If you are looking for a spectacular place to eat when visiting Cognac, France you need to visit Poulpette which is just a short walk away from all the major Cognac houses and within the city center. Poulpette is a modern yet unpretentious restaurant offers creative dishes that change daily based on what is in season.
The small restaurant has a minimal interior design with cement, wood and metal accents. Owned by a young couple, the husband can be seen cooking from the open kitchen his dishes that combine French and world influences into his food, while his wife works the front of the house.
The menu at Poulpette changes often, but I visited I went for lunch – which is 26 euros for a 3 course meal. For the appetizer, main and dessert there were two options. All the creative dishes were beautifully presented on rustic plates and bowls that complimented the interior design of the restaurant.
Related: Taste & Learn About Cognac
For the appetizers when I visited there a dashi-based broth dish served with pickled carrots and onions, along with a rich and creamy winter squash based appetizer served with Fois Gras and shisho. Both were outstanding and blended Japanese flavors (dashi and shisho) with French style cooking to perfection.
For the mains, there was a duck served with lemon-celery, endive confit, and grilled eggplant along with a pollack dish served on top of a clam broth and topped with pak choi and mild onions. The lemon-celery element had a bright burst of flavor, but it was the expertly cooked fish and rich broth that was the star for me between the two.
Finally, for dessert, there was the option of cheese or chocolate, but I opted for the chocolate. It used 79% dark chocolate mixed with local Cognac and oranges which was topped with chestnut ice cream. While everything I ate was delicious, this flavor combination that featured the city’s local spirit won me over. There was not a drop left in my bowl – it was that good!
Poulpette is open Monday to Friday from noon to 2:00 pm, and Wednesday to Friday from 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm.