La Vieille Maison

5 rue au Lait Cuisines: French

About

Even if the food here weren't superb, the 14th-century building would still be visited for its historic value. The dining room, outfitted in the Louis XIII style, is centered on a narrow ceiling vault, less than 2m (6 1/2 ft.) across, crafted of chiseled white stone blocks during the 9th century. Bruno Letartre, the only maître cuisinier de France in Chartres, supervises the cuisine. The menu changes four or five times a year, reflecting the seasonality of the Ile de France and its produce. Some good examples include foie gras of duckling, roasted crayfish with Indian spices, foie gras served on sliced rye bread, brochettes of lobster and scallops with spaghetti, suprême of turbot with baby vegetables and saffron, and noisettes of venison fried with Jamaican and Szechuan pepper and wild mushrooms. Dessert fans should go with the thin apple-and-fig tart served with walnut-flavored ice cream.

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