My favourite restaurant
Some three years ago, I was wandering through the villages of the Montagne de Reims, and I stumbled across a nice little restaurant underneath the Mairie (town hall) of the beautiful village of Chigny-les-Roses.
The village’s former classroom had been transformed into the restaurant, “Couvert de Vignes”. As I entered, I was warmly received in this elegant and modern decor by the charming and friendly restaurant manager, Virginie Martel.
So I stayed for lunch, and was dazzled by the cuisine of chef Benjamin Gilles, the husband of Virginie. Benjamin is not a chef or a cook, he is quite simply a “food artist”. His dishes are not examples of French cuisine, they are Benjamin’s works of art. Behind the glass insert overlooking the kitchen, you can see the artist at work.
Each dish is prepared with great care, with unusual combinations of flavours and textures, and beautifully presented. Benjamin develops his menu based on seasonal produce and selects local products while respecting the environment.
Benjamin offers menus of 3 or 4 dishes for which you have a choice between two main courses. For those in a rush, he now offers an a la carte menu, from which you can choose one dish. But why rush when you can enjoy Benjamin’s gastronomic symphony.
Over the past few years, I have taken lunch a number of times at Couvert de Vignes. It is always a highlight of my walking through the vineyards of Montagne de Reims.
As I continue my farewell tour of the vineyards of France, I could not resist a farewell lunch at Couvert de Vignes.
What did I eat? My gastronomic symphony began some delicious appetisers (“amuse bouches”).
My starter was asparagus, garnished with veal, shellfish, seaweed, and wild garlic – an extraordinary combination of flavours.
I chose a slice of delicious cod fish for the main course, garnished with celery, parmesan, blackberry, and andouillette. The other offering was a rack of lamb. The dessert was an unusual combination of lemon and caramel flavours.
It was a moment of sadness when I left Couvert de Vignes. All I could do was promise to come back next year. I truly hope that I can do so.