La Taverne restaurant review

After a quick demi beer upstairs the evening took a classy turn downstairs in the restaurant with complimentary oysters on arrival at our table, a lovely touch!

On first impressions, La Taverne is a typically alpine, relaxed and rustic atmosphere with exposed wooden beams and low lighting. The menu is concise and only boasts a select few dishes, however this gave the impression that the few dishes on offer would be done to perfection.

With starters priced at around 10 euros and main courses ranging in price from mid twenty to mid thirty euros it’s a reasonably priced eating experience. The service was incredibly quick and our starters arrived impressively quickly- before we even had time to get stuck into the complimentary bread basket. For starters we had the spinach, tomato and ricotta ravioli, the swordfish carpaccio, the scotch egg and the French onion soup. The ravioli was delightfully creamy and light with a tasty parmesan cream and tangy sun dried tomatoes which really helped to lift the flavour of the dish. It was served with a garlicy dressing and crunchy baby spinach leaves. This starter was a perfect portion size and noticeably fresh and tasty.

The swordfish carpaccio was salty, fishy and elegantly presented on the plate. Bold in flavours and served with watercress and capers this was certainly an acquired taste but for those who enjoy such flavours this is your dish. The soft boiled scotch egg was cooked to perfection. Soft in the middle and with a lovely herby breaded crust this is a typical pub dish done spectacularly. The egg is served with crispy morsels of bacon, a mixed baby leaf salad and a rich and indulgent boudin noir. This starter was definitely very filling and ideal to kick start a big meal after a heavy day on the piste. Finally, the classic French onion soup. Traditionally served with mountains of cheesy croutons, the soup was almost like a consommé; clear, light, sweet and bursting with flavours of onion, made totally naughty by the lavish cheesy topping.

For mains we had the duck breast, the sirloin steak, the fillet steak and the roasted chicken supreme. Once again the main courses arrived almost as soon as the starters were cleared away and were piping hot and beautifully presented. The duck breast was flavourful and aromatic. Served on a bed of salty sautéed kale with a sweet and smooth caramelised carrot coulis, sesame seeds and duck arancini balls. The duck was perfectly cooked and beautifully pink in the middle. The star of this dish though was the duck arancini balls.

Like the scotch egg, the bread coating was crunchy, herby and seasoned perfectly and made a wonderful addition to an otherwise traditional dish. The fillet steak was of high quality and was soft and buttery in texture. The only drawback was that the meat lacked seasoning slightly, though this could have been down to the mixture of flavourful dishes I’d already tasted throughout the course of the meal so far. The steak was served with wilted spinach, wild mushrooms, celeriac puree and a red wine jus. The jus was powerful in flavour and went well with the other strong flavours of the wild mushrooms.

These big flavours were well balanced out by the delicate celeriac puree and the sweet caramelised shallots and baby carrots scattered around the dish. This is certainly a dish for someone with a healthy appetite or just someone wanting to treat themselves on holiday in the alps. The sirloin steak, as to be expected, was less tender but more flavourful due to the higher fat content in the cut. Cooked perfectly 'saignent' [rare] as requested and served with crunchy and fluffy chips and a fresh and well dressed salad. From a choice of chimichurri, green peppercorn or garlic butter sauce, we opted for the peppercorn. The sauce was creamy and packed with the flavour of the vast quantity of peppercorns. A tasty classic dish which left us 100% satisfied.

Finally, was the roasted chicken supreme, stuffed with black pudding and served with garlic mash, butternut squash, parsnip and a chicken broth. The garlic and herb mash was the star of this dish; creamy and delicious it soaked up the light and fragrant broth. The chicken itself was moist and was beautifully paired with the decadent flavours of the black pudding. This dish was probably the lightest of the four, and would be more suited to someone with a smaller appetite.

For dessert we shared a café gourmand and a cheeseboard. The café gourmand was made up of a miniature rhubarb cheesecake, a raspberry and pomegranate panna cotta, and an almond and chocolate salted tart. The dessert was wonderfully presented with a selection of berry coulis and drizzles and of course the obligatory café espresso. The cheesecake was delightfully creamy. The lovely buttery biscuit base offset the tart flavours in the rhubard- this was honestly one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had.  The chocolate tart was incredibly rich and indulgent- it’s hard to imagine how anyone would manage a full portion. The panna cotta was light and bouncy and contrasted nicely with the crunch of the pomegranate seeds which it was presented with.

The cheeseboard of Tomme de Savoie, Beaufort and Roquefort was served with a homemade courgette and apple chutney, sliced apple, rocket and an additional bread basket. The homemade chutney was the perfect combination of sweet, tangy and spicy, my only preference would have been for crackers rather than baguette at the end of such a huge meal. The cheeses were varied in terms of flavour; the nuttiness of the Beaufort, the softness of the Tomme de savoie and the strong and spicy blue flavours of the Roquefort.

The wine which we chose to drink throughout the meal was the Chateau Goumin Bordeaux, Merlot Sauvignon blend. This wine was mid range on the wine list and was reasonably priced at 26 euros. It was an all round heavy red wine to compliment the meat and cheese and leave us suitably tipsy and satisfied by the end of the meal!

For a traditional rustic alpine eating experience right in the centre of Meribel then La Taverne might be just what you’re looking for. Head to the pub upstairs for a drink first then head downstairs for a delicious meal. Dishes not to be missed are the spinach, tomato and ricotta ravioli for a light start, the duck breast and amazing duck arancini balls for a flavour packed and indulgent main and of course the café gourmand for dessert for a little taste of everything.