In the mood to treat yourself? Do you enjoy delicious food in a lovely atmosphere? Are you interested in having a wonderful dining experience? If you answered yes to any of those questions, look no further. Bellecour, located in Wayzata, is just what you are looking for. When my friend asked me if I wanted to join him for brunch last weekend, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

While Wayzata is a ways away from St. Paul, the food definitely makes up for the trek. A lovely French inspired bistro and café, Bellecour is certainly a great spot to dine. Located right on Lake Minnetonka amongst an array of shops and restaurants, Bellecour is a great spot to head with a group of friends, family or a significant other. Thankfully, my friend and I seemed to beat the Saturday rush and were seated quickly. Being in a celebratory mood, we both ordered mimosas to start, as well as fresh brewed coffee. The drinks came right away and were a delightful start to the meal while we perused the brunch menu.

Both of us had noticed the beautiful array of pastries in the bakery as we entered the restaurant, so it was a must that we include the pastry basket with our meal. The pastry basket, which came with six assorted pastries, was a great choice, and a very reasonable price for the quality and quantity of the dish. The pastry basket we were given came with a fruit bread pudding, a raspberry danish, a plain croissant, a chocolate croissant, a ham and cheese croissant and a zucchini muffin. Being a vegetarian, I didn’t taste the ham and cheese croissant, but my friend said it was a delicious balance of savory flavors accompanied by the buttery and flaky croissant.

As for the other five pastries, all were exactly what I hope for in a freshly baked sweet. Neither the bread pudding nor the danish were overly sweet, and the zucchini muffin was the most unique and addicting flavor combination I’ve had in a long time. After many guesses as to what the secret ingredient might be, we finally asked the waitress, who revealed it was cinnamon: nothing as decadent as we had expected.

For a main dish, I went with the watermelon salad with toasted almond cream, chèvre and pickled watermelon. My friend ordered the croque-madame tartine, with jambon royal, sauce mornay, a fried egg and french fries. I was not able to taste the croque-madame tartine, but my friend said it was incredible. The dish was soft, rich and decadent, and the smokey flavors of the ham with the creamy sauce and the crunch of the fresh bread created an exceptional flavor palate. However, because of all the rich flavors in the dish, it is a heavier meal, and would not be recommended for someone looking for light flavors.

If that is what you look for in a dish, the watermelon salad is a perfect choice. The pickled watermelon had a sweet and tangy flavor that, combined with the crunch of the fresh snap peas and the creamy chèvre cheese created an incredible combination of flavors that wasn’t like anything I had before.

Overall, I would give Bellecour a 10. The dining experience, customer service, ambiance and the food itself all exceeded my hopes and expectations, and I will definitely dine there in the future.

Bellecour is located at 739 Lake St E, Wayzata, MN, and is open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.