Versailles: Noble Kitchen

Far from the crowds who come to visit its famed chateau, discreetly wealthy and refined Versailles has always been a very good restaurant town. A perfect example of the local predilection for great eating in an attractive setting at a reasonable price is to be found at the aptly named L'Angélique, a charming new restaurant in a handsomely decorated 17th-century house. It's the second table of chef Régis Douysset, who was formerly at the Grande Cascade in Paris's Bois de Boulogne before setting out on his own—and winning a Michelin star—at L'Escarbille in nearby Meudon. Douysset is a brilliant classicist, and his former assistant chef Alix Guiet follows suit here in dishes like a sublime roast suckling pig with lingot beans; yellow pollack with caramelized onions; and strawberry soup with fromage blanc ice cream. An ideal address for a really good lunch after some sightseeing, or maybe a stylish meal in the country on a weekend night.

27 ave de Saint Cloud, Versailles, 01.30.84.98.85. Prix-fixe €36 per person without wine

Originally published in the October 2008 issue of France Today

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