L'Ardoise - Menu

"We got a table for two on a Saturday evening and we'd only booked that afternoon online through an internet discounter. (when we arrived, we saw there were 2 other bookings from the same discounter). Marly le Roi is charming and this little street full of shops and restaurants is a pleasure to stroll. We arrived about 3 minutes earlier than our reservation (7:30 when the dinner service starts) and no one came out to see about us. The staff was either eating or tasting something in the kitchen just around the corner from the entrance. We turned to leave and someone popped out. We said we'd come back in a little while but it was so cold outside that we'd have preferred to have a drink inside and wait for the dinner service. Honestly, I can't see why a restaurant (who didn't know we had reserved) would let a potential diner walk out their door when they had them inside. Too much competition for this!We returned a short while later and were greeted straight off. (note: don't arrive early)! We were seating in their nice but minimally decorated dining room. It is a small place and very cozy. We declined aperitif and were perusing the menus when the chef came out to tell us about the specials. The way she described everything made us want to try it all. A young waiter took our order. I'm sorry, he was a nice kid, but I think jeans, tennis shoes and a hoodie would be more suitable attire for the Burger King. He asked if we wanted our wine then or with dinner as if we would sit there with nothing while waiting on the food. He brought a glass of red and a glass of white in the same type of glass (not a wine glass) that you'd use for a wine tasting. The other table already seated had wine glasses. Hard to enjoy a good wine in a tasting glass. Anyway, then he asked how I wanted my lamb cooked and I replied, Medium. In a flash, the chef came zipping around the corner and said, "Who ordered the lamb"? She then instructed me that there was no question of how I wanted it cooked because it was prepared in a way that was grilled and it was not up to the diner. I said fine but didn't tell her that her waiter asked me how I wanted it cooked. Throughout the meal, the server seemed a bit confused and at one point, another young server stopped by our table during dessert and asked if we wanted bread. Huh? He was asked questions by the party at the table beside us and he went off to ask the chef but didn't return for so long that they ended up asking another server in passing.The meal was served and it looked a bit boring and meager on the plate but looks were deceiving! It was absolutely delicious and was the right amount of food. My husband had confit de carnard and I had the lamb dish that was grilled strips of lamb chop (I presume). It was crunchy on the outside (lots of sizzling fat) and tender to cut. Both dishes were served with sauteed potatoes and a green pea/zucchini/onion side dish that was perfectly cooked. The chef came out and asked me what I thought about the lamb. I told her I was very happy with it and she explained again about the degree of doneness. I noticed that the young server didn't describe the specials like the chef did and as a result, I don't know what would have inspired anyone to order them. I'm glad the chef came out to explain to us. For dessert we had chocolate mousse and it was simply delicious. Served in a jar with a bit of crystallized caramel on top! Oh, my. There was also a very small coffee afterwards which is part of the menu.All in all, we enjoyed our experience. I appreciated that the chef was in and out of the dining room all evening and seemed to be keeping an eye on things. I can see that some people might have found her a bit pushy but we just figured she was adamant about her food.I'd recommend the restaurant just don't clash with the chef and don't arrive before 7:30pm for dinner."