Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of 500 of the finest charming hotels and gourmet restaurants in 60 countries. From the vineyards in Napa valley to the beaches in Bali, from the olive trees in Provence to the lodges in South Africa, Relais & Châteaux offers all the stops on the finest route for discovering each special place and country.
In all our properties, each maître de maison draws upon his unique experience and passion to share the authentic culture and tastes of his region with every guest.
Magical places and memories of a lifetime: whether it be a romantic weekend or to celebrate the important moments of life such as birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoon or family reunions.
Established in France more than 50 years ago, Relais & Châteaux has become a renowned reference of excellence in the hotel and restaurant world. The Association's mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.
I’m part of the fourth generation of a family of innkeepers, so I was born in a kitchen and grew up next to my grandfather's stove. After I left school at 18, I studied at one of the big business schools. Then I joined Alain Ducasse at the Louis XV in Monaco to work in the office. I stayed there for three years, until Alain persuaded me to get in front of a cooker. He taught me always to look for quality when choosing ingredients, but also to be constantly rigorous and to combine it with honest cooking with real, authentic flavour.
I then joined my father at his Relais & Châteaux in Villeneuve-de-Marsan, which gave me the chance to express what I felt instinctively. Five years later, I opened my own restaurant in Paris.
The two openings – one in Paris and one in London – are still the most intense moments of my life in spite of how difficult it was at the time.
I cook with ingredients from the south-west of France where I was born, which appeal to how I've always lived and to my emotions.
What was your most moving culinary experience? I think there are four: the first ortolan I ate when I was a little girl; tasting a duck cooked in a sauce made with its own blood at the Tour d’Argent when I was a teenager; discovering tartufi di Alba truffles on a simple dish of pasta cooked in stock when I arrived at the Louis XV, and recently a really great meal at Michel Troisgros'.
The most amusing kitchen incident you ever witnessed? When the gas went off in the kitchens at the Connaught for the first sitting the day the restaurant opened. It lasted 45 minutes. We might not have laughed at the time, but we certainly do now.
Your best piece of advice for amateur chefs? Cook a good casserole. It’s hard to get it wrong! And it’s the perfect meal for sharing with lots of people.
France
Restaurant Hélène Darroze
