Restaurant Le Sauvage — Restaurant in Besançon

We dined two consecutive nights in the Restaurant Le Sauvage as well as having breakfast both mornings of our stay at the Le Sauvage Hotel and Spa. The hotel is very much focussed on the charms of this ancient building, both past and present with an equal focus on great seasonal food in the Restaurant Le Sauvage. From being greeted at the restaurant entrance to being seated and made welcome we got off to a great start on the first evening. The staff are extremely professional but approachable - something we experienced in both the hotel and the restaurant. The stand out for us was the combination in the restaurant of the food and the service. We were fortunate to be served by people who genuinely cared that we would have a great experience in their restaurant. They were also knowlegeable about the pairing of wine with food and politely gave suggestions, for example one of the desserts I sampled was all tomato based and the Maitre d' paired it excellently with an Alpilles white wine. The menu focusses heavily on seasonal produce and using a lot of vegetables and less common alternatives to pasta (red peppers tagliatelle), rice (spelt grains) and the most fantastic crusty sour dough bread. Over the two evenings, we sampled 12 courses in all and each one was distinct from the others, different characteristics but all of them of the same high culinary standard. If you are in Besancon and are looking for not just a high quality meal but a truly enjoyable culinary experience we very much recommend Restaurant Le Sauvage to you. We should mention that at 59 Euros for 3 courses it is also extremely good...

Restaurant Le Sauvage has stood out among all other restaurants I’ve visited in France. Through and through, the experience here was great. While I later learned that I made my reservation time too early, as the restaurant really started to fill up at 20h, the service and the food was still top notch, despite us being just the second group to sit down. For my appetizer I got the foie gras, which when eaten with the other elements of the dish, is one of the best bites of food I’ve had in my life. For my main course I ordered the poached fish, which was incredibly tender and excellently plated. And for dessert, I ordered the “chocolat chaud,” which was also shockingly fantastic, combining warm cake, hot chocolate, ice cream, and a chocolate tuile. The restaurant itself is exactly what you expect from a fancy French restaurant, clean, elegant and organized. Overall, the meal was fantastic, and for what I received, I’m inclined to say a good deal. For this caliber of food, €59 for 3 courses is incredibly reasonable, especially considering the price of a comparable dinner elsewhere, such as at a Michelin starred restaurant. My only critique would be the presentation of the chocolat chaud, whose plating, just doesn’t prepare you for just how good it will taste, unlike the other dishes. While I do understand the intent of the mug, being recessed into it and combined with the bulkiness of the mug, doesn’t add up for me personally. But this is a small grievance, and Le Sauvage is a fantastic experience, and l can’t see a world where I...

It's a magic place!

The building host both the restaurant and the hotel of the same name. It on the border of the Besançon's old city, right below the 17th-century fortress called La Citadelle, one of the finest masterpieces of military architecture from The military engineer Vauban. The city center is at 10 minutes walk.

The history of the building itself is incredible, but let's go back to the restaurant. The parcel is on a slope, with a private great garden in front of the building, which means you only see the trees of the garden and the forest on the other side of the valley. If you are lucky to have good weather, you can even eat on the terrasse (see the picture).

The food was really great. I have started with a foie-gras very well balanced with rest of the side dish. We had then a prefectly cooked beef with a very tasty sauce. The dessert was also at the same great level. We were lucky also with the wine choice: a strong Pouillac that matched the beef very well.

We have spent 3 days in Besançon and visited other high rated restaurants. The quality was quite high everywhere, but this one is clearly a step above!

If I come back to Besançon in the future, hotel and best restaurant are already chosen!

Thanks...