In a sea of mediocrity I experienced Lalique.

Sequestered in a remote section in the heart of Sauternes region I discovered the perfect restaurant.

To say I am annoyed by charmless, expensive restaurants that overindulge their menus with high praise and edible mediocrity is an understatement.

This week New York City’s Michelin star restaurants were announced. I have dined at most of them and a majority are not, in my opinion, worth the exorbitant price point. Le Bernardin is wonderful, but now it is way too expensive. 63 Clinton is deserving for its creatively delicious cuisine and reasonable fixed price menu.

Lalique outshines most of the bloated, pricey NYC dining establishments.

The crystal company teamed up with Relais & Chateaux to create perfection.

We were seated at an idyllic table within the glass-walled dining pavilion overlooking the surrounding vineyards.

The main dining room is furnished with forest-green velvet chairs at tables set with white linens, beautiful flatware and china. Even the specially designed Lalique steak knives are exquisite. The most dramatic decorative element in the dining room is a coffer in the ceiling that is lined with Lalique leaves.

Jerome Schilling, the chef at the two Michelin Stars restaurant whose resume includes working with renowned chefs, Joël Robuchon, Roger Vergé, Thierry Marx and Jean-Luc Rocha, creates an elegant, contemporary Bordelais cuisine of his own. Schilling’s inventive dishes flatter and feature the estate’s wines.

His menu is designed according to the products offered by the regional farmers, growers and producers.

His charming wife is also an integral part of the staff.

The restaurant is a glass enclosed culinary oasis attached to the Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Hôtel in Bommes, France less than an hour drive from Bordeaux.

The hotel boasts ten luxurious rooms and three elegant suites offering spectacular views over the estate’s vineyards.

The impeccable service is in full view while we savored lunch on a rainy Thursday afternoon.

Chef Schilling graces your table at the start of the sumptuous meal.

The Fall Le Grain Noble 220 Euro lunch included gorgeous amuse bouche, caviar, king crab, outrageous mushrooms from Landes, candied hake, lamb and endless divine desserts.

A bit of history…Lord Raymond Peyraguey constructed a fortified keep and planted the first vines in 1618.

The estate changed hands over the centuries, notably being sold at auction to the Lafaurie family in 1796, after the French Revolution. It was under its ownership, in 1855, that the estate was officially designated a Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé.

In 2013, the Château became the property of Lalique Group, which relaunched it as a hotel in 2018. The master glassmaker has introduced a new identity to the property.

The Lalique restaurant is the personification of fine dining, including an outstanding staff, creative, delectable cuisine and a  rapturous, serene setting.

Lalique is definitely a destination restaurant.

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Hôtel & Restaurant Lalique 1707 Route des Gourgues, Peyraguey Lieu-dit, 33210 Bommes, France.