Restaurant review: Victor & Gustav, Dijon, France

Victor & Gustav
Restaurant Review by Alex Miles
Vins des Rues, (« Street Wine »), has transformed itself. Formerly a fine wine bar with good food, it has become a fine wine bar with great food.
A metamorphose with new decorations, grey with splashes of red, and a long couch with cushions that stretches from the entrance all the way back to the kitchen entrance. Opposite this comfortable row of seats is the bar where you can enjoy a glass of your favorite breuvage on a stool or standing.
The waitress and the boss welcomed us aimiably with a warm smile. We drank a glass of local Chardonnay which set the ambiance for the rest.
We dispensed with the usual first dish and we all ordered the daily special; Jaret de veau, (veal shank). Our main dish came out quickly from the kitchen on an oblong white plate surrounded by a swirl of squash purée & a bit of fresh greenery on the side. The salad was seasoned perfectly with a light balsamic vinager and a hint of white truffle. We could tell right away that someone in the kitchen cared about what they were doing.
I tasted the squash swirl and delighted in its slight tartness which counter balanced the sweetness of the sauce that surrounded the chunk of veal. In order for a veal shank to be tender it has to cook for a long while or else it’ll be tough and stringy. This voluptuous veal just melted in my mouth. It was clear that it was slow cooked at a low temperature. The veal I enjoyed in Dijon was far better than meal I’d had in Paris at a 2 Star palace.
Though there may be no stars in the future for this Victor & Gustav because of it size and neighborhood allure, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a fine and friendly experience at one of Dijon’s newest eateries. But I will let you in on a secret…the new menu is signed and conceived by none other than our Michelin stared chefs of Prénois fame, Nicolas Isnard & Davis Le Comte, of l’Auberge de la Charme.
Nicolas & David have built up an excellent reputation for their restaurant which is just 10 minutes from Dijon. They are using their expertise to offer very good food at a price without pretense. The luncheon meal at V&G was only 12.90€ with desert….which I forgot to mention was a light and delicious blend of oranges in a barely sweet syrup.
When you’re in Dijon take a look at Victor & Gustav*, sit down and enjoy one of life’s little pleasures without putting a dent in your pocketbook. When you want to spend more time at your meal and sample some of the fineries of French cuisine, which is why you came to France in the first place, go L’Auberge de la Charme. Either way, the route to pleasure leads to Dijon.
*Victor Baltard and Gustav Eiffel were great engineers who made their architectural mark in 19th century France by building new, never seen before steel structures, one of which houses the marché of Dijon. Gustav is a native son of this capital of the Dukes of Burgundy.