Chez Renaud - Versailles

As I was to spend 5 days working and visiting Versailles including two days with a great international patissiere / chocolatier on a one to one development session my pulse had quickened just for the fact I would be eating my beloved French cuisine again.Chez Renaud was only 100 metres from my hotel in a pretty Versailles street and close to a typical quite picturesque square.The restaurant was bright and cheerful enough but over lit for an evening meal, the waiter appeared promptly enough. There were only three or four other tables occupied.Let's get straight to the point. This was some of the worst so called French food I have ever tasted anywhere and the standard of cooking was just appalling.I should have started to worry when my starter of Coquille Tart appeared within two minutes of me ordering. It was a disc of pre-prepared puff pastry topped with the tiniest over cooked and destroyed scallop on it ....with salmon !!!! Salmon however didn't appear on the menu. The fish was also destroyed and bone dry. The side salad on the plate was presented with a squirt of balsamic glaze that can be purchased from any French supermarket.The main course I ordered was Agneau en Feuilletine. Sounds good ?? A lamentable disaster and a disgrace to French cooking. A hard lump of lamb muscle (from which part of the animal I have no idea) was served with a 'jacket' of puff pastry which was falling off. The meat was cold, cooked to death some time that day and so tough I couldn't even eat half. The accompaniments were so bad and ill judged it is hard to describe them. Boiled carrots, one of those dreadful little flans that the French bistro seem so keen on, tomatoes and boiled to death leek. With what potatoes ? Chips !!!Tired flabby luke warm chips !!! Utterly appalling. I say with all honesty I ate much better school dinners than this in England as a child 40 years ago !I tried to swill down what I could eat with a pichet of St. Emillion ! Sour, thin and no semblance of fruit. This chef here quite honestly isn't a chef who has the nerve to put such dreadful food on a plate and expect the paying guest to enjoy it. Without doubt one of the worst pieces of cooking I have ever experienced, anywhere. If a commis chef cooked this for me as an interview for my kitchen they would be shown the door immediately. Avoid at all cost !!!

We went here on a warm Tuesday evening in September, the inside was packed however tables outside, within 5 minutes the owner came and spoke to us and showed us the menu on a large blackboard, he helped translate the menu. There was fixed price for 2 courses or 3 (25 euro for 3). The food was unbelivable, good size portions and everything was freshly cooked. Even though they were busy never had to wait long, after the main course we were told to just let them know when we wnated dessert. With craft of house white bill came to 64 euros. You will not be dissapointed

From starter to dessert quality service have been so surprising I would definitely recommend this place for local and foreigners who want to eat high quality French food with top good value for money !!!

The food here is typical french cuisine and no doubt rich in flavour. We had the escargots, the salmon and some other dish whose name I have forgotten. Everything was delicious and the owner/waiter were very friendly. There are few tables and I am not sure if they take reservations, try and get there early.By Versailles, standards I do not think the meal was that expensive.

The food was timely and the waiter was extraordinaryily helpful. Appetizers are a little small so if you plan to eat just that, it won't be enough. The chef even came out and took away our plates and brought the dessert.All of the other places around the block seemed too expensive or too broad. This place definitely hit the spot and was very worth it! Just a few minutes walk from the palace.