Le Saint-James, Hotel & Restaurant, Bouliac

Le Saint-James – Art, design and dining

 Online Reservations
3, place Camille Hostein, 33270 Bouliac – Gironde, France
0033 5 57 97 06 00
www.saintjames-bouliac.com

Chef: Nicolas Magie

The luxury Relais&Chateaux Hotel Saint-James is located in Bouliac, a small village that overlooks the Bordeaux region. This Hotel was the first hotel designed by the famous architect Jean Nouvel – 2008 winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Inspired by the traditional tobacco-drying sheds of his home region, he designed four modern adjacent buildings in metal trellises. The former restaurant, was housed in a18th-century farmhouse and has been transformed and enlarged with these new pavilion buildings in 1989.

His design brings an open atmosphere to the natural surroundings. This generates the sensation of dining, sleeping and relaxing in the very heart of the vineyards. The complex was named Le Saint-James, a nod to the well-known eponymous street in historic downtown Bordeaux. The hotel features eighteen rooms which all offer a panoramic view over the city of Bordeaux and the surrounding countryside. All rooms and suites have preserved the spirit of Jean Nouvel’s original design and have been finished with contemporary furniture created by famous designers such as Mies Van Der Rohe and Jean Prouvé.

Restaurant Saint-James is the gastronomic restaurant. Guests of restaurant Saint-James enter the dining room through the lobby in the authentic part of the hotel. The restaurant is located in the modern annex and offers a frontal view on the wine yard. During summer guests can relax and enjoy dinner on the adjacent terrace. The interior is stylish, luxurious, and with special attention to art and colours. The dining room has been built like a stage in three levels so all guests can enjoy the magnificent views. The Huge bay windows offer the panoramic view on the Garonne and the rows of Merlot vines from Saint-James that produce the local Saint-James ‘Vin du Jardin’.

Chef Nicolas Magie is responsible for Saint-James kitchen. He left his Michelin-starred restaurant in La Cape in Cenon in 2012 for the kitchens of Le Saint-James. Daily fresh ingredients and local terroir products inspire his imaginative delicious menus. The menu continuously changes with the seasons and the chef offers a cooking style with a classic French base, which is expanded with refined and modern touches.

Restaurant Director Fabio Rambaldi will ensure all guests an unforgettable stay with friendly and professional service. At Le Saint-James, they also know how to cultivate the most sublime selection of wines. The cellar boasts around 2000 wines chosen by the sommeliers and some great wine Grand Cru’s are served by the glass. You can choose an 8-course Menu Inspiration, a 5 course Menu Plaisir, a 5 course Menu Découverte, a 5 course vegetarian menu or a kids menu where the chef will host the kids in the kitchen and prepares some dishes with them

We started our dinner experience with a glass of Charles Heidsieck champagne in the private dining room and some delicious appetizers.

Guimauve from green apple and manzana

Cracker with foie gras & truffle

Sablé with Jerusalem artichoke & orange

Crab was served with a jus and cracker of crab, an emulsion of yellow pepper, pineapple and lemon.

The chef followed with and excellent coquille St Jacques dish. This time combined with oyster, cockles, celery, apple sorbet, caviar oscietra Grand Cru and raw milk cream.

Grilled Gambero rosso from Sicily was served with Périgord truffle, gnocchi, jus gambero rosso and celery sauce. On the side we had a crispy gambero rosso head with truffle.

Glazed brill fish from Arcachon came with a delicious jus of halve veal halve shrimps, girolles, shrimps, green beans and cutttlefish filled with Jabugo ham.

Pigeon from Mme Leguen was served rossini style with foie gras, structures of artichoke, a tuile of artichoke with pigeon, artichoke filled with pigeon, oil of artichoke, puree from onions with truffle and artichoke.

A creative cheese dish was the emulsion of Chaource cheese refreshed with a sorbet of red peppers, snails, caviar vintage and young sprouts.

Cheese chariot with French & Swiss cheeses

Gateau semoule.

Pastry chef Sébastien Bertin created some original combinations like a delicious chocolate ganache with a Guanaja crunchy biscuit with fleur de sel and a parsley sorbet.

Hotel Le Saint-James is an icon in the Aquitaine region and an experience in itself. Chef Nicolas Magie offers his guests an interesting take on the French cuisine with the use of local produce, bio vegetables and high quality ingredients. His imaginative and delicious menus change with the seasons. Combine your dinner with a stay in the hotel to get the full experience!

Be-Gusto

 

Be-Gusto score:                     8,3/10

Be-Gusto value for money: 8,3/10

Le Saint-James
3, place Camille Hostein, 33270 Bouliac – Gironde, France
Phone: +33 5 57 97 06 00
www.saintjames-bouliac.com

Pictures by Belgian Taste Buds

Original review made for wbpstars.com. Discover the ultimate guide for food lovers, travellers and the restaurant business. Discover many thousands of images and hundreds of films of the most amazing culinary wonders in the world. An exclusive documentation of the very best.

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