Restaurant-Check: Jiva Restaurant, Crozet
After I checked out the partly refurbished Jiva Hill Hotel, I was ready for some quality food. As there was currently only one restaurant open on site (the other bistro-styled Jardin is due to reopen for summer season), my choice was clear, and I went for the brand new gourmet restaurant. Located opposite the lobby of the hotel, the restaurant didn‘t look that incredible from outside. So I was quite unimpressed when walking over from the hotel side. Once the doors opened and a friendly hostess welcomed me to the restaurant, I was beginning to be impressed with the tasteful design. The entire restaurant reminded me a lot of the Bulgari Hotel in Milan whose design I am an absolute fan. Brown and beige tones meet dark wood and grey stone to complement the decent lighting in this food outlet. My table was ready, and I was therefore accompanied to a desk with a chair and a sofa seat. I was handed over the menu so I can have a look while the waiter was about to arrive.
A few seconds later, a friendly waiter came and welcomed me to the restaurant. He asked me what aperitif I would care for. Being back in France again, I went for a glass of decent rose champagne which was, of course, a branded one and a really good choice. After the champagne, I was served homemade bread with delicious hummus. A little bit later, the servers brought me the typical salted French butter along with a bread basket with a selection of really fresh and tasty bread. For starter, I chose the refreshing seabass ceviche with mango sauce and avocado cream. It was a great way to start this lovely evening, and the dish was pretty well done in terms of presentation, inspiration and taste. To complement this dish, I was served a glass of a decent Chablis - another favourite of mine.
Before I could even thoroughly enjoy the taste of the starter in my mouth, the main course arrived. Even though I found it a bit too stressful, I was impressed by the display of the main course. I went for the fillet of veal on a traditional jus with risotto. While I am still not sure if the risotto was meant not to be „al dente“ - maybe it is a new interpretation as it was less dense - I loved the tasty and creamy jus. The veal fillet was perfectly medium as ordered and very tender. Even though I was questioning the risotto first, I finished everything as the jus matched perfectly. What would be a trip to France without ordering some cheese as dessert? Right, so I went for the cheese plate, which was an incredibly right choice. The paired red wine was again matching the cheese, and I could imagine that that one glass of red would have been the better option for the main course instead of a light rose from Provence.
The grand final made one of my all-time favourite dishes: fresh pineapple flambé with vanilla ice cream and crackers. I mean the meal itself would already be a win, but the high quality and freshness of the products made it the real highlight of the evening (though the cheese and ceviche were also exceeding expectations). Service was good throughout the evening though there were times when they were a bit busier as the restaurant was quite well booked. I mean no wonder thanks to the outrageous design and wonderful food. The only thing that wasn't ready yet was their full wine menu - the restaurant was still brand new and opened a few days ago, so the operations were not that advanced yet. Overall, considering the value for money, a beautiful place to head for a special occasion or celebration. I will be back after a round of golf on the golf course overlooking the Jura massif.
We were guests of the Jiva Hill Resort for editorial purposes however all above written represents our own opinion and has not been influenced.
