So, it was with low expectations that when working from home in August my partner and I went out searching for a quick, simple bite. The two closest restaurants were closed, so, pressed for time and with snarling stomachs, we headed to the next nearest in Huncherange, De Peffer Kär.

It wasn’t until we were being shown to our table, one of six in the restaurant, that we realised we had stumbled into a gastronomic restaurant. Despite being dressed to mow someone’s lawn, co-owner Claude Rameau warmly welcomed us and our chèque-repas (luncheon vouchers). This man was a true artist, playing all roles bar chef, in the quiet and intimate theatre of his restaurant. There followed a series of jewel-like amuse-bouches, of which highlights included tiny tartlets with fat, sweet, crunchy peas, and quivering jellied rabbit.

Between courses, from behind his visor, Rameau chatted at length about French wines (he was voted sommelier of the year in the Gault&Millau Luxembourg 2020 guide) and his local produce suppliers, which include Les Paniers de Sandrine and Apemh.

What I remember vividly from that meal is vibrant colours, whether in the delightful fruit and vegetable-themed modern artworks that adorn the walls or the interplay of natural hues in the presentation. We skipped starters for the sake of time, and the appetisers kept the growling at bay until our mains arrived. My wild turbot on fregola pasta cooked risotto style with saffron shellfish sauce was a small but adequately sized portion. The subtle flavours in the sauce kept it light. My partner chose the rabbit, whose local postcode added to its charm. The meat was served on a nest of blue foot mushrooms with a sage mousse. Not too overpowering, the flavours were complemented by a glass of Corbières.

Sadly, we were too full to sample anything from the cheese trolley and finished by sharing an inventive dessert of sweet white peach, apricot and bitter rosemary on a gooey almond and chocolate biscuit. This was followed by coffee served with complementary petits fours. At €115 for the two of us, it was at the upper end of lunch on the hoof. But I see it as a small price for the great story we got out of it. The time we accidentally dined in one
of the area’s finest eateries.

De Peffer Kär is located at 49 route d'Esch, Huncherange, L-3340.

This article was originally published in the October-November edition of Delano Magazine

www.de-pefferkaer.lu