Chanson Restaurant Opens at the Royal Blues Hotel

Ok, admit it. There are some days when you want to feel like royalty and escape from reality. You know, those days when you want to call your masseuse for a feel-good massage
or your personal chef to present delectable bites before you — heck, even to have a remote control for your toilet to warm your seat.  For those times, we have a little hideaway that we want to share with you called Chanson Restaurant — and it just happens to be a hangout for celebrities like Woody Allen, Susan Lucci, Steven Bauer and more.

Located at the Royal Blues Hotel, a 12-room luxury boutique hotel in Deerfield Beach overlooking the ocean, Chanson Restaurant, which quietly opened up in December is the vision of Film and Broadway Producer Edward Walson, who you may recognize from the films Time Out of Mind, Magic in the Moonlight or Blue Jasmine. At Chanson, Walson has brought his passion for fine dining, wine, art and design into the restaurant which can be seen through the overall layout,  the original works of art dotting the walls and a stunning saltwater aquarium mounted on the ceiling.

Once inside of the restaurant, I felt was like I was in another world. The sleek design, the mesmerizing aquarium, the artfully prepared cuisine, the quaint and intimate setting — all were drawing points and had me in a feeling of “I want to tell the world about this place.” One, because the word hasn’t gotten out yet — call it your own secret hideaway, and two because it’s so unique and in a world of its own that you have to experience it for yourself to understand it.

On the evening of our visit, the restaurant was fairly quiet, perfect for holding a conversation (hmm… date night maybe) and about half of the seats were full. The menu, created by Chef Sylvain Noel was simple, yet adventuresome and featured about 8 main dishes and a handful of appetizers and crudo. The menu may surprise you, as the descriptions on the menu barely touch on the beauty that will arrive on your plate (especially the desserts), but in a positive way.  They like to get creative in here.

As a whole, the menu focuses on local seafood with a modern flair — and changes according to the season. The dishes are creatively presented and resemble original pieces of art. The lobster appetizer (seen above) was a fantastic dish that married fresh lobster with cauliflower textures and tiny radishes into a dish that was as beautiful as it was delicious and the Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute with burgundy truffle, ricotta tortellini, and black trumpet mushrooms was dreamy and gave us a rich feeling of comfort with every bite.

While they are known for their seafood and what we tasted was fresh and local (you can tell that every dish had some heart put into it), they also have non-seafood options like the Maple Leaf Duck with pickled kumquats and winter root purée that have people talking.

Taking one glance at the dessert menu, made our palates dance in delight, as the options were creative and a change from what we’ve been seeing lately. Our favorites for the evening were “Laura’s Pumpkin Pie” with butternut squash, ginger sponge cake and caramelized apples and the “Lift Me Up,” Chanson’s take on a tiramisu — both were creative approaches to traditional dishes.

While the Royal Blues Hotel and Chanson Restaurant may be hidden away, they are definitely worthy of a visit. It’s the perfect venue for those looking to celebrate a special occasion, to escape from the rush of their own lives, to have a great food and wine experience — and for those looking to impress.

Chanson Restaurant is located at the Royal Blues Hotel, the only Relais & Châteaux property in Florida, at 45 NE 21st Avenue in Deerfield Beach; 954-857-2929 Dinner is served between 5:30 and 10 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. To make a reservation, visit OpenTable.

Disclosure: I was invited in to experience Chanson Restaurant by their pr companies, but the opinions and words expressed here are my own.