Restaurant l'Essentiel

Rating: 11.5
Author: Gault&Millau

67140 BARR

11.5/20
Gourmet Restaurant

BOOK

3 PHOTOS

Chef: Sébastien Hopgood
Cooking: French | Gastronomic | Local
Services: Access for people with disabilities | Children's Menu | Private Parking

Budget (€)

Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

26 to 58

Gault&Millau's review 2026

This half-timbered house in the historic center is a favorite for its €58 gourmet menu, served in a dining room with soft colors, carpeting and comfortable armchairs. Never short of inspiration, Sébastien Hopgood's cuisine uses market produce in a sophisticated way. To whet our appetites, we're served a creamy butternut cream with a gingerbread crouton that's a little incongruous and too sweet, followed by a pleasant cod acra with a well-balanced Greek yogurt and curry sauce. Trout from the Sparsbach fish farm, smoked in-house and served on a potato waffle, makes a deliciously roborative starter. Fresh scallops, precisely roasted in semi-salted butter, are served with a generous and flavorful portion of garlic and parsley rice, which partly absorbs the creamy dill and yuzu emulsion. The French veal, although cooked pink but less tender than we'd hoped, is accompanied by a declination of Alsatian winter vegetables and beets. We found this combination a little confusing, although the accompanying morel jus was tasty. The highlight of the meal? The 64% dark chocolate mousse, balanced and not overly sweet. Its clean, precise presentation highlights each ingredient, such as the peanut cream, ganache and salted butter caramel. Food and wine pairings are well advised by knowledgeable staff. When it comes to Alsace, we prefer local winegrowers such as Seltz or Hering. Service is diligent, if timid.