Restaurant Le Grand Bleu — Restaurant in Sarlat-la-Canéda

We came here because of the great reviews, and were very pleased that they were able to sit us even though we didn't have a reservation (and were dressed for hiking). The service was very warm, attentive, and efficient, and the place had a nice, laid back ambience. In terms of the food, however, it was a mixed experience:

Foie gras, beef carpaccio, and langoustine appetizer - 5/5. This was the best dish by far, with the flavors melding together beautifully. To be honest, this set us up to expect all other dishes to be great, but this was unfortunately not the case.

Sweet breads with vegetables - 4/5. Still good, but we've have had better versions (sauces, accompaniments) in other places.

Steak main - 4/5. Same as above, nothing to write home about - good but not much more remarkable/impressive versus even how we cook at home.

Duck main - 2/5. This was the most disappointing dish as the duck was incredibly tough (we've been having duck throughout this trip and this was the toughest by far), and the sauce it came with didn't really go well with it. The onions (I think?) that came with it were also a bit burned, leaving a sort of bitter taste so I didn't even eat them.

Macaron dessert - 3/5. This was very creative and interesting, but didn't quite work as well in flavor execution as in theory. I appreciated the ingenuity of the olives, and asparagus, etc but felt like it needed something to tie everything together, and make the dish more pleasurable, not just interesting.

Fruit jelly dessert - 2/5. This was also quite disappointing - likely lots of thought and effort put in it, but the final flavors were flat/bitter/simplistic, and could definitely be improved.

Overall, we liked around half the dishes, didn't like the other half, but truly appreciated the nice,...

We ate very well here! I went with a vegan friend, and I don’t eat milk products and they graciously accommodated us.

The chef came out to take everyone’s orders and he prepared a special meal for my vegan friend. My vegan friend was very impressed and felt that the meal was delicious as well as thoughtfully planned and researched.

The restaurant itself is simple as well as the service - not fancy or ostentatious, but the food was incredible. I would definitely recommend for foodies who enjoy eating a very good meal.

Also, if you have any food allergies, I would recommend telling them when you make the reservation. This will help their team...

We ate here for my husband’s birthday. From the moment we arrived the waiter and chef made us feel as though we were the only people there. Two of us got the regular price fixe menu, and two the truffle menu. The chef himself took our orders, and offered to fix something else if we didn’t see what we wanted on the menu. In addition to our courses, we were supplied with amuse bouche (small appetizers), soup, and a pre-dessert dessert. All of the food was beautifully prepared, artistically presented, and tasted amazing. The service was attentive, but we never felt rushed. This was the experience of a lifetime, and well worth the cost. I...