Dante

The cuisine at Dante represents Chef Rebecca Beaufour's personal interpretation of contemporary French cooking, filtered through her experience working under Alain Passard, one of France's most respected chefs. This pedigree manifests not in slavish imitation but in a commitment to ingredient quality, technical precision, and respect for seasonality.

The menu format centers on sharing, with small plates that allow you to explore multiple flavors and preparations throughout your meal. These 'petites assiettes bistronomiques' showcase Beaufour's ability to create dishes that are both technically accomplished and immediately appealing. The approach feels refreshingly modern—you're not locked into a traditional three-course structure but can instead compose your meal according to your appetite and curiosity.

Signature dishes reveal the kitchen's range and ambition. The Huître Granité Daïquiri (€4) exemplifies the restaurant's playful creativity, pairing fresh oysters with an unexpected frozen cocktail element that cleanses and excites the palate. The Sole Meunière with new potatoes and spinach represents a more classical approach, executed with the precision you'd expect from a chef trained in haute cuisine kitchens. This dish requires advance reservation, ensuring optimal preparation and highlighting the restaurant's commitment to quality over convenience.

The Pigeon de Vendée farci aux champignons sauvages stands as the menu's crown jewel—a €70 dish for two that must be reserved in advance. This preparation showcases wild mushrooms and demonstrates the kitchen's ability to handle complex, multi-component dishes that require significant preparation and technique. It's the kind of dish that bridges the gap between bistro and gastronomic dining, offering haute cuisine ambition in a more relaxed setting.

Seafood features prominently, from the oysters to dishes highlighting seasonal fish. The kitchen also works with premium ingredients like Breton lobster, prepared with house-made gnocchi and sage in a combination that respects both Italian and French traditions. The sériole (amberjack) with yogurt, verbena, and apricot demonstrates the kitchen's comfort with more contemporary flavor combinations, balancing richness with acidity and herbal notes.

Desserts maintain the same commitment to quality and creativity. The Basque cheesecake with Macvin du Jura (€11) offers a regional French twist on a trendy dessert, while the honey ice cream and green walnut liqueur crème brûlée (€12-14) showcase more traditional French pastry techniques with unexpected flavor profiles. The brioche romaine, made in-house, represents the kind of attention to detail that elevates the entire dining experience.

The kitchen works with limited quantities of certain ingredients, which means some dishes may not always be available. This approach prioritizes quality and seasonality over consistency, reflecting a philosophy that values the best possible ingredients over menu predictability. We recommend calling ahead if you have your heart set on a particular dish, especially the signature preparations that require advance notice.