El Borini - Issigeac

Dined here a couple of days ago with the new name change "chez Alain" although the website still states elborni.com and were completely disgusted by food and service.The owner and head chef of the establishment should be embarrassed and should not trust their teams to run a decent service without them present (I can not judge what it would have been like if they had been working) but I'm certain it would not have been any better.Arrived at 7pm when restaurant opens for dinner, were left waiting at the gates till 7:10, for the waitress to notice us, ignore us and open a different gate first. Were ignored on multiple occasions before seated at our table (which we had reserved via phone call) to then be told after we had ordered that we needed to change our starter choices as they had none left- which you thought she would have known seeming as we were the only ones dining at the beginning of service. Starters came and beef carpaccio was missing one of the main concepts- wasabi sorbet. Complained about this once she cleared our plates. Was then given the crystallised wasabi (far from sorbet) and questioned as to why we were not eating it by itself- thought this was pretty self explanatory.Started to question whether we should stay for mains due to the poor service and food however we were both starving and knew that the rest of restaurants in Issiegac were fully booked as we had tried them all before booking to dine here. Think it all starts to make sense now how this was the only restaurant with availability as there were no locals which explains it all: this establishment just relies on tourists who they rip off. Mains came and were no better- cold beef sauce and over cooked confit duck which was not French trimmed which is pretty ironic considering we were dining in France.Complained about mains and were then told I would need to change my pudding as they had none of this left. I asked for a moment to decide which I would change to but by this point I was so fed up with both service and food I no longer wished to dine and just wished to settle my bill. After waiting for the waitress to re-appear for 15 minutes to take my pudding order I went to try find her myself. I popped my head round the corner of the open kitchen doors to see if she was there and was DISGUSTED to see 2 female chefs in their both of which were wearing flip flops, hair wasn't tied back properly and only one was wearing an apron yet both were cooking food. For someone who works in the restaurant industry back in England I was mortified with the hygiene standards in the kitchen and was certain I no longer wished to dine.After eventually finding the waitress I asked to settle the bill but stated I would not pay the full €29 for a 3 course meal per person due to the fact neither of us had puddings and only my boyfriend completely finished his main as I did not. Which I was told if I did not pay the full €29 per person they would call the police on us I was so upset I settled the bill at €80. Not quite sure how the owner or head chef have the conscience to stay open, I don't think it was just a bad day as from reviews which I ignored before dining and tried to give the benefit of the doubt this is very much a recurring theme. Would highly I NOT recommend to visit, if you want to visit somewhere spectacular visit Le Bruceleire a couple of streets away - which you need to book way in advance which you will most definitely receive authentic French food and will not be disappointed!

Great food, beautiful restaurant and great service. The Valentines night menu was not very innovative but all the food was delicious, beautifully presented and the ambience was super. Sat in fron of an open fire, good wine, great food and my best girl too, nothing could be bettered. This is a wonderful place to have a celebration meal. One of our favourites.

Sunday lunch here in the summer is lovely. However, in the winter it is not worth looking at. There is no Sunday lunch fixed menu, the cheapest is 27 euros and definitely not worth it. One girl (with shocking nail polish) not coping and not interested. The amuse bouche were a joke - stale bits of bread with a sliver of smoked salmon on top and a bit of artichoke soup served in small jam jars with a straw to suck it up. Whatever happened to teaspoons. The potatoes with the main course were burned and inedible. It would look a bit better if the table covers had seen a visit from an iron. Altogether a most un happy experience.

We've been here before, several times and thoroughly enjoyed the food, but since this pretty restaurant was taken over it has gone so far downhill as to be be subterranian. Despite booking well in advance, the place was freezing; the champagne we ordered was flat; the wine we ordered was unavailable; one of the two duck main courses was unavailable; the salad was old and limp and covered in a gloop to disguise it..which it didn't; the 'Salad Gormande' was a melange of greasy cheese fritters and cold, hard pate - all available as individual starters in their own right. The only main course duck dish available was almost raw. The cheese course was solid..almost frozen. They topped up the fire with damp logs and cardboard boxes some of which were waxed and so a toxic stink filled the room. Do not waste your money. As the only people booked for that night it would have done everyone a favour - and saved us money - if they had called us to cancel it due, presumably, to lack of interest.

We went for Sunday lunch for the first time to this restaurant since they have changed hands, we thought it was very good before, so we're expecting something quite special from the new owners. The staff were very pleasant and helpful, but the menu was E28 which for Sunday lunch is not expensive, but there was no choice for starters, but there was for the main meal, which was maigret or confit of duck, so the choice was duck or duck, I.e. no choice. The desert was nice but wouldn't go back.