Douglas Tanner

Review of Restaurant Auberge de L'Ill, F...

I last ate at this restaurant in 1980. On this ye...

I last ate at this restaurant in 1980. On this year's trip to France we invited two other couples and had what ended up as an almost three hour lunch. I made reservations on the internet a couple of months in advance. The setting of the restaurant is stunning, on the Ile river that runs through Alsace, ending in the Rhine River in Strasbourg. Weeping willow trees, patios, birds and flowers are the setting along the river that we looked out on. Lunch is not cheap. We all had the menu at 95 euro, but it was the event of our trip to France and well worth it. We started with an amuse bouche that included a terrific sauce and a submerged small piece of cod. Our starters (salmon, lobster and perch) were all excellent, the main courses (pigeon, lamb and pork) were amazing and the desserts sumptuous. We started with a 50 euro bottle of Alsatian Pinot Gris, and had an 85 euro Bordeaux with the main courses. Cookies came out to each of us before dessert, and after dessert, house made chocolats in 6-8 types were offered. Top this with coffee and you could roll us out. We took a walk in the garden, seeing a Stork pair flying around and eating with a handful of ducks and watching the river slide by. A truly wonderful experience and the reason this has been a Michelin fhree star restaurant for over 30 years.