If you’re looking for traditional French food served in a cozy restaurant, Le Lyonnais in Acton is the spot to visit. Home of Chef Gerard Labrosse, the restaurant consists of four separate dining rooms, and the minute we stepped inside, we felt “at home.”
We arrived on a cold Thursday night at 9 p.m., and although a welcoming message by the door instructs customers to approach the kitchen if they are unnoticed at the front, we were greeted by a friendly face and shown to our seats. The room was lit by chandelier and candlelight, setting a warm atmosphere, and we immediately felt comfortable in the quiet dining room despite the large party going on in the room next to ours, which in the end created an enjoyable atmosphere. Almost immediately after being seated, the waitress brought out warm bread with olive oil, and the emptied basket was refilled in a timely fashion.
Le Lyonnais offers two options for dinner service: a regular menu and a prix fixe menu, which offers either a $25 or a $33 three-course dinner; I chose the $33 prix fixe option. For my appetizer, I went with the paté campagnard maison, the house country duck liver paté. It was served on a bed of salad with pickles on top, alongside a healthy helping of shredded carrots. The paté was salty yet rich, with hints of pepper and other subtle spices that brought out the flavor of the liver. Although the paté was out of my comfort zone, I cleaned my plate. Others at my table ordered the soupe à l’oignon gratinée Lyonnaise. It was served with a puff pastry atop the bowl, and from what I observed, each bowl was emptied quickly.
Our main courses arrived 10 minutes later. Mine was the roast duck aux olives, which had a surcharge of $4. I was surprised at the generous size of the piece of duck presented to me. It was served with mushroom gravy on a bed of rice pilaf and accompanied by an order of ratatouille. The olive part of the dish was a disappointment, as there were only two green olives that sat next to the duck on my plate. The savory mushroom gravy paired perfectly with the crunchy skin and tender duck meat. The side of tangy ratatouille was a perfect contrast to the strong and hearty flavor of the duck. The pilaf was a little too bland for my liking, but it did go well with each bite of meat. My brother ordered the organic breast of chicken sauté Grand Marnier, which can also be found on the $33 prix fixe menu. It was also served with a side of pilaf and ratatouille. The large portions left all of us struggling to find room for dessert.
But the dessert menu was too hard to resist. I ordered the mousse au chocolat. It was served in a tall glass and topped with homemade whipped cream and some strawberries. The mousse was near perfect—light and fluffy, yet intense with a deep chocolate flavor. The only issue I had with the mousse was some liquid that had separated out toward the very bottom. Other than that, it was blissful. Others at my table enjoyed the chocolate mousse as well as the crêpe Jean-Paul, which was served up with an eye-catching mix of pastry cream, bananas, and caramel coulis.
All the food came out in a timely manner, and the service was seamless. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, refilling our drinks and asking if we needed anything. During our main course, Chef Labrosse came out and asked if we were enjoying our meal. Other staff also stopped by our table to check on us; we felt very welcome and well attended to.
Le Lyonnais is located at 416 Great Road in Acton, well worth the short trip from Harvard for some tasty French food and spectacular service. And you may even be lucky enough to be visited by the head chef during your meal.
Levi Streb is a senior at the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School. As part of the curriculum, seniors must choose and work on a senior project throughout the course of the year. Streb’s project is on how to be a food critic. This article is the conclusion to the yearlong research that he conducted.
