Ondine: A Taste Of France

Driving along Route 37 at the Danbury/Fairfield town line, a stone and stucco building set across from Margerie Reservoir stands out. Painted pink, green, and cream, and reminiscent of a French country inn, it is Ondine Restaurant, one of Connecticut’s most popular contemporary French restaurants for the past 26 years. The French country theme continues in the dining room where crisp table linens, fresh flowers, candles, and walls covered with pictures and artworks collected over time create a comfortably elegant atmosphere. It is a place designed for a romantic evening, with service by the longtime staff attentive, but never stuffy. Chef/owner Dieter Thiele is content to stay in the background, watching closely over each meal that leaves his kitchen.

A longtime favorite for leisurely dinners, Ondine Restaurant has now introduced, or rather, rediscovered, old-fashioned dinner during Sunday afternoon hours, a good time for friends and families to come together for a unhurried meal. Dining is not interrupted by the distraction of sports programs on oversized television screens, keeping the focus on food and conversation. Minor changes to the décor — gone are the heavy drapes that covered the northern wall of windows, and modern lighting replaces a more traditional chandelier — have resulted in a brighter and lighter main dining room that is well-received by customers.

Sunday afternoon dinner is served noon to 7 pm. Among ten first course choices are a salad of Belgian endive with honey-poached pear, Stilton cheese, and toasted hazelnuts; escargots in woodland mushroom ragout; frog legs sautéed in butter, garlic, and parsley; salmon prepared three ways; onion soup; or Ondine’s famous Billi Bi — mussels in cream soup with saffron.

The list of main courses always includes filet mignon, lamb chops, calf’s sweetbreads, and sea scallops in puff pastry shell, joined by seasonal entrees such as Cassoulet Toulousaine, red wine braised monk fish with green lentils, quails stuffed with wild rice and prosciutto, pan roasted organic chicken with olives, mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, pearl onions, and Brussels sprouts. A selection of six house-made desserts and coffee round out the meal at a cost of $39.

The regular dinner menu during the week consists of ten appetizers such as gnocchi Parisienne; an assortment of chilled seafood, including lobster, prawn, seafood mousse, salmon tartar, and gravlax; and fresh duck foie gras sauté with cranberry mango chutney. There are always three soups to choose from on the menu. Prices for appetizers range from $12 to $18. Soups are $9.

Main courses include whole Dover sole meuniere, organic salmon from Scotland, ebony roasted duckling, venison loin medallions, and a New York cut sirloin steak from Painted Hill farms, a 100 percent organically raised beef. Classic favorites are roasted rack of lamb with onion marmalade, and veal tenderloin medallions with crab meat and asparagus. Main courses range from $22 to $38. A fixed price menu consists of five courses for $59.

Ondine is known for its fine wine selection of more than 200 labels, predominantly French and American.

The dessert selection, priced from $9 to $12, features assorted cheeses; chocolate torte with cherries and marzipan; molten chocolate cake with passion fruit ice cream; apple tarte tatin with tea/cinnamon ice cream; or a choice of two soufflés: Grand Marnier or raspberry.

Ondine Restaurant is proud to have been declared “Excellent” by both Zagat and The New York Times, and is pleased to have been voted by readers of Connecticut Magazine as Fairfield County’s Most Romantic restaurant, and as the state wide runner-up Best French Restaurant, and Best French Restaurant in Fairfield County in the January 2012 issue. This makes the 15th year in a row that Ondine has received the honor of being Best French Restaurant in Fairfield County in this poll.

The restaurant comfortably seats 50 diners in the main room and in a smaller room offset by glass paned doors that is ideal for private parties of 20 people or less. Ondine is happy to cater for small parties, on site.

Ondine, at 69 Pembroke Road (Route 37) in Danbury, is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, from 5:30 to 9 pm. Sunday hours are noon until 7 pm.

Reservations can be made by calling 203-746-4900. For more information visit OndineRestaurant.com.