The splendid Auberge des Battures in La Baie, in the Saguenay region, is home to O'Bataillage. Offering a fine cuisine inspired by French gastronomy, the restaurant puts forward local products. It is rated 3 diamonds by AAA/CAA. It was during a stay at the inn that I was able to share a meal with my lover. 

1 take for the starters

To start the ball rolling, I selected the salmon gravlax starter. It is usually a safe bet. Surprise!

When you get it, the salmon is served in big thick cubes. In the past, I was used to eating gravlax in thin slices, like smoked salmon. I will not hide my disappointment here. I found the whole thing a bit too coarse. The presentation was more like a tartar, with no binding sauce. I didn't really notice the citrus presence in the lemon lace that was laid out on the plate, perceiving more the parmesan. The Labrador tea fir jelly and pine nut butter were nice, but in such small quantities that it was difficult to distinguish the flavours. The adjoining blueberry jam, on the other hand, was delicious. It was very good when placed on the gravlax, itself on a bread crouton. 

On his side, my lover had opted for the venison ravioli. Unfortunately, the tomato sauce with dune pepper became cold very quickly, which made the experience less interesting. 

Points for the main course

For the main course, I had chosen the duck breast, another often winning option. The dish was served this time at the right temperature.  My whole duck breast was presented with baby potatoes, onions, cherry tomatoes and roasted yellow beets. The plate was nicely presented, but could have used a little more polish. The diamonds take our expectations up a notch. The duck was delicious, well seared and the cranberry sauce was tasty. The combination was ideal.

The only dissatisfaction was the cooking of the middle slices. While the end pieces were perfectly cooked, the middle pieces were more "blue" than rare. Not being a raw meat lover, I couldn't bring myself to eat these. As for the side dishes, the potatoes were tasty and well seasoned, without much originality. I found only one that could have benefited from more cooking, otherwise it was very good. The beets that were advertised as red on the menu were also very good, although in too large a quantity for me. I like this vegetable, but in moderation. As for the onions, I didn't really understand their purpose. I don't get much pleasure from eating sliced onions alone. 

As for my beloved, he likes the braised beef cheek with wild mushroom and black garlic sauce. He enjoys the sweet potato and butternut squash puree, as well as the caramelized onions, but like me, his side dishes are present in too large quantities. We also would have appreciated having bread with the meal. 

We finally passed on the desserts. 

Dining room

Visiting the place while the sanitary restrictions did not allow to open the dining rooms, it is thus in the room that our meal was served to us. A tablecloth was brought in to cover the small table and the meal was delivered in two courses 25 minutes apart. I must admit that I was surprised, even rushed, by the waiter's request to charge us when he brought us the first course. This was one of the reasons why my companion's entrée was cold. Staying at the establishment, I believe we could have been charged at the end or even the next day when we checked out.
I did get a look at the beautiful dining room, which I'm sure contributes to the regular experience. Its magnificent panoramic view of the Baie des Ha! Ha! and the central fireplace create a very inviting atmosphere.

All in all, the table at Auberge des Battures is an interesting option for a dinner for two in an enchanting setting.

Rating: 7 /10

What impressed me the most during my visit: the view on the Baie des Ha! Ha!

The specialty of the house: fine local cuisine 

The most expensive main meal on the menu: Grilled beef filet, $38

The least expensive main meal on the menu: Beef cheek or duck breast, $27

Would I recommend this restaurant: Yes

What time of day did I visit: Dinner

Pros: 
- Quality
- Refined choices

Cons:
- Temperature of the dishes
- price