Le Rendez-vous

A little over a week ago, a new fine dining destination, restaurant Le Rendez-vous, opened its doors in the city centre. It is best described as a traditional French restaurant, which features personal atmosphere, a tastefully decorated two-floored dining area and chefs who moved to Iceland primarily to pamper local food lovers by offering the best delicacies of the French cuisine. The calming French music playing in the background adds to the overall charm and makes it easy to imagine sitting in some cosy little restaurant in Paris.
The menu doesn’t offer a large variety of dishes but features some of the tastiest the French cuisine has become so famous for, all cooked with Icelandic ingredients. The selection includes gourmet specialities such as Quiche Lorraine, Foie Gras, Confit de canard and onion soup as well as fish and lamb dishes.
As a starter I chose the Salade Gourmande while my dining partner, a huge fan of the French cuisine, opted for the classic combo: Foie Gras de canard which of course came with a glass of sweet Sauterne wine (included in the price). I was served a rich plate of romaine salad and tomatoes topped with three types of duck, and found it absolutely delicious. My friend was equally happy with the especially fat and creamy liver of duck, which was a sapid treat for my taste buds.
For the main course, I had to order the Confit de canard, my favourite of all French dishes. The duck leg, cooked slowly in its own fat and served with oily potatoes, was just right and the skin especially crispy. My friend’s salmon with béarnaise served with vegetables was a smaller portion than mine, but the homemade and flavoursome sauce and perfectly cooked fish was more than enough to satisfy.
Although we couldn’t think about eating another mouthful, the list of desserts was too tempting to call it a night and the Île Flottante and Mousse au chocolat were perfect endings to an excellent meal. I have to say that I greet the long awaited opportunity to dine out at a restaurant in the city where the classic French cuisine is celebrated without being caught up in fusion and experimentation like so many places nowadays. Here, simplicity is the key, which is bound to make the restaurant a success. SJ