and activities in Dijon and Beaune. You can even locate them with google maps and streets views. http://tinyurl.com/kshln9 :-)

Chère Coco, I like what you did. Great idea. Next time, all I have to do is scroll down the list. Bon appetit.

Hi gg, happy you like it :-) I'm still fighting with one page that dosen't want to show up but I didn't remove anything. Bon appétit!

Le Teatre de Sens!

This is probably too late for the original poster, but a great restaurant in Dijon is Le Teatre de Sens, right around the corner from the theater in the center of Dijon. Order the snails as the entree and the coq aux vin as the plat, with a bottle of Cote du Rhon. Wonderful meal!