The Commerce de Vins Restaurant is located in the original inn where Vincent van Gogh stayed during the final seventy or so days of his life. He paid 3.5 francs a day for his room and his meals at the Auberge Ravoux. We took a midday break from our exploration of Auvers and enjoyed an outstanding meal here.
On the train back to Paris we met a man from the nearby town of Pontoise who told us that this place had been a bar for a long time. Today, however, it's a fine restaurant that offers terrific regional cuisine and wine in a historic setting: you're dining in the same room that Vincent did. The dining room has a cozy, French country charm and gives you the impression that it looks much as it did more than 110 years ago when Vincent lived here.
They offer an appetizer, entree and dessert for 195Fr (about $27), or an entree and your choice of appetizer or dessert for 155Fr (about $21). I ordered the salmon with honey sauce and grilled onions, and the tarte tatin for dessert. Both of my traveling companions ordered the lamb stew, which is cooked for 7 hours! The chef, who speaks good English, told us that this is the specialty of the house. Everything was outstanding (as good as the salmon was, I wished I'd ordered the lamb stew; it was fabulous). The service was good and the staff was very friendly. Our server didn't speak any English, which only added to the charm of the place. The chef allowed me to take photos of the interior and the dessert table, which is located in front of the bar. As we were eating, it seemed that every few minutes someone would emerge from the kitchen and place another newly baked creation on the table (as if we needed any persuading).
The hours are:
Lunch: Daily from 12pm-3pm
Dinner: Spring and summer, 7:30pm-11pm; autumn and winter by reservation.
My 1-10 ratings:
Food - 10; Service - 8; Atmosphere - 10