Vue de Monde, Melbourne

Oyster, venison roll, celeriac and sunflower seed, smoked eel with white chocolate and caviar

Shannon Bennett is Australia's answer to Heston Blumenthal - just add a blonde surfie dude wig.

For my 21st again birthday, TPG took me to the 55th floor of the Rialto building, overlooking Melbourne's city skyline, for champagne and indulgence at the magical extravaganza that is Shannon Bennett's Vue de Monde.

Spanner crab, green strawberry, saltbush, parsley

Bennett's French style is hammed up with creative theatrics - each plate as gorgeous to look at as it is to taste. Surprises abound. Who would have thought smoked eel, white chocolate and caviar would be a match of the gods? How about about Blackmore wagyu beef, rose petal and anchovy dust, or ling, herb emulsion, prawn and smoked bone marrow? Do not attempt this at home.

Fried duck egg, lamb sweetbreads, pickled onion, truffle. Yes, seriously.

The scene is pared back sophistication with artwork and furnishings reflecting Australian culture (yes, it's not all about Crocodile Dundee and cricket). Knocking dead the theory that a glamorous view is in direct inverse proportion to the quality of the food, this - Australia's first carbon neutral restaurant - uses home grown and small farm organic produce as far as possible, and keeps bringing home the awards in the process (including Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the year in 2006 and 2007) and was the first restaurant to be rated 19/20 by The Age Good Food Guide in 2006. I loved the place 7 years ago, and it's still got it.

If you visit for nothing else, visit for this - the chocolate soufflé,
chocolate mousse and creme anglaise is to die for

If you're a chops and 3 veg purist, this will not be for you. But for a night of fine dining and theatre all rolled into one, it's pretty hard to beat anywhere on the world stage.

4 courses a la carte costs $150, or the gastronomes degustation is $250.

PS. TPG just reminded me of my favourite course of all - the butterscotchy, butter poached marron with kholrabi, caviar and tarragon butter. Oh my....

Vue de Monde, Level 55, Rialto, 525 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic Australia

www.vuedemonde.com.au

+613 9691 3888


I also love "Shannon Bennett's Paris" which has been my trusty guide to Paris' bistros and foodie gems for some years - recommended for any Francophile. Bennett has also more recently published a guide to New York and a guide to France which I wouldn't mind getting my hands on.

Ducksoup, Soho - London Restaurants

I may have left London, but I still have a few bits and pieces waiting in the wings. Starting with this...

Soho rocks. I love it. It has Koya, Fernandez & Wells (1 and 2), Mrs Marengo's salads (now at Mildred's), Bocca Di Lupo, Gelupo, Scoop, Spuntino, Polpo, Polpetto, Bob Bob Ricard, Flat White, Milk Bar, I Camisa, Byron, Yalla Yalla, The Breadman Cart, Cay Tre... the list goes on. Joel Robuchon is a mere skip away. I even like the weird coconut Bubbleology drinks up the road (never blogged, but my new addiction).

And now Soho has Ducksoup.

My first impression on entering Ducksoup is that it's exactly the sort of place I love to visit. London, indeed the world, needs more places that look like Ducksoup.

The white tiled walls are scrawled with the names of natural wines (although I like the idea, organic/natural wines still tend to disappoint me, with a few rare exceptions), there's a huge bowl of fresh walnuts on the counter for the cracking and there's a BYO vinyl policy for the turntable in the corner. It's a petite and character filled wine bar, with lots of cured meats and cheeses, small plates (£7 each) and a few larger ones (£14 each) where you can drop in and snack at the bar (love it) or chat at one of the few small tables lined against the wall. Friendly, keen staff are the icing on the cake.

I also love the daily changing menu (updated on on tumblr), which is hand scrawled on a bit of paper. It features things like slip soles, rillettes and cornichon, pumpkin with chestnut and goats curd, lardo, quail with pickled fennel and chilli and clementine, roast pork with clams and braised fennel, lamb cutlets with lemon and salt, chopped raw hanger steak, and a frito misto of langoustine, artichokes, sliced orange, sea bass and scallops. The people who run it all met while working at Mark Hix's Oyster & Chop House (which is fab, by the way).

This is a menu to draw people who appreciate good food that hasn't been over fussed, enjoyed over a glass of wine that will be different to your usual tipple.

My huge pan of clams in short, noodly fideo, fino and parsley starts off with a wow factor, but the alcoholic fuminess of the sherry becomes overwhelming and it's too salty for me. If the flavours were a little less heavy handed, I would have been in heaven sopping up the plentiful juices with the highlight of the meal... the delicious, thick, crusty bread.

The thick mayonnaise that came with the fresh Dorset crab was also divine. The crab meat was fresh and deliciously sweet, although the small morsels of meat come at £14 which is steep, particularly when compared to the load of the good stuff you get in the crab and pomelo salad at Cay Tre up the road for £9 or the holy grail of lobster claws at Luke's Lobster In New York for around $12. (Yes, I know sourcing impacts on price etc, but I'm just saying...)

The pricing is interesting because what I love about Ducksoup is that you feel like you're nipping in for a casual quick bite in a cool Parisian wine bar, but then you end up forking out over £40 for 2 plates of food and 2 glasses of (not as good as unnatural) natural wine. So it ain't cheap, even if you feel like you're keeping it simple.

There's a no bookings policy generally, although I was able to book for a weekend lunch.

So, I like the style of Ducksoup and I have no doubt it will be a huge success, even if not everything I ate this week hit the mark. All the cool kids that line up at Spuntino will be lining up at Ducksoup soon. I think they probably are already.

Ducksoup, 41 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 4PY (Tel 020 7287 4599)

Paris - Where to eat on Sundays and Mondays in Paris

It doesn't come much better than spending a long weekend scooting around the streets of Paris on a velib, knowing there's a big, glorious plate of steak frites waiting for you at the end of it. The only problem is that all those restaurants you've been adding to your "must eat at" list are closed because it's a Sunday or a Monday, or because it's August. So here's a list of good places we went this recent long weekend, all (except one) of which are open while the rest of the Paris restaurant scene has its feet up.

If you only have time to read about one of these, skip right on down to Au Passage.

Saturday lunch: Drouant

Pluma de pata negra and pork belly

I have to congratulate TPG for this one, which turns out to be the find of all finds. AND it's open every day - this would be the perfect Sunday lunch in Paris.

The restaurant is in a beautiful, oh so Parisian building with huge, sunlight catching windows looking out through the greenery onto a stone statue and a quiet culdersac near the Opera.

While the mains may be priced for kings (at €30 each generally), they are exquisite, of the "I will never forget you my dear pork belly and will talk about you for years to come" variety. Generous pieces of rich, grilled and juicy pluma de pata negra are only topped by the towering, crispy chunk of pork belly wobbling beside them. This plate is full fat and then some, and so decadently divine you will savour every mouthful. Roast guinea fowl is equally heavenly, bursting with flavour and soaking up the perfect savoury gravy.

Mains come with colourful pots of vegetables - scrumptious, sweet and vinaigry tomato salad, al dente provencal vegetables and potato salad. They're replenished if you Hoover them all up.

Sublime strawberry, pistachio and custard tart

So maxed out were we, that we decided to share the dessert of red berries with vanilla ice cream - until we saw them cut up the strawberry, pistachio and custard tart and decided we had to have some of that too. We ended up with a huge piece which we devoured to the last crumb - head in the clouds good.

If only fine dining restaurants in London could price their wines as well - €7 for each glass of the most luscious whites and reds from Burgundy, Bordeaux and beyond. Service was excellent.

There are no tourists, and the room was only sparsely frequented (so lacking a boisterous atmosphere) at lunch, although apparently booked out for dinner. The room looks quite formal - white table cloths, well spaced tables etc - but the service is friendly and smiley, you feel instantly at ease and able to enjoy the wonderful food with the full merriment and gusto it deserves.

Drouant 16-18, place Gaillon. F-75002 Paris (2nd arrondissement) Tél : +33 1 42 65 15 16, www.drouant.com

Saturday dinner: Neva

Poached egg in fried potato

Neva is the new kid on the Parisian restaurant block (and the only restaurant is this post which is not open on Sundays or Mondays). The vibe is modern, relaxed and fun, the crowd is mostly stylish 30 somethings and the food is beautifully presented, a surprise often hidden in one of the many layers of flavour.

My plump little ravioli containing bundles of shrimp were nestled in a gorgeous summery sauce of beetroot and ginger.  A gooey poached egg was shrouded in a finely shredded web of delicate fried potato, which looked like the pastry on a greek dessert ("kataifi"). It spilled onto a creamy potato base. Excellent mains of entrecote with bone marrow and potato rosti, and fleshy fish (I've forgotten which type) with butter beans, diced tomato and chorizo in a sweet, creamy sauce were rich and filling. The fanciful desserts are amazing. Don't miss the melting chocolate sphere surprise (we did - they had sold the last one, but we watched it dissolve at the table next door). There's also a fun strawberry fairy floss and gold leaf number, and a mango, coconut cream, meringue and banana dessert with just the right amount of popping candy to bring a smile to the inside of your mouth.

Ravioli with shrimp, beetroot and ginger

Prices are reasonable too - €36 for the 3 course dinner menu (choose anything from the a la carte list). And the wines by the glass, as is fairly standard for Paris, are well priced (around €7 per glass) and good quality. Service is busy but unfussy and friendly. We had a couple of small errors eg. the wrong wine was served - a dessert wine rather than the Bordeaux to accompany the steak - compounding my gripe that they don't pour it at the table and show you the bottle. But it was quickly replaced and there were no major dramas apart from the lovely ones on the plate.

Neva, 2 rue de Berne (corner of rue de Saint Petersbourg), 8th, Tel. 01-45-22-18-91. Metro: Europe or Liège. Open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner. Saturday dinner only. Closed Sunday, but open Monday. Closed from August 6-August 22. Prix-fixe lunch menu 29 €, three-course menu 36 €, a la carte approx €50 per head.

Sunday lunch - Boucherie Rouliere

This is a fabulous, old school little bistro with black and white chequered floors and family portraits on the walls - and right in the middle of the trendy cafes and boutiques of St Germaine. It has the history of 5 generations of Rouliere family butchers who know what they're doing when it comes to their steak frites and bone marrow. I had the tender, juicy fillet which was as good as anything I've had at London's posh steak joints at €24, with a decent portion of hot, crispy, thick perfecto chips. TPG's lamb roti with mushrooms was also superb (€18.50). A new favourite place.

We were the only tourists in a place where the regulars are greeted with kisses. Next time I'm trying the ravioli with truffles as well. Thanks to ex-Parisian Londoner, @hamishjcameron (go on, give him a follow), for the tip.

Boucherie Rouliére, 24 rue des Canettes, 6th arrondisement (+33 1 43 26 25 70) Métro Mabillon. Meal for two with wine and service: around €30 per head.

Sunday dinner: Paris Hanoi

The enticing smell of Vietnamese grilled chicken and beef pho wafting down our street had our heads turning to see the long queues forming outside Paris Hanoi each night. After a couple of days of pigging out on rich French fare, some fresh and zingy Vietnamese is just the thing to cut through it and revive the arteries in preparation for the next day of getting back on the horse. And there's a reason they queue outside Paris Hanoi - big, colourful bowls of lovely, fresh chicken salad with coriander and mint at €9 each are devoured by the throngs in a small, dark and funky setting. Sauteed prawns and vegetables are good too, and the crisp spring rolls come with a heaped platter of salad. Don't go out of your way for it, but a really good option if you're reasonably local. (Unfortunately, they don't do banh mi).

Paris Hanoi, 74, rue de Charonne, 75011, Paris (11th arrondissement), open every day 12-2.30pm and 7-10.30pm. Tel: 01 47 00 47 59.

Monday morning coffee and croissant:

Coffee at Pause

Try the gorgeous Maison Karrenbauer and Chez Paul next door. Totally cute. Just up the road, also on Rue du Charonne, Pause is a funky cafe with lots of tables on the pavement for people watching.

Maison Karrenbauer and Chez Paul, 13 rue de Charonne, (11th arrondissement) http://www.chezpaul.com/

Monday lunch: Au Passage

Calamari marinated in citrus and ginger - to die for

Au Passage opened only 2 months ago, with Aussie chef James Henry (formerly of Cumulus Inc in Melbourne and Spring in Paris) at the helm. Just go. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

 

Beef tartare

It's super casual and easy going, with an eclectic, vintagey, wine bar feel and the lunch time menu is short but wonderful. Select from 1 course for €9.50, 2 courses €13/ €16.50 or 3 for €19.00. On the first mouthful, you know this is bargain of the century - in our case, upon first bite of the luscious soft and creamy calamari marinated in a zingy citrus and ginger dressing. Next up, the best beef tartare I've had, the silky chunks of beef seasoned and garnished with chopped cornichons, radish, salt, onion and lambs lettuce. My lightly seared tuna is equally lush, accompanied by a gorgeous, sweet piperade with just the right hit of chorizo cooked through it to add depth and ensure addiction.

Tuna with piperade

If we were not already James Henry disciples by now, all it would have taken is the roast peach with creme cru a la vanille and slithers of almond to sign us up. The amazing, rare little peaches tasted like the finest pure apricots, and the chef enthusiastically ran downstairs to grab us a fresh one each to taste.

Apricotty tasting peaches with creme cru a la vanille

James Henry is not only an extraordinary, "hot shot" young chef, but it turns out he's also an absolutely lovely, unassuming guy - his first day off since the restaurant opened and he was sitting next to us testing everything the kitchen was up to, and making sure things were fine tuned, in between pouring through recipe books. This guy is totally passionate and does very good things with food.

At night Au Passage gets even more creative with an extensive menu of bargainous small plates to choose from. Wines are biodynamic and about €4 per glass. Bonus. Did I mention you should go?

Au Passage, 22 Cour des Petites Ecouries, 75010, Paris (10th arrondissement), Tel: 014 40 22 07 97, Metro: Chateau D'eau/Bonne Nouvelle. Yes, it's open on Sundays and Mondays.

Others places you could go on Sundays or Mondays in August: Chez Janou (open Mondays, but closed Sundays), the new bar at Frenchies (open Mondays, but close Sundays), Breizh for crepes (open Sundays, closed Mondays), Brasserie Lipp (open on both Sundays and Mondays).

Where to stay:

We stayed at Hi Matic, a reasonably priced, funky, "design" hotel which opened in April 2011 in the 11th arrondissement, right across the road from the restaurant Septime (with some desperation, we could see Septime from our bedroom window, but it was booked out during our stay - it looks super fun).

The hotel has an urban, contempory style following an ecological philosophy and was designed by Matali Crasset, who created the Le Nouvel Odeon cinema in Paris. It won't be for everyone, but it's something a bit creative and different for the cost conscious traveller who doesn't need a concierge but wants to stay in a great area.

Rooms are small but the storage and design are clever [Update: we stayed again in Ocotber 2011 in a different room which was so poky and dark it was frustrating and we decided we couldn't do it again - it's one for budget short stays when you need somewhere to sleep only]. The futon mattress fold ups into wooden structures, there's a well placed desk for your laptop, a flat screen TV, iPod doc, free WiFi and some kind of screen thingie to communicate with other rooms if you want to. The bathroom and shower (complete with REN bath products) do not leave much to your partner's imagination - they're right there in your face - and despite the funky, colourful trappings, there remains something of a hostel-like feel to the place. Perhaps that's the point - there's also self check in and vending machines with extra soaps, maps and travel guides.

Hi Matic is in a really fun neighborhood - on the tres cute Rue de Charonne with lots of nice cafes, restaurants and clothes boutiques. It's a short velib ride to the Marais. An organic breakfast included, from €110 per night.

 Hi Matic hotel, 71 rue de Charonne, 75011, Paris (11th arrondissement), Tel: 01 43 67 56 56.

Here are my previous blog posts about places to eat and things I love to do in Paris: here (Passage 53), here (Le Chateaubriand), here (general) and here (2009 highlights).

Here's some links to some other tips for Sundays and Mondays in Paris:
Sunday and Monday closures:  http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2009/04/practical_paris_which_days_are.html
What to do on Sundays: http://blog.budgettravel.com/budgettravel/2009/01/sunday_in_paris_where_do_i_eat.html

Paris by Mouth and David Lebowitz's blog are also excellent resources for all things Paris.

The Royal Well Tavern, Cheltenham (Travel Gluttony in the Cotswolds)

You hear a lot about the pub grub at places like The Sportsman and, yep, it's good. But when I look back on some of my all time favourite lunches, my long boozey lunch at The Royal Well Tavern  in Cheltenham would have to be one of the greats. Terrific British produce, both local and sublimely fresh, are combined simply with classic French bistro style and a cosy, friendly atmosphere - a winning combination.

Pleasing little touches add to the warm fuzzies

Andy Martin trained under and has seamlessly taken over from previous head chef Humphrey Fletcher (formerly of The Glasshouse in Kew, Chez Bruce and the River Cafe among others). Not only does everything on his "stonking good food with no frills" menu sound hugely appealing, but it's all good value too - right down to a simply prix fixe daily menu at £10 for 2 courses or £12.50 for 3 (available until 7pm).  You'll find things on the a la carte menu like poached monkfish with samphire and young vegetable nage (£19) or chargrilled hoggett leg with cannellini beans, shallot puree, tomato and thyme (£17). The steaks are apparently great too. Suppliers are proudly listed on the pub's website.

Wooden tables and floors and burgundy banquettes provide a comforting atmosphere to nestle in and wile the afternoon away over a bottle of whatever takes your fancy. Among our plates were a lovely beetroot and walnut salad, sublime fresh, grilled fish with roasted chicory and a gorgeous bit of pink duck with a rich stew of lentils and mushrooms.

 

There were some lovely ice creams for dessert and the cinnamon scroll with warm custard wasn't half bad either....

The Royal Well Tavern is the kind of place you can't help but leave feeling merry and satisfied.


The Royal Well Tavern, 5 Royal Well Place, Cheltenham, Tel: 01242 221212. Expect to pay around £30 per head for 3 courses + drinks (or less of the prix fixe menu).

Bistro du Vin, Soho

Lamb with lentils & bacon

While I don't usually go for chain restaurants, each Bistro du Vin has its own personality. The thing about the new Soho branch is the cheese room - La Cave a Fromage - where you can get unlimited (unlimited!) cheese for £12.50. At this point, I'm picturing myself getting kicked out at 4am a la Homer Simpson at The Frying Dutchman. Differences aside, the quality, unfussy bistro fare and reasonable prices are consistent with its siblings.

As a testimony to my love of the Bistros du Vin, you can see my earlier reviews of the Clerkenwell and Cheltenham branches here. Food is impeccably sourced and cooked with skill. The staff are friendly and knowledgable about the food and wine, and they share a interest and passion in their product and service which makes you feel good about eating there. Surrounds are relaxed and lively.

When I visited the Soho branch recently, service was still a bit green - while some of the waiters that we knew from the Clerkenwell branch were as professional as ever, some of the newbies were not so personable (for instance, the cheese platter was left at our table without any explanation of what cheeses they were - they all turned out to be fabulous in any event, and we got the low down on them on request when we flagged someone down). I hope it's not a sign of some chainlike indifference creeping into the fold. I'm keeping my faith for now and putting it down to teething.

Sea bass

Our food and wine were a class act, as ever - lobster bisque, gorgeous, pink lamb in a rich stew of firm lentils and bacon, and salty, crisp seabass with fennel and lime. Buttery sweet carrots were a terrific side, although fries were disappointingly limp. At the launch party a few days earlier, we'd been wowed by a fabulous array of seafood and Josper grilled steaks (what the Bistros du Vin do best, in my opinion) and heaving tables of cheeses and sweets.

Of the desserts, a warm creamy chocolate tart with Chantilly cream and rapsberries was the pick of the night.

The wine list is excellent and reasonable value, and the house summer cocktail of Pimms with Chase Vodka and raspberry is also one to try.

One for a long, easy meal, or stop by for a burger at the bar. Don't miss the cheese and charcuterie.

Bistro du Vin, 36 Dean Street Soho, W1D 4PS, Tel: 020 7432 4800

Greedy Diva was a guest of Bistro Du Vin.

Bistro du Vin, Clerkenwell

Cote de boeuf 

As much as I'm not normally one for chains, the brains behind the Bistro du Vin restaurants know their steak and they know their wine. This is a pretty good start to get me through the door. While the menus are all largely comprised of classic, unpretentious bistro fare, each chef puts his own stamp on the restaurant using local, seasonal, good quality British produce. The suppliers are listed on the back of the menu for some pre-dinner reading.

So, the addition of Bistro du Vin to the increasingly gourmet hub that is Clerkenwell (on the site of the former Eastside Inn) is a welcome addition to the fold. (And I'm more than a teensy bit excited that an even newer branch opened in Dean St Soho this month, which I anticipate will become a regular local haunt for me and TPG. Stay tuned.)

The bar area has been livened up since the Eastside Inn days (it was always my least favourite part of the site), and although the decor is still lingering a little on the staid side, it's busy. In any case, all is well after a warm welcome, some freebie olives and pistachios and the fast provision of the excellent house marmalade martini. 

We walk past the small private dining room - which faces on to the street and features meats ageing in a glass enclosure (mental note to remember for future dinner parties) - to the main bistro. The fabulous open kitchen surrounded by a U shaped bar (for casual meals) has been retained from the Eastside Inn days. TPG and I have in mind to pop back for a burger and some fine wine at the bar. Well spaced tables and chocolate leather banquettes fill up quickly, and the atmosphere is cosy but lively.

Both our waiter and sommelier are knowledgeable about the food and wine - they know their stuff and give the impression of some real passion behind the business. We felt safe to leave the wine matching in the sommelier's hands and had no regrets. We drank by the glass to match each course, and there's a wine vending machine with some top notch bottles to be sampled without breaking the bank.


After some creamy prosciutto with figs, we start with the peppery, sweet Cornish crab and toasted sourdough and fresh, seasonal English asparagus with sauce ravigote.

Although the night's special stargazey pie was tempting, once you've seen the meat ageing on the way in, its hard to go past the steaks. We order the meaty 600g bone in sirloin from Belton Galloway (£30) and the rich, tender Cote de Boeuf from Donald Russell (£43). They're beautifully cooked and full of flavour - straight from the magic of the smoky, hot Josper charcoal grill.

If that's not enough oomph for you, you'll love the hefty side servings of roasted bone marrow to scoop on top. The thin fries were crisped up to perfection.

A strawberry sundae is loaded up with meringue and cream, but I prefer my profiteroles with ice-cream and warm chocolate sauce.

Aside from the quality of the wine, food and service, another plus is the value factor. I was invited to review so I didn't pay - but I'll happily eat here on my own coin any time.  Prices are around £5.75 - £9.50 for entrees, £12.95 - £16.50 for mains (more for the steaks), and the "plats du jour" are very reasonably priced. 

If wine's your thing, look out for the wine tasting dinners too - they sound rather special. Prices vary.

Bistro Du Vin, 38-42 St John Street, Clerkenwell, EC1M 4DL (Tel: 020 7490 9230)


Greedy Diva was a guest of Bistro Du Vin.

Burgundy - Greedy Diva's Gluttonous Travels

When I told my French boss I was going to "Burgundy" over Easter, she stared at me blankly. Even worse (for both career and my French expertise) that when I adopted my best French accent to explain I meant "Bourgogne", she looked even more baffled. Then, I spelled it out - at which point she exclaimed "Oh, Bourgogne!". It sounded to me like exactly what I had just said, but apparently not. Fortunately, in Burgundy, if you know how to hold out your glass for more wine, you'll get along just famously, no matter how bad your French pronunciation.

TPG and I recently spent a week in Burgundy, including 2 luxurious nights at the Abbaye de le Bussiere (see earlier post). My memories of Burgundy will always be inextricably etched to the wine, the food and the beautiful green scenery. It's a stunning place to visit, and so easy - take the train from London via Paris to Dijon, hire a car, and you can mooch around the well sign posted winery trails with little or no planning, being guided by signs for towns you'll recognise from your favourite wine bottles - think "Meursault", "Ladoix" and "Beaune". It's a wine lover's paradise.

Burgundy is one of France's biggest and most famous wine producing regions. My favourite wines are Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs - which means you've hit the jackpot if you happen to share the same predilection and find yourself in Burgundy. The wine region includes not only the fabulous Cote-dO'r wines, but also those of Beaujolais, Chablis, Cote Chalonnaise and Macon.

Food wise, beef bourguignon, coq au vin (the famous Bresse chickens are locals here), steak (Charolais beef), foie gras and magnificent cheeses (such as the Epoisses made by local monks) feature heavily on the menus. This is not a place to diet. Burgundy is a place to indulge in multiple course meals for lunch and dinner, and it would be a mortal sin not to have the old cheese trolley rolled out on both occassions. You might be craving lettuce leaves after a few days, but you'll struggle to find a cafe or somewhere for a light salad outside of the main cities like Beaune or Dijon - and don't even think about eating lunch outside of the 12-2pm time slot in the tiny villages.

Steak tartare in Dijon

There are many fantastic options for wine tasting, including cellars and caves offering degustations scattered all over the villages and wine trails. We visited many. My absolute favourite was a tasting at Maison Louis Jadot in Beaune where we were lucky enough to meet up with The London Foodie and Dr G to be guided through a wonderful 3 hour tasting by passionate General Manager, Dominique Mounier. Dominique walked us through what can often seem like a complex classification system of burgundy wines, before we hit Louis Jadot's cellars to taste many magnificent wines - including some straight from the barrel (a first for me). Louis Jadot takes grapes from vineyards all around Burgundy and its wines range from the inexpensive and easy drinking to the complex and fabulous. In fact, if you want to learn about the wine region, the wine notes on Louis Jadot's website are a good place to start.

Tasting from the barrels at Louis Jadot

Another favourite was a wine tasting accompanied by food at La Table d'Olivier Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet. For 40 Euros, you will taste from 13 different red and white wines from around the region - including from St Aubin, Rully, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursalt, Volnay and Pommard. For a 10 Euro supplement (which is well worthwhile), you'll also be given some fantastic grand crus. Wines are "matched" (although I use the term loosely) to a basic, rustic meal. The food is not the highlight - the wine holds that mantle, but after some cheesey gruyeres (a staple in the region), we were given a tuna and vegetable terrine with smoked salmon, baked chicken in a tarragon sauce, a selection of local cheeses and chocolate mousse, all of which was perfectly nice (but not a patch on some of the gastronomic highlights you'll find in Beaune).

La Table d'Olivier Leflave

In Burgundy, you can find wonderful, fine dining or hearty, rustic fare. Lunch at Loiseau des Vignes, the Michelin star restaurant of Bernard Loiseau in Beaune, was a highlight. We sat by the window overlooking the elegant tables in the pretty garden as sun streamed in through the window. Service was unstuffy and friendly, the wine extraordinary (it's hard to go wrong) and the food was fabulous. For 30 Euros, our "market lunch" menu included cheesy gruyeres, salmon delicately poached and served in a creamy froth, followed by rich, juicy lamb braised with tomato and rosemary. Three local cheeses were then served before an insanely good dessert - chocolate mousse with meringue, chocolate sauce and little chocolate balls. It was one of the best desserts of all time.

Another high end favourites was Le Pre aux Clercs in Dijon. The 50 Euro set 4 course dinner menu at this fabulous Michelin Star restaurant is great value. The food is refined and delicious, service is excellent and the sommelier gave us terrific wine suggestions.

Terrine of asparagus and vegetables

Pike dumpling in crayfish soup

Saddle of stuffed rabbit, carrots, caramalised turnips, mashed potato

Fillet of sea bream with sauce of foie gras, oyster and egg

The gorgeous Fabrice Gillott chocolate shop is another one to look out for in Dijon. Think  sesame caramel chocolate bars, cassis macarons and hazelnut spreads. The range is exquisite - we sampled lots just for you (21, rue du Bourg, Dijon).

Even without the wonderful food and wine options, Burgundy is a beautiful place to visit. The fact that you can completely indulge your inner gourmand while you're there is a just the icing on the cake.

Mercurey

We travelled to Dijon (via Paris) on the Eurostar - and spent a day frolicking about Paris on the way home. Fares are approximately £180 return.  While in Burgundy, we stayed for part of our trip the beautiful Abbaye de la Bussiere which I reviewed earlier.