above: Spring onion sformato with smoked bacon and asparagus—comfort and elegance on one plate.
Darien’s L’Ostal and La Cave have earned devoted followers among serious food and wine lovers. As the Provencal restaurant celebrates five years—and a Best Restaurant award from the CT Restaurant Association—La Cave, its European wine bar, has become the place to explore and talk about obscure varietals. Since fall, it has also become site of exclusive monthly wine dinners that sell out quickly.
On a recent Friday night, both spaces were quietly buzzing. Chef-Owner Jared Sippel—a veteran of kitchens led by world-class chefs in Michelin-starred, Relais et Chateau properties in the United States and Europe—was a constant presence. He emerged from the kitchen in his fresh white jacket to deliver a dish to a VIP at the bar, slice rare beef coulette for the tartar de boeuf at a striking bright-red European hand slicer and step across the outdoor patio to check in on the wine bar.
Five years ago, after a stint in New York City, the aftermath of COVID brought Chef Jared Sippel and his wife to her hometown of Darien. In April 2021, Sippel opened L’Ostal, his dream restaurant, inspired by his culinary journey in France and Italy. He created a focused, ingredient-driven menu rooted in Provencal cuisine, drawing from the broader cultural region that stretches from Provence in France, to Catalonia in Spain and Piedmonte in Italy.
“Provençal cooking is almost more Italian than it is French,” says Sippel. “I fell in love with that style. And you get all these influences, from Moroccan and the Basque region of Spain—the markets are full of spices. Provence is France, but before that it was Italy.
There are Roman ruins everywhere.”
Sippel opened L’Ostal at the right time. As people left New York City and returned to the suburbs, demand grew for elevated dining closer to home. “We tapped a niche market,” he says. “People wanted the same high quality of dining they were used to in Manhattan.”
At L’Ostal the wine list is focused. Sippel spent decades working with master sommeliers and top wine teams. “Food and wine go hand in hand, and if you work in upper-echelon wine restaurants, you start learning—and the more you learn and understand, the more you get the bug,” he says.
At L’Ostal, the wines are primarily French, with select offerings from Italy and Spain. The list features nine classic varieties and regions, including a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, a rosé from Provence and a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Guests can choose half or full glasses. (L’Ostal also serves beer, cocktails and mocktails.)
The dinner menu changes seasonally, with nightly specials written on a blackboard. Signature dishes have remained on the menu since day one, complimented by seasonal additions. With wood-topped tables, walls covered in white subway tiles and a marble bar, L’Ostal’s understated atmosphere lets the food shine. The scent of smoking herbs drifts through the dining room as servers deliver the evening’s special of côte de boeuf (roasted bone-in ribeye).
At the bar, guests order Fougasse, the house-baked bread stuffed with artichoke and black olives and flecked with poppy seeds, pepper and sea salt—crunchy and rich outside and soft and steamy inside. Almost everyone orders the salade verte, which has developed a cult following. Each fresh, crisp leaf is dressed in a vinaigrette flavored with pistou (Provençal nutless pesto), and served in a beautifully assembled pile on a chilled plate. Simple, herb-flecked and made with care, it exemplifies L’Ostal’s attention to detail.
Sformato, an Italian unmolded vegetable flan, is a soft, luxurious comfort food. The chef changes the vegetable base with the seasons. Recently, it featured a cauliflower flan, drizzled with balsamic and encircled by sautéed mushrooms.
The bartender, chef or sommelier can recommend wines, but one dish comes with a suggested pairing written on the menu—and it’s a classic. Housemade torchon of Hudson Valley duck foie gras, slices of fluffy brioche (from Flour Water Salt Bread bakery in Darien) and figs are paired with Tokaji Aszú “5 puttonyos,” a rich, sweet Hungarian white wine fermented with grapes affected with “the noble rot.” It’s a made-in-heaven combination: the meltingly rich, highly seasoned foie gras perfectly balanced by sips of the golden nectar, sweet yet underscored with bright acidity.
Three pastas appear on the menu, available in half or full portions (thank you!). The potato gnocchi with jumbo lump crab in scallop emulsion looked like a gift from the sea. The gnocchi resembled bay scallops in their foamy sauce, yet they were the most delicate little potato pillows that dissolved in the mouth.
Merlu, also known as hake—a mild-flavored member of the cod family—was tender with a pleasing texture. It was draped in buerre blanc and showered with sautéed chanterelles. Sweet delicata squash peeked out from beneath the fish, which rested on rich, buttery potatoes.
What makes L’Ostal special—beyond the excellent food, wine and service—is the sense of care in every detail: the attentive staff, their professionalism and knowledge and the many gracious touches. Upon leaving, we found our take-home bag resting on a small table by the hostess desk, my name written in black marker—a thoughtful way to ensure guests don’t forget their delicious leftovers!
L’Ostal is pricy, as one would expect given the quality of the ingredients, cooking and service. L’Apero Hour, Tuesday through Friday, from 5 to 6 p.m., offers reduced prices on drinks and a limited menu featuring Les Plat de Resistance—two burgers, The Frenchie and L’Americain. The restaurant also offers menus for parties of six or more, including three- to four-course family style dinners and a chef-curated menu.
La Cave
Curated wines, small plates and intimate dinners
Since Sippel opened La Cave two years ago, it has complemented—and contrasted with—L’Ostal. It is not a restaurant but a true European-style wine bar reminiscent of one you might find in Barcelona. Prepared foods such as cheese, charcuterie, tinned fish and tartines are served. “There are about 20 wines on a changing menu of more obscure varietals that guests and servers find exciting,” the chef says, “It creates engagement and conversation.”
The art of escanciar—a high pour that aerates Spanish cider, creating a bright foam and unlocking its crisp, rustic flavor.
Chef Jared and a member of his team at La Cave—which is inspired by the traditional bodegas of Barcelona
The atmosphere is dark, cozy and subtly glowing—mellow and welcoming—with seating for 14 at a bar and high tops. Nightly specials are also written on the blackboard. La Cave can be the first stop of an evening, for a glass of wine with spiced nuts or a plate of sliced Iberico ham and house-baked grissini, or a place to explore the tapas menu with carefully selected wines. The wine bar also serves caviar—one ounce of Kristal, French Baeri or Ossetra Prestige—with crème fraîche, chives and Ibiza potato chips. After dinner at L’Ostal, we ended the evening at La Cave, sipping a half glass of a Royal Tokaji 2018, which our server noted has more minerality than the Aszú we had tried earlier.
A Spread Of Vibrant Small Plates Made For Sharing.
Since last fall, La Cave has hosted exclusive wine dinners. Sippel and his team prepare the food in L’Ostal’s kitchen and bring it over to La Cave. “We get famous producers from a region, and then I’ll feature food from that region,” he says. Recent events have included a three-course Champagne and caviar dinner and a Spanish wine flight with representatives from R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, the renowned Rioja producer. Sippel’s Spanish meal featured paella, served on the patio. These intimate dinners are held about once a month and sell out quickly.
For some events, La Cave offers two seatings, accommodating 28 lucky guests.
La Cave
42 Center Street, Darien
Thursday, 5 – 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 – 10 p.m.
It can be rented for private events.