We have had one of those meals that transends mere nourishment. 

We told Hilary (our great friend and tour guide extraordinaire) in advance that we wanted to take her out somewhere that she'd like to go to and that money was no object (in others words, find a place she'd really like to go to but can't afford on her working student wages).

Bus C40 dropped us off by a tiny island in the middle of La Saone river. We crossed an old iron bridge, went down some old stone steps and followed an old gravel road.  Soon we happened upon a lovely little square.  Houses with brightly coloured shutters were seen through trees large and green in summer.  There were two sets of outdoor furniture (covered in clear plastic protection) set around two tables in front of our destination, Auberge d'Ile Barbe.  A little early, we were welcomed to sit until our table was ready.  The plastic was whipped off the chairs and settees, and we settled in quite comfortably. 

An apperitif?  Yes, please, why not?  "Kir royale pour moi, s'il vous plait." . "Moi Aussi".  "Et moi!"

Then little amuse bouches arrived, plated on astro turf.  And basil cooked as tempura, fragrant and delicious piled on top of impossibly light beet and yam chips.

We received devoted attention throughout (there was only one other table of diners) and looking at the menu we quickly decided that the 3 course prix fix, lovely as it sounded, was just not going to be sufficiently satisfying to our imaginations, which were now running rampant.  So we decided to give it up and go for the full degustation menus, including the additional options, but only one of the flights of accompanying wines, as 6 glasses of wine each was too much for us so early in the afternoon and we could share. But we ordered an additional glass of red and one of white, just to round things off.

A series of delights landed themselves softly at our table: rounds of creamy crab pate on a crunchy biscuit and topped with a dollop of raspberry and red pepper ice cream (crab and raspberry is my new favourite combination); frogs legs and light as air gnocchi in a creamy sauce with bright green young peas; a small fillet of turbot placed on a scallop-shaped piece of mashed potato and surrounded with a golden  pool of boullaibaise-flavoured consomme. 

An entire log of lamb was presented to us into its pot, where it had cooked in a nest of straw and herbs (yes, I said straw!).  My piece was surely the most delectable and flavourful lamb I've ever had anywhere, but what really surprised me were the four accompanying cherry tomatos, which had been marinated in honey and wine, and which tasted so sweetly with a honeyed after taste.

We each chose a slighly different selection of cheese (so we could all share)  - happy that Hilary was able to taste her first brilliat-savarin, and we could all indulge in the local Marcellin, creamy and pungent.  We all agreed however, that the best was from Corsica with a basil rind (Fleurs du Macci)- extraordinary.  And can there be any better pairing than roasted apricots and almond flavoured ice cream? I think not!

Petits fours (marshmallow is the new macaroon) and coffee back at our outdoors salon, and finally we felt able to walk, 3 hours after having first sat down.  Maybe poorer in pocket (I'm not thinking about it) but richer in gastronomic heaven, as floating on a cloud of joy as far as is possible with such a full stomach.