Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
In an utterly charming atmosphere, Michel Rostang celebrates 30 years of inspiration, taste and passion for fine dining. Constantly in pursuit of perfection, his cuisine is a reflection of his personality: simple and generous. Anyone who has visited his restaurant knows that his pairings of classical and modern flavours are indeed the epitome of perfection. His wonderful “Sole meunière with its shellfish marinière” or the mythical “pike quenelle à la Jo Rostang” are just some delicious examples as is the exquisite “hot tart with bitter chocolate”. His cellar, with more than 1,300 outstanding wines, is certainly one of the most prestigious in the French capital.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
“Cooking well relies on a clear head, a generous spirit and an open heart”…
This “maxim” from Paul Gauguin applies itself marvellously in Jean-Pierre Vigato’s kitchen and establishment - a little jewel nestled in the heart of an historic private mansion. As soon as you cross the threshold, the magic takes over… A cosy, subtle and refined atmosphere in the centre of a private park. The cuisine, rich with innovation, never ceases to reinvent itself. A self-taught chef, Jean-Pierre Vigato creates his recipes by visiting the markets himself and is continuously innovative.
For restaurant connoisseurs and those who like to try unusual flavour combinations.
Right next to the Champs-Elysées and the rue du faubourg Saint-Honoré, feast your eyes upon the unique interiors of this hotel with its furniture sculpted out of precious woods, fabulously comfortable sofas, silks from the Orient and shimmering satins. The Hotel Daniel is an elegant address and the perfect base for discovering Paris at its most romantic and cosmopolitan, and savouring an equally original and sophisticated cuisine. A simply exceptional residence.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
Jean-François Piège speaks like a musician. Flavours are his notes. Recipes are his symphonies. A chef? No, more of an orchestral conductor.
In his operatically inspired restaurant, you have the best seats for a cuisine that will weaken your resolve. The preferred theme of the artist: nostalgia.
“I try to give my cuisine a taste of the good old days”. When he was younger, the maestro wanted to be a gardener, and he still has a special affection for earthy foods. The season’s first asparagus. Black truffles. Simple notes that can not be forgotten.
The poet Alfred de Vigny gave credibility to the French Romantic Movement and also lent his name to this meeting place for literary souls located on the rue Balzac, a stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées. The décor is cosy and elegant and the library invites you to choose a book at random and nestle into an armchair by the fireside to meditate on the beauty of the French language…
Sheltered from the bustle of Paris, this hotel is a cocoon with a touch of the English cottage about it. Plus breakfasts fit for a King.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
The jewellers on Place Vendôme are a natural setting to one of the greatest culinary inventors: Alain Dutournier. Always intent on respecting products and flavours, for him “three times nothing is already a lot”. This doesn’t stop him from being renowned for his minimalist, original cuisine based on unexpected textures and complexities: prawns, melon and saffron - lobster, almonds and fennel - Saint-Pierre, cabbage and raifort - pheasant, chestnuts and Alba truffles - foie gras, topinambur and black truffles. Here, originality is the order of the day. Here, emotions are omnipresent. Here, non-conformity has been elevated to a lifestyle. If you are a gourmet aesthete, the Carré des Feuillants is an absolute must.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
Never where you expect him to be. Guy Martin has turned opposites into his religion. Talk about cuisine and the chef replies art. “Paintings are my main source of inspiration. I cook like others paint”. Always a pencil in his pocket. Always a piece of paper to do a sketch. “I draw the recipes which are born in my head…” For him cuisine is an aesthetic pleasure. Each dish is a masterpiece. The flavours of the world come together in airy creations like Breton lobster with green apple jus, grilled turbot and artichokes with pineapple-sage infused oil, or green pea ice-cream.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
In the very heart of the Sixth District and just a stone’s throw from the Luxembourg gardens, this is a restaurant with a refined atmosphere. Elegance in the dining room and originality on the menu. From the Landes region, the young chef Hélène Darroze is an expert on Bordeaux wines and likes to prepare Aquitaine caviar, turkey with Landes’ duck foie gras, and white Alba truffles. There’s nothing predetermined, however, in her recipes. Hélène’s favourite ingredient remains her intuition. A place where the feminine “sixth sense” is the source of some wonderful culinary surprises…
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
Inaugurated in 1907, in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, the Napoleon III style pavilion in the Pré Catalan has seen a long parade of royalty, presidents, dandies and artists from all walks of
life pass through its doors. This prestigious location is also an absolute must on any gourmet tour.
It is here that Frédéric Anton presents his sophisticated culinary artistry. Just like Joël Robuchon, at whose side he honed his skills, this young chef focuses on technical mastery and an expert choice of ingredients. Under his eyes, nothing is left to chance. His motto: «Even if perfection is not of this world, that’s no reason
not to try to achieve it».
Discover this charming, discreet hotel and restaurant in the heart of the Saint-Germain forest, unusual to be among such foliage and yet still so close to Paris. Internal décor comprises a subtle mixture of furniture and paintings collected over the generations. Whether in winter in a cosy setting close to the fireplace, or in summer for lunch under the acacias, this is the ideal venue for a weekend away, a tourist stopover or for a family celebration. Cazaudehore-la Forestière offers a delightful welcome and authentic cuisine, and above all a truly unique ambience.
His name is written on the walls: “Stevenson’s house”.
This establishment, located in the charming village of Barbizon, near the forest of Fontainebleau, was one of the favourite places of the author of Treasure Island. Françoise Sagan, Louis Malle, Fernandel, Gene Kelly, the emperor Hirohito and Robert de Niro have also stopped in this former hunting lodge, the perfect place to soak up nature, find inspiration for your next book or just take a sporting break. Now it’s your turn to sign the visitors’ book.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux and hotel in the countryView details
First stop on the ‘Route du Bonheur, or the ‘Road to Happiness’ which led
to the creation of Relais & Châteaux back in 1954, this typical regional
house, with its half-timbered frontage, pink bricks and thatched roof,
is an institution that has just got better and better with each passing decade. The Dépée family has turned this former post house into a charming hotel which now also has a beautiful big swimming pool. Its six hectares of grounds are a haven of peace and invite you, in the shade of hundred-year old trees,
to taste the region’s excellent wines – especially Sancerre and Pouilly.
In the Champagne terroir just a few minutes from Epernay, there is a paradise of wellness and well-being. Here, everything humanly possible has been done to ensure that you completely relax among walks, baths, essential oil massages and gourmet meals which pay as much attention to keeping your figure trim as they do to pleasing your palate. Imagine pan-fried scallops in a shellfish jus… with a small glass of Champagne? After all, there are some things you simply can’t refuse…
In the heart of a vineyard, this former, recently refurbished coach house - one of Napoleon’s favourite stopovers -, is the perfect base from wich to explore the glorious Champagne maisons. No need to travel the region, all you need to do is visit the wine cellar here which boasts no fewer than 220 exceptional brut and rosé vintages and crus. The best place to taste them is on the terrace overlooking the vines which extend as far as the eye can see. Intoxicating.
Legend has it that Jean Cocteau designed the castle’s staircase… This “rumour” speaks volumes about the attention to detail in this palace where French literary figures Racine, La Fontaine and Dumas stayed. Which now-famous pages did they write here? You will have all the time in the world to ponder this while strolling through the magnificent grounds, swimming in the pool, playing a round of golf or a game of tennis and dining like royalty, discovering the best local products and excellent wines.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux and hotel in a parkView details
The Château Les Crayères: a mythical address in the heart of Reims, nestled discretely in a 7-hectare park. But the Château Les Crayères is also home to the most inventive paradoxes. Once you are inside its doors, a feeling of intimate sophistication envelops you. With just 20 rooms and suites, the atmosphere is redolent of luxury and elegance. The warm welcome, the understated service, and the enticing cuisine is complemented by more than 250 Champagne crus which enter into a harmonious dialogue with the creative dishes of Didier Elena. Absolutely everything to ensure a memorable stay!
Made famous by the Hundred Years’ War and the famous battle of Verneuil, the town of Verneuil-sur-Avre is today the ideal place to relax… in peace. In English hands for some time, the city was re-conquered in 1449 by the French. This small château has retained some of its English charm with its spacious lawns with their straight lines and its centuries-old proudly pruned trees. One hundred years, that’s the time you would like to spend in this romantic residence tucked away close to the regional nature reserve of Perche. Wonderful wine cellar and collection of Calvados.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux and hotel in a parkView details
One hour from Le Touquet, between the Opal Coast and Belgium, the Château de Beaulieu proudly displays its elegant facades and sophisticated interior in a romantic park. This is an architectural gem which is home to one of the best restaurants in the region. The chef, Marc Meurin, pays tribute to Pas-de-Calais producers by using ingredients like Boulogne-sur-Mer scallops, Etaples bass and other fish and shellfish from the North Sea - “because there are currents in the seas which make these fish daring and which enhance the quality of their flesh”. You can savour his creations in two glass-roofed restaurants and learn the tricks of the trade by attending his cooking classes.
With its landscape of dunes rolling into the distance and its dancing sea, the Opal Coast has some of the most stunning beaches in France.
On clear days, you can make out the English
coast on the other side of the Channel… Lindsay and Christian Germain, the owners of this delightful manor house, have combined the best of both worlds to make this address an absolute must. When English charm and discretion meet French comfort and gastronomy, the result is obviously going to be an extraordinary place to stay near the chic seaside town of Le Touquet.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
Gilles Tournadre was born in Normandy and has remained faithful to his region. This progressive chef knows everything there is to know about the culinary traditions of his part of the world and adds his personal touch to the local style, such as his version of the traditional Normandy pressed duck recipe. Here the classics are joyfully reinterpreted and given a new twist.
A staunch defender of top-quality products, he will always prefer to serve
“a fresh line-caught whiting brought to shore by a little fishing boat rather than an imported turbot”. And what can we say other than… he’s right!
Formerly an inn, at one time a grocery, and then a country delicatessen… This ancient Normandy manor house has already lived several lives. Today it is an intimate hideaway, romantic down to the finest detail. Prepare yourself to fall in love under the willows… Not far from Trouville and Honfleur, this is the ideal starting point for sampling the best that the region has to offer.
It was with this remark that the painter Eugène Boudin expressed his love for this place in one of his notebooks. With its bucolic charm and its washed-out light effects, the Saint-Siméon farm was one of the favourite refuges of the Impressionists. Monet and Courbet came in search of their colours. The poet Baudelaire also came here in search of inspiration abandoning the melancholy of Paris for the little port of Honfleur. Now restored, the premises today offer spa and beauty treatments worthy of the Roman thermal baths. “Oh Saint-Siméon!”, how hard it is to leave…
“It is easier to get to heaven from a hut than from a palace” wrote Saint Francis of Assisi. You will agree with him once you have set foot in this God’s little acre. Exceptional seafood cuisine, sunsets beneath your window that set the ocean alight, the little port of Honfleur just steps away… For those who love long horse-back rides and romantic interludes.
A journey back in time awaits you at this castle listed as a historic monument. Its first owner,
the Lord of Percy, was also William the Conqueror’s personal chef. But the major historic chapter
to relive in the surrounding area is the battle of Normandy - which changed the course of the
Second World War between June and August 1944. This is the best Relais & Châteaux address
for discovering the beaches that saw the D-Day landings or to explore Mont Saint-Michel.
Formerly a smuggling port and refuge of privateers, Roscoff has remained a unique destination,
with its waves of emerald, its fishing houses of granite and its manor houses nestled amongst the cliffs. Your hideaway: an ancient trader’s property with a swimming pool, spa and direct access to the beach. For food, Loïc Le Bail can tell you better than anybody about the local speciality: the pink onion, tender and sweet, the only sweetener that the Roscoff pirates took with them on their sea journeys. Being less reckless, you will only need a quarter hour’s boat journey to discover the small island of Batz, a “tropical” pearl misplaced in the English Channel with its palm trees and beaches of fine sand.
Surrounded by the immensity of the sea and the reefs of the Pink Granite Coast, the Manoir de Lan-Kerellec is a jewel in Brittany’s crown. From your balcony, drink in the panoramic view of the islands of Millau, Molène, and Losquet. Magical! Then you might want to take a walk along the coastal path to taste the sea spray, or scuba dive for a closer look at the underwater nature reserve. You might even bump into one of the crustaceans that you will find on your dinner plate that very evening…
Overlooking the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, with the oyster farms and the little port of Cancale on your doorstep, Les Maisons de Bricourt invite you to come and explore the Saint Malo region. A region of renowned seafarers where life moves in harmony with the rhythm of the tides. Here, Jane and Olivier Roellinger have created three residences: the château “Richeux”, the cottage “Les Rimains” and “La Maison du Voyageur”. Come and discover four other recent additions: “Les Gîtes Marins”, the patisserie-tea room “Grain de Vanille”, the “Cuisine Corsaire” - a real school of flavours and the “Entrepôts Epices-Roellinger”.
Tartare of bass and caviar, prawn salad, carpaccio de Saint-Jacques à l’orange… These refined dishes take on a special flavor when they are served in such an ambiance:
a panoramic restaurant overlooking the ocean and, on both sides, an endless beach of fine sand. From the window of your room, you can take in the same marine beauty.
The only inconvenience: the sea makes a bit of noise at night, and you’ll have to get used to the gentle lapping of the waves… Let’s wager that you’ll easily do so!
A door leads out to the ocean. At the end of the jetty, a boat awaits you. Sailing between Lorient and the island of Groix is an unforgettable experience and just one of the many pleasures in store for you at this historic castle and manor house surrounded by 120 hectares of private forest. If you aren’t much of a sailor, a helicopter flight over the cliffs of Brittany might be more your thing. Once your feet are firmly back on the ground, sample the delights of the menu of fresh seafood and Brittany’s local produce, followed by a shiatsu massage to finish off a perfect day…
Belle-Île-en-Mer… “The appropriately-named” island, as the local XIXth century poet Eva Jouan remarked about this “Beautiful-Island-at-Sea”. Accessible by boat, this little island has an isolated feeling about it. An ideal retreat to offer yourself a contemplative spa break. Between the “Light legs” and “Massages of the world” body treatments, your gaze will stray over the Aiguilles de Port-Coton (amazing rocky formations that thrust out in the middle of the ocean), the small pastel-coloured port of Sauzon, and your own imaginings. Absolute well-being and relaxation.
A vast, typically Breton area can be found in Morbihan, on the Vilaine estuary, at the tip of Pen-Lan. A site born of architectural prowess: these historic manors were taken apart stone by stone and then rebuilt by the sea. Right by the waves, spa bath therapy offers a rejuvenating, iodized therapeutic treatment. As for the restaurant, the Breton lobster does honour to its reputation. Is a lobster prepared better anywhere else in the world? This is also where you can meet Bertrand Jaquet, its owner, and also an art lover and genuine fan of Brittany. This place is the culmination of all of his passions. They might rub off on you…
The grass is always greener on the other side. But never as much so as in the grounds of this castle straight out of a fairytale. Here you won’t be surprised to find one of the most beautiful golf courses in France, with its chequerboard mowed fairways and velvety greens… 500 square metres of spa is another very convincing argument. Before retiring to your princely room, savour a cocktail in a unique setting: the hotel’s elegant bar in the former stables.
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in townView details
In his mother’s bistro where he spent his teenage years, Jacques Thorel acquired a passion for authentic cuisine and fine wines. At the Auberge Bretonne, this chef celebrates the culinary traditions of his region, with a bold but subtle twist. Here, the traditional black wheat galette is served with lobster and cepes and the apricot tartine is sprinkled with lavender. He and his wife Solange have developed one of the greatest wine lists in all of France. Unbeatable.
On the Croisic peninsula is a historical gem: for the past four centuries, this granite fort has stood guard over the moods of the sea. The ramparts, moats and drawbridges are all still there. Built to resist storms and attacks, today, despite its stern exterior, this monument welcomes guests, and exhibits all of its charms: oak panelling, scented gardens, a sheltered swimming pool… And a vegetable garden where the chef also grows the herbs that flavour his inventive cuisine that often includes fresh seafood.
Its six kilometres of fine sand have made the beach at La Baule one of the most beautiful promenades on the Atlantic coast. Opposite this beach sits the Belle Époque manor where every detail is perfect. The vast lawns are immaculately kept, a tribute to the owners’ perfectionism. The delicious breakfast already hints at the other culinary delights in store such as scallops marinated in grapefruit juice and olive oil. Another great feature is the thalassotherapy centre just steps away. The ultimate chic is to go there by bike…
Nestled on 9 hectares of grounds, the Château de Noirieux is an oasis of calm, elegance and privacy and the atmosphere gives you a real sense of the grandeur of the stately homes of a bygone age. Your hosts Anja and Gérard Côme take pride in ensuring that everything is perfect down to the slightest detail. Each room is lightly perfumed with its own special fragrance, the welcome is special, the terrace is surrounded by nature and, last but not least, you will be treated to a remarkable and inspired cuisine, tailored around the seasons and the fresh produce available. Gérard Côme has discovered the secret of dishes that never fail to please.
This 15th century fortress, with its towers and vineyard, vibrates with the airs of the Middle Ages. The perfectly restored hotel has preserved its architectural origins. Just a few kilometres away, lies the town of Chinon, where Joan of Arc met King Charles VII, with its unique wine cellars. Here you are in the paradise of wine, and in the native land of the humanist François Rabelais who sang the praises of the vegetables and fruits from his beautiful region “the garden of France”. The Château restaurant will delight you with its delicious produce which grows in the fruit orchards and herb gardens.
Part of this renaissance manor house of rare beauty, overlooking the untamed Loire River, is literally sculpted into the cliff face. Discover the underground labyrinth hidden within the Hotel Les Hautes Roches with its rooms and corridors dug out of the freestone. Today this former monastery is a gallery of beautifully decorated cocoons, with sandy floors and tufa walls. This is the elegant and romantic way to sleep in a cave!
1560. In order to live their faith freely, against the Catholics acknowledged as being “legal”, the Protestants planned to remove the young king François II. This was known as the Amboise plot. Built in the 16th century, Noizay Château was both witness and theatre of this historic episode and still retains some remarkable traces of those times: a mystical atmosphere is created by the majestic stained glass windows and printed ceiling roses. Your tour of the Loire châteaux starts here…
Restaurant of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux and hotel in a parkView details
On the Wine Route in Loir-et-Cher, lies a hunting lodge built in 1860. The ivy-covered walls, the roofs under the eaves alive with birdsong… lovers of nature will delight in the charm of this bourgeois residence in the midst of a forest with a private lake and “classical-modern” cuisine, as described by the chef Rémy Giraud himself describes. On the
menu: pan-roasted large langoustines with bananas, Lilliput capers, beurre noisette foam, shellfish jus brunoise… The wine? A white obviously.
Vouvray or Saumur, all you have to do is choose…
