La Fine Heure in Dijon offers very good bistro-style cuisine, all homemade, with very friendly staff but service that’s a little slow and laborious.

For this trip to Dijon, a city of renowned gastronomy, I decided to try two restaurants at opposite ends of the price spectrum: a bistro and a Michelin-starred restaurant.

When it came to choosing a bistro, I used my usual method of picking out those with the title of Maitre Restaurateur, a guarantee of entirely home-made food, and my final choice was La Fine Heure.

At the bottom of the page you’ll find the summary of the articles about this stay in Dijon.

The concept

La fine heure is a bistro serving Burgundian cuisine, as well as a wine cellar where you can taste and buy wines from the region.

The setting

We’re more of a wine bar concept, with a very woody decor.

It’s simple, friendly and no-fuss.

The menu

It offers regional dishes that naturally make the most of local produce.

The meal

I arrive on time for my reservation, just as the restaurant is beginning to fill up. I’m immediately seated at my table and given the menu.

There followed a very long wait for someone to come and take my order, without even offering me an aperitif or bringing me water.

A waiter finally arrives, apologizing for the wait. The room isn’t full yet and I’m already worried about what’s to come. I place my order without taking an aperitif, given the time that has already passed. It’s a pity: if they’d offered an aperitif as soon as they’d set up, they could have made an extra sale.

Gougères are brought in to tide me over, and wine and water arrive shortly afterwards.

The starter is slow in arriving and to be honest I’m getting seriously bored. What’s more, the reception inside is terrible and I can’t even pass the time on my iPhone.

A Miracle! I finally get my appetizer.

Smoked garlic croquette, “la ferme au gré du temps” snails with mustard seeds, smoked garlic mousse and smoked mackerel pearls.

It’s beautifully presented and smells delicious.

On the palate, the snails and garlic are very present, the garlic mousse is very good, and the mackerel pearls are fairly discreet, which is good for an ingredient that can be divisive.

The only regret is that the breadcrumbs could have been thinner.

I won’t wait too long for my main course, but I’ve been here for an hour!

Burgundy free-range Black Poultry, Bear garlic from Bois de la Combotte – roasted garlic cream, Petit Epeautre from Marc Billotte

Once again, the presentation is beyond reproach.

The poultry is really melting. The Petit Epeautre is good too, but the whole thing could do with a little more spice. Unfortunately, there was no salt or pepper on the tables.

All in all, a dish that’s beautiful, tasty and hearty.

I order a dessert which, fortunately, is served very quickly.

Gin Fizz: mellow with Lemons, Gin foam from Secret de l’Herbier, lemon curd infused with juniper berries.

The fluffiness is just a little damp, but once it’s all mixed together it’s still very good.

I will finish with a coffee.

There’s nothing wrong with the food, which is really top quality, a little inventive but still respectful of local gastronomy.

The atmosphere

The music was muted but the room resonated a little and I could clearly hear the conversations at the next table, which wasn’t so close. Tiring in the end.

If noise is part of the decor in a bistro, it’s more annoying when conversations are perfectly intelligible.

The service

There are two ways of looking at it.

The first is a very friendly and sympathetic staff, the second is a really slow and laborious service, really not warlords. I know Parisian bistros where they wouldn’t survive a service.

Bottom line

The dishes are really good and delicious, and that’s the main thing, even if in the end the slowness of the service and the long, bored waits tarnish the overall experience a little.

The articles about this stay in Dijon

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