Dyades at Domaine des Etangs (Charentes region of northern Nouvelle Aquitaine) deserves a touch more on service, but the food is fab (8/27/2025)

 Our first night on our journey north to the Loire was halfway at Domaine des Etangs, and Auberge Resort located on a 1000-acre farm and art collection in a 14th century chateau with a Michelin star restaurant called Les Dyades (it had 2 stars in 2024!). The property is magnificent, but the attention to the staff and detail in the restaurant is likely why they lost one star. As this is a resort with just ONE dining spot, there is really no choice unless you have a car to drive somewhere (which is what we plan to do this evening), so many folks do not seem to care to dress for the occasion; short, polo shirts and such were de rigeur. Chef Matthieu Pasgrimaud has created a beautiful menu, but I think he is not on the scene, and the staff seem to mimic the dress of the clientele with basically sneakers, slacks and untidy shirts! Once we got past that and the fact that we had to wave our hands a lot to get attention to order wine or food, it was fine.

There is bottled water made in house offered sparkling and still at no charge, beautiful crusty bread with soft butter and oddly enough, no amuse or attempt to prepare or palates for what was to come. we marveled at how different this was from our beautifully appointed and superb L'Oiseau Bleu around the corner back in Bordeaux.

Wills started with a glass of Chateau Saint Maur Cotes de Provence Rose, and I adored the Sancerre from Paul Cherreu in the nearby Loire where we head tomorrow. Our red wine was a fabulous locale Charentes 2016 Piques Russe "Le temps vole" (stolen time) made from merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon that was dreamy and full of fruit forward flavors, that we thought it was begging to be a Pinot Noir!

My Tartellete de chair de torteau, legumes croquant du Domaine, nuage de Noilly Pratt was a delicious tarte with local crab and topped with a vermouth foam that was all so light, I wanted a tad more. Will had a French version of Vitello Tonnato with a Sauce Grenobloise and a Velour de thon blanc(creamy white tuna sauce), which was indeed delicious but also very rich and filling.

We both chose the Canard a la ferme de L'Arbre, courgette farcis des cuisses, jus au Bourbon which was a perfectly cooked rare to medium-rae duck breast from a local farm in the town of L'Arbre just down the road. Accompanying was a confir leg stuffed in zucchini.

For dessert the cheese platter offered up Chèvre aux herbes from a local farm, Kalbach from Switzerland a semi-hard and unexciting cheese, Comte aged 18 months which was fab and the divine Vache a la Truffe a triple cream cow with black truffles. Raisins, pistachios, griottes( sour cherry) jam and small salted bread sticks accompanied.

Will's Soufle a l'abricot, glace praline noisette was a divine warm apricot souffle with hazelnut praline ice cream on the side. We left full and happy, but really decided to try someplace else locally tonight.