Dining In A French Fairytale

I took a little break over Christmas from the blog - but the best bit about that is now I've got loads of fabulous stories to share with you! Starting with this mouth-wateringly delicious looking post, it's definitely one for all you foodies out there and anyone who likes to get lost in a gorgeous french village - enjoy!

My Dad is a star restaurant-hunter and manages to find the most amazing places to eat. And he wowed us again when he treated us all to a lovely long lunch in the Au Rendezvous de Chasse, found in the Grand Hotel Bristol. Boasting one Michelin star it's pretty fabulous.

Inside it's gorgeously rustic with little modern touches to keep it up to date. It is really charming and comfortable and the hours slipped by quietly, without anyone noticing - it was a gorgeously luxurious afternoon. And once the fizz was poured it was time to start indulging!

Just to get us in the mood some delicious treats arrived. The savoury-style macaroons were amazing and then the oysters were presented with a fabulous, light, fruity salad, getting us excited for the main event.

Now I have to confess this was a while ago now and I can't remember all the details of what I ate, but I can remember it was all outstanding, so please forgive me for being a bad blogger! When in France - eat snails! And that's what I did! It was lovely to have them presented in a new way and out of the shells, accompanied with a parmesan crisp - oui oui!

Next up a mountain of perfectly cooked lamb arrived with spinach and ricotta ravioli on the side. The ginger and lobster that arrived to my left was so gorgeously presented it was screaming for a photo!

Through the whole meal I'd been waiting for the chocolate volcano explosion that I'd spotted on the dessert menu, but it seems that we'd been savouring the afternoon for too long and there was none left - disaster! They did have an orange liquor soufflé on offer - which as you can see looked more than a little bit fantastic. However, I'm not a fan of orange desserts and gave it a miss. But the lovely staff didn't want me to miss out and surprised me with a gorgeous mousse - much to my delight. Of course, tea and a plate of tasties followed and we were finally all filled up.

And what better way to work off all that delicious french food than take a wander around a beautiful village and marvel at the delights of a very festive market. So off we popped!

Colmar is found in Alsace and is exactly how you would imagine a gorgeously quaint French village. It's like wandering round a French fairytale with narrow streets, tumbling buildings decorated with shutters and beams. It's sometime described as the most Alsatian town in Alsace and it really is beautiful!

To make it even more special there was an amazing market sprawled across the historic centre. The market is almost legendary and could make even the most grumpy Scrooge feel all warm and cosy.

The stalls were packed with traditional french foods, amazing leather goods and the most stunning and unique jewellery. But my favourite had to be the antique book stall. I could've spent hours there admiring the tattered covers and the beautiful french writing inside - even though I couldn't understand most of it!

I was eventually pulled away by the wafting scents of mulled wine. We wandered round the glittering lights in the frosty air, admiring the wares of all the stall-owners until the cold eventually got the better of us and we had to scuttle back to heat up and head back over the border to Switzerland.

There really isn't a better way to spent a chilly winters day.