Bistrot Racines Chartres — Restaurant in Chartres

The menu offers classic bistro dishes such as pâté en croûte, foie gras mi-cuit, and slow-cooked dishes with local root vegetables, as well as some more contemporary favorites, such as a delicious hummus made with excellent Beauce chickpeas. The wine list is well-balanced and offers a wide choice of wines by the glass, and Marion, the sommelier, is knowledgeable, professional and pleasant. We were attracted by the fact that the restaurant uses local purveyors and farmers. Unfortunately, the service needs a complete revision. The first starter of velouté was served without a spoon and when I asked the waitress for the fougasse that was meant to accompany it, she had never heard of fougasse. She sent the head waiter back to us, who informed us that focaccia that would in fact be served, after which the hopeless waitress brought a piece of good French sourdough bread with olive oil and garlic and called it fougasse. In other words, the servers take the customers for idiots. The gravlax composition was so sweet as to be practically inedible, but the chef had the idea to separate the sweet pickles from the fish and couscous, which was not listed on the menu, and make it edible. My friend's sturgeon was undercooked and cold in the middle and had to be sent back. Thankfully, Marion, seemingly the only professional on duty FOH, saved the day by offering us a delightful "floating island" or "île flottante" revisited by the chef, baked much in the way of an old-fashioned baked Alaska. We ordered wine by the glass and were very pleased with it, which is always a good indication of the overall quality of...

Chose this restaurant based on reading reviews, not knowing the area at all. We were not disappointed. 2 x adults and 2 x children ate an absolutely delicious meal including homemade garlic bread, snails, croque monsieur and rabbit. The pommes noisettes were one of the most delicious things we have EVER eaten; just like eating clouds! And the île flottant were incredible and served in a most unique way. Our only complaint was that we were early as it was so cold outside and we chose to go in at 6:30pm for a 7pm reservation but, as service wasn't until 7pm, we were virtually ignored until then and had to ask for menus. AND, annoyingly, other tables who had arrived after us (and didn't have children with them) were served before us. Nevertheless, the food made up for this and we are happy to recommend this...

I was just going through some notes and realized I never posted a review of this fine restaurant. I had to come back and rectify this oversight because this place was THAT good. We were there on a cold November night and were served food that warmed our hearts, minds, and stomachs. He had cerf (deer) and I had beef, both of which were rich and complex. The serving sizes were perfect. Even the pricing wasn't outrageous for such a touristy locale. We also had wine with dinner and a generous serving of the very dramatic île flottant. We didn't want the evening to end, so had coffee and cognac afterwards. It was one of the best meals I've had in France and I feel so lucky to have been able to eat at Bistrot Racine right at the foot of one of the most beautiful...