Recommended books and publications: Paris, France and the French

You can visit Paris for a few days and be impressed with the architecture, ambiance, restaurants, and pleasant hotels. But if, after doing that, you decide you want to return for more — to the city or the countryside — you may want to do two things likely to enhance your experience: (1) learn more (or at least some) of the language; and (2) learn about the country’s history and culture. Our French language skills are pretty sad, and yet we try. Reading about France alot easier. In our "General Notes" section, we've listed some of our favorite Paris and France Web sites. Below we’ve listed a selection of our favorite books. Those marked “►” are especially recommended.

General guidebooks

► The Michelin Green Guide: Separate guides are available for Paris, and for the rest of France: Brittany, Normandy, Northern France and the Paris Region (also know as “ile de France” — the countryside surrounding Paris), Alsace Lorraine / Champagne, Chateaux of the Burgundy/ Jura, French Alps, Auvergne/Rhone Valley, Dordogne/Berry/Limousin, Atlantic Coast, Languedoc/Roussillon/Tarn Gorges, Provence, and “French Riviera.” Versions of these French guides are often used by the French. The titles listed above have been translated into English, and many also are available in Italian, German, and Spanish, among other languages — and so one benefit of this guide is that you are not immediately identified as an American (or British, or German, etc.) tourist if you are seen with one of these.

Also recommended: The Eyewitness Travel Guides for Paris and various other regions (including the "Back Roads France" guide -- setting out 24 suggested driving tours); Access Paris; the Cadogan Guides for the various regions of the country; and An Hour From Paris, by Annabel Simms (descriptions of 20 destinations in the Ile de France). Finally, for first-time visitors, many have found useful the Rick Steves Paris guide, and the on-line guidebook, The Traveling Professor's Guide to Paris, by Stephen C. Solosky (it's short but sweet, and contains many useful listings, observations, and tips).

Magazines (on line and hard copy)

France. This British magazine is published (by paid subscription) bi-monthly in the United States. It covers France from the special and delightful perspective of a neighbor that has, for centuries, known and loved — and had other, more conflicted feelings for — la belle France.

France Today. This United States-based magazine is published 11 times yearly, and also is available by paid subscription on line. The free France Today Web site is very useful.

Paris Notes. We have been sad to learn that this classy newsletter, published (by paid subscription) ten times yearly by Mark Eversman, has announced that it will cease publication. We assume that the massive amount of free content on the Internet is at least partly to blame. Apparently, the Paris Notes site will stay up until September 2010, providing access to 50-plus available back copies. It's unclear what will become of the rest of the site, which has been free, and contains numerous well-written articles, tips, and usefully-categorized links to hundreds of other Paris-related sites (including excellent listings of hotel and apartment Web sites). First-time visitors will especially appreciate an excellent overview, “Paris for Beginners.”


Paris Walking, History, and Museum guides

► Little Known Museums in and Around Paris, by Rachel Kaplan.

Walks Through Lost Paris by Leonard Pitt (“then-and now” pictures and history).

Around and About Paris (vols. 1-3) by Thirza Vallois (comprehensive and somewhat dense historical and architectural treatment of each of the 20 arrondissements).

Paris Then and Now by Peter & Oriel Caine (“then-and now” pictures by the folks that own and run “Paris Walking Tours.” (Hardcover, coffee table book.)

One Thousand Buildings of Paris, by Jorg Brockman, James Driscol & Kathy Borros (a thick compilation of notable Paris structures and a brief history of each, arranged by arrondissement).

Quiet Corners of Paris, by Jean-Christophe Napias. (Just as it sounds — a guide to contemplative places.)

Frommer’s Memorable Walks in Paris, by Jeanne Oliver.

The Secret Gardens of Paris, by Alexandra d’Arnoux & Bruno de Laubadère.

The Quays and Bridges of Paris, An Historical Guide, By Marc Gaillard (well illustrated).


Paris (and Regional) Restaurant and Dining Guides

► Hungry for Paris, by Alexander Lobrano. (2008 & updated 2010.) This companionable and well-written guide to "102 of the city's best restaurants" well conveys the personality of each establishment. (Lobrano also provides a useful opening chapter, "The Happy Eater's Almanac: How to have a Perfect Meal in Paris"), covering some of the points we make in our own "12 tips" elsewhere on this site.)

Great Eats Paris, by Sandra Gustafson (10th ed. 2004) (we’ve found some of our favorite restaurants in this useful guide).

Food, Wine, Burgundy, by David Downie. This is Downie's latest “Terroir” guide. Roughly the size of a thick Green Guide (450+pages), it’s an opinionated, lively, and beautifully photographed celebration of the small scale wine producers, regional restaurants, bistros, inns, and food shops of the vast Bourgogne — the kind of countryside places we like to patronize. (we've noticed some dining favorites of ours in four of the book’s many recommendations — “Les Deux Ponts” in little Pierre-Perthuis; “Laroche Wine Bar” in Chablis; “Café St. Martin” in Chapaize; and “Le Relais de Flavigny,” in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain — and this makes us trust the rest of the book’s recommendations.)

Zagat, Paris Restaurants (2012/2013). Very useful. (As is the current Michelin Guide.)

Food Lover’s Guide to Paris, by Patricia Wells (although last updated in 1999, many descriptions remain apt; includes a nice listing of weekly markets, etc., and a great index of food terms/ translations).  Now available as an app -- see http://www.foodloversparis.com/. 

Restaurants of Paris (Knopf, 1994) (this book focuses on décor and history, and includes fine photos; even though dated, it’s still fun and useful).

Gourmet Paris, by Emmanuel Rubin (organized by dish — e.g., where to find the best Charcuterie, Duck confit, Rum Baba, Steak tartar, etc.).

Eating and Drinking in Paris, A Menu Reader and Restaurant Guide, by Andy Herbach and Michael Dillon.

Favorite Bistros of Paris, by Robert & Michele Seass

The Authentic Bistros of Paris, by Francois Thomazeau & Sylvain Ageorges.

The Historic Restaurants of Paris, by Ellen Williams.

Bistros of Paris, by Robert and Barbara Hamburger.

Boulangerie! (a pocket guide to Paris's famous bakeries), by Jack Armstrong & Delores Wilson.

The Cafés of Paris . . . a Guide, by Christine Graf.

Brasseries de Paris, photographics, Yannis Valmos. Not a dining guide, but instead a picture book showing the historic interiors of many brasseries that, unfortunately, today serve better atmosphere than food.  But at least you can usually get a reliable seafood platter, including great oysters, at most of these places.
Paris and France Dining Memoirs, Biographies, Studies, etc.

► Between Meals — An Appetite for Paris, by A.J. Liebling (recollections of Paris dining in the 1930s-1950s).

The Sweet Life in Paris, by David Lebovitz (a well written and offbeat account of "delicious adventures" — cultural, social, and culinary). (See also the excellent blog of the same name.)

 A Meal Observed, by Andrew Todhunter (a study of the former three-star restaurant, Taillevent).

Burgundy Stars, by William Echikson (the story of a the Michelin three-star restaurant, La Cote d’Or).

Families of the Vine, by Michael S. Sanders (seasons among winemakers in the southwest).

The Invention of the Restaurant (Paris and the Modern Gastronomic Culture), by Rebecca L. Spang (reads like a turgid PhD. thesis — but it’s full of esoteric information for those so inclined).

Savoring the Past, by Barbara Ketcham Wheaton ("The French Kitchen and Table from 1300 to 1789").

Remembrance of Things Paris (Sixty Years of Writing From Gourmet), edited by Ruth Reichl.

Plats du Jour, by William Black ("a journey into the heart of French food" by a gastronome who has traveled the length and breadth of France).

I'll Drink to That, by Rudolph Chelminski (Beaujolais and Georges Deboeuf ).

Adventures on the Wine Route, by Kermit Lynch ("a wine buyer's tour through France").

The Widow Clicquot, by Tilar J. Mazzeo ("The story of a Champagne empire and the woman who ruled it").

The Table Comes First, by Adam Gopnik ("Family, France, and the meaning of food").

Paris & France History

► Is Paris Burning?, by Larry Collins & Dominique Lapierre (how Paris escaped detonation at the close of WWII).

► The Road from the Past, by Ina Caro (travel-related history essays).

► The Greater Journey, by David McCullough (the story of Americans who learned from Paris in the 19th Century).

The Paris Métro: A Ticket to French History, by Susan L. Plotkin (the story behind each of the hundreds of names given to Métro stations).

Americans in Paris: Life and Death under the Nazi Occupation 1940-1944, by Charles Glass.
The Discovery of France, by Graham Robb (a very readable overview explaining "how the modern nation came to be, and how poorly understood that nation still is today").

Parisians  — An Adventure History of Paris, by Graham Robb (focusing on the true stories of "the lives of the great, the near-great, and the forgotten" of Paris over the past 300 years).

The Last Duel, by Eric Jager (this short and engrossing book, the true story of the last judicially-ordered duel in France, transports you back to Normandy and Paris in the 1380s; it's a fascinating description of medieval society, law, and combat).

A Traveller’s History of Paris, by Robert Cole.

A Traveller’s History of France, by Robert Cole.

Paris, The Biography of A City, by Colin Jones (well footnoted and indexed, but some may find it dense).

Seven Ages of Paris, by Alistaire Horne (similar to above).

Paris, The Secret History, by Andrew Hussy (again, similar to above).

Literary Paris: A Guide, by Jessica Powell. (This well illustrated book profiles thirty writers — including Albert Camus, Ernest Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein, George Sand, Janet Flanner, and Emile Zola — and the places in the city integral to their daily lives.)

Métro Stop Paris, An Underground History of the City of Light, by Gregor Dallas (exploring history and more by focusing on twelve métro stops).

Paris Between the Wars 1919-1939, Art Life & Culture, by Vincent Bouvet and Gerard Durozi (2010; translated from the French original, 2009). Beautifully illustrated.

The Belly of Paris, by Emile Zola, translated (and with an excellent introduction by) Mark Kurlansky.  (This famous novel depicts political, gastronomic and social life in Les Halles, circa late 1850s.)

Dawn of the Belle Epoque, by Mary McAuliffe ("The Paris of Monet, Zola, Bernhardt, Eiffel, Debussy, Clemenceau, and Their Friends"). 

Clash of Crowns, by Mary McAuliffe ("A story of bloodshed, betrayal, and revenge" involving William the Conqueror, Lichard Lionheart, and Elanore of Aquitaine). 
 

French Culture & Society

► Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong, by Jean Benoit Nadeau & Julie Barlow (a sophisticated explanation and critique of French society and ways; the title stems from a Cole Porter musical).

► Savoir Flair! and French or Foe?, both by Polly Platt (easily readable tips on enjoying and understanding France and the French).

When in France, Do as the French Do, by Ross Steele (similar to above).

Paris Inside Out, The Insider’s Handbook to Life in Paris, by David Applefield (loaded with tips, practical and deep).

The French, by Theodore Zeldin (originally published in 1982, but still worth reading today; this is a classic and intelligent review by a well informed Englishman).

Stuff Parisians Like, by Olivier Magny (as the cover says: "Discovering the quoi in je ne sais quoi" — perceptive and quite funny, although sometimes it feels tediously sarcastic).

Paris Memoirs

► Paris, Paris, by David Downie (the author has lived in Paris for 20-plus — this book is beautifully written). See also the related web site, Paris Paris, the book. (For a mystery/ thriller set in Paris, check out Downie's fast-paced Paris, City of Night.)

► The Collected Traveler — Paris, by Barrie Keeper (a collection of short stories, detailed practical information, and more).

► Paris to the Moon, by Adam Gopnik (five years of Paris experiences, beautifully written).

► A Movable Feast, by Ernest Hemmingway (a gossipy classic). Note: a revised version was re-released in July 2009 with some controversial revisions and additions — see this critical Op-Ed analysis in the New York Times).

Paris, Traveler’s Tales Guides (a collection of essays).

Into a Paris Quarter, by Diane Johnson (regarding the author’s 6eme apartment and neighborhood).

A Corner in the Marais, by Alex Karmel (regarding the author’s 4th arrondissement and neighborhood).

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, by Thad Carhart (about what it says, an more).

I’ll Always Have Paris, by Art Buchwald.

The First Time I Saw Paris, Photographs and Memories from the City of Light, by Peter Miller.

Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris. (Learning French . . . and more.)

Paris à vue d’oeil, by Henri Cartier-Bresson. (Classic and less known photographs.)

The Flâneur, by Edmund White. (“A stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris.”)

Almost French, by Sarah Turnbull. ("Love and a new life in Paris," by an Australian journalist.)

Paris was Ours, edited by Penelope Rowlands. ("32 writers reflect on the City of Light.")

The Most Beautiful Walk in the World, by John Baxter. (The author's remembrances of giving literary walking tours in Paris.)

Immovable Feast, by John Baxter. (The author's remembrance of planning and preparing Christmas dinner for his French in-laws.) 

We'll Always Have Paris, by John Baxter. (The author's remembrance of falling in love in Paris.) 

Memoirs of France

► From Here, You Can’t See Paris, by Michael S. Sanders (seasons of a small southwestern village and its restaurant).

France, Traveler’s Tales Guides (collection of essays).

France, A Love Story (Women Write About the French Experience), edited by Camille Cusumano (a collection of essays).

Paris in the Fifties, by Stanley Karnow.

At Home in France, by Ann Barry (the author’s experiences in the southwest).

The Secret Life of the Seine, by Mort Rosenblum (the story of the river and the author’s floating home, a former barge).

French Dirt, by Richard Goodman (story of a garden, village, and neighbors in the south).

French Impressions (The Adventures of an American Family) by John S. Littell (an American Family in 1950-1951 France).

How to Travel Incognito, by Ludwig Bemelmans (1952, republished 2003) (comic post-WWII travelogue).

“Spotted Dick, S’il Vous Plait,” by Tom Higgins (the story of an English restaurant in Lyon — a British perspective is almost always amusing).

Two Towns in Provence, by M.F.K. Fisher. (A loving study of Aix-en-Provence & Marseille.)

Long Ago in France, by M.F.K. Fisher. (Dijon in the late 1920s/ early 1930s.)

Suite Française, by Irène Némirovsky. (Life in France in 1940-1941; a controversial story of survival, compromise, and collaboration.)

I'll Never be French (no matter what I do), by Mark Greenside (a New Yorker/ Californian's warm and playful story about falling in love with a tiny Celtic village in Brittany).

The Oysters of Locmariaquer, by Eleanor Clark (this 1965 classic, winner of the National Book Award, is about more than Brittany's famous Belon oysters).

Portraits of France, by Robert Daley ("So and insightful that it immediately goes beyond the genre of travel writing").

Virgile's Vineyard, by Patrick Moon ("A year in the Languedoc wine country").

Arrazat's Aubergines, by Patrick Moon ("Inside a Languedoc Kitchen").

I'll Drink to That, by Rudolph Chelmiski ("Beaujolais and the French peasant to make it 'the world's most popular wine' " — the story of Georges Duboeuf).

Adventures on the Wine Route, by Kermit Lynch ("A wine buyer's tour of France"— and the proprietor of one of our favorite wine shops).

Murder mysteries, etc., set in France

Bruno, Chief of Police; The Dark Vineyard;  Black Diamond, and The Crowded  Grave, all by Martin Walker. (These are exceptionally well done by someone who clearly knows and appreciates the culture of the French countryside, and the Perigord especially. We love Bruno, and look forward to more!)

Shopping

Markets of Paris, by Dixon and Ruthanne Long (a guide to markets for food, antiques, artisanal crafts, and more); and Markets of Paris, second edition (2012), by Dixon Long and Marjorie R. Williams.

The Riches of Paris, A Shopping and Touring Guide, by Maribeth Clemente.


France hotel guides

► The Rough Guide to French Hotels & Restaurants  (le Guide du Routard). Very useful.

► Michelin Charming Places to Stay. Again, very useful, but we've not seen an update from the 2004 version.

Hotels and Country Inns of Character and Charm in France, by Michelle Gastaut, Jean & Tatiana de Beaumont, Anne Deren, Véroniqie De Andreis, Livia Roubaud, with Jean-Emmanuel Richomme (Fodor’s/ Rivages). Although the essence of this guide (and the following two as well) is now available on line, we still find the hard copy very useful.

Hotels of Character and Charm in Paris, by Jean & Tatiana de Beaumont, and Michelle Gassaut, edited by Véroniqie De Andreis (Hunter/ Rivages).

Bed and Breakfasts of Character and Charm in France, by Jean & Tatiana de Beaumont, Véroniqie De Andreis, Anne Deren, and Jean-Emmanuel Richomme (Hunter/ Rivages).

Karen Brown’s France, Charming Inns & Itineraries. This book (and its sister, below), updated yearly, lists many places that are not available on the free web version of this guide.

Karen Brown’s France, Charming Bed & Breakfasts.

Countryside hotels and restaurants

Recommended countryside (and non-Paris) hotels  and restaurants, listed by region

(and, at the bottom of this post, some useful web sites for researching hotels and restaurants)

Near/ surrounding Paris — Seine-et-Marne, Val d’Oise

Hotel le Prieure (Ermenonville, about 25 minutes east of CDG airport, in the Seine-et-Marne). This B & B (***) in Ermenonville is close to CDG, but feels very far away. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) For nearby dining (about five or ten minutes walk) we have enjoyed La Table du Poète, a haute cuisine restaurant in a nearby elegant chateau/hotel (and it's open on Monday!) and La Croix d'Or (fine country dining and service).

Hotel de Londres (Fontainebleau, south of Paris, in the Seine-et-Marne). If you are going to stay in Fountainebleau, you may as well stay at this Napoleon III hotel, in a room (like ours, no. 11) that looks out to the Chateau. There is no restaurant at the hotel. On Sunday (the most difficult dining night outside major cities), we booked at Restaurant L’Angélus, in nearby Barbizon — a 10 minute drive. It was quite nice, with a pleasant atmosphere and fine service. On Monday (also a difficult restaurant night), we dined at Croquembouche, a walk of five minutes from the hotel. It was excellent — contemporary French cuisine at its best. (See our full review of Londres at Tripadvisor.)

La Ramure (Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh spent his last months, just north of Paris, Val d’Oise). This is (or was?) a simple, authentic & charming B & B. Dining nearby is fairly limited on a Monday night (when we were last there), but we enjoyed Le Troubadour, in L'isle Adam.


Fairly near Paris — east and west: Oren & Eure (southern Normandy, west of Paris), and Picardie (northeast of Paris)

Villa Fol Avril (Moutiers au Perche, near Mortagne-au-Perche, Alencon, Nogent-le-Rotrou, in the Oren (southern Normandy)). This is a delightful and classy inn (***) and restaurant (with a pool) in a tiny village in the little-traveled but beautiful Perche region, about two hours west of Paris. (It's run by a nice young couple; see our full review at Tripadvisor.) For lunch nearby in Le Parc natural regional de Perche, we enjoyed the simple and modern Boutique et Espace Gourmand.

Auberge de la Source (8, Place Saint Barthélémy, 77750 Saint Ouen sur Morin, just west of Meaux, in the Seine-et-Marne). We had a nice dinner and stay in this sleepy village one hour from CDG. At lunch fairly nearby we had, among other things, the very best, and only truly enjoyable, an douillette in many tries over the past many years. We were near Troyes, in Sezanne, at Le Relais Champenois, 57 rue Notre-Dame, and it was indeed “Andouillette de Troyes.”

Hotel du Tribunal

(Mortagne-au-Perche, near Alencon, in the Oren). This simple family-run hotel (**) with a good-value restaurant is located in the center of this nice little hilltop town. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) Nearby in Alencon, where pickings were slim on a rainy Monday lunch, we enjoyed grilled meats in what felt like a faux-farmhouse, L'Escargot Dore. On a more interesting day trip to "Suisse Normande," we enjoyed lunch at Hotel Restaurant Au Site Normand, in Clecy. Finally, we must mention the odd town of La Chapelle Montligeon (and its cathedral in the middle of nowhere), where, on a Monday, with everything else closed, at the somewhat shabby Cafe (and Bar) de La Marie, decorated in far-away Provencal yellows but also festooned with strange posters of American Indians, we had a delightful and simple four-course lunch (10 euros each, cheap wine included) along with local workers who barely spoke with each other.

Hotel du Saumon (Verneuil sur Arve, near Dreux, in Eure (southern Normandy). This hotel barely makes it onto our recommended list. The rooms facing the town square are nice enough, and acceptable for a one-night stopover in 1950's fashion (this is especially so regarding the bathrooms), but we can't recommend the hotel's restaurant. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.)

Hotel de L'Abbaye (Longpont, near Soissons, in the Picardie). This 11-room hotel (**) and restaurant is located in a tiny, beautiful and quiet village about one hour northeast of CDG airport. The hotel is not fancy, but very charming, and offers a great demi-pension value (room, breakfast and dinner if you stay 3 nights — see our full review at Tripadvisor). In the general area (within an hour drive), we have enjoyed lunches at Hostellerie le Griffon, in Blerancourt; La Table Kobus, in Epernay; and Auberge du Lion d'Or, in Nanteuil-sur-Marne.

Normandie

Hotel d’Argouges (Bayeux, in Calvados, Basse-Normandie). A very nice hotel (***) sans restaurant; it's been a few years since we were there, but from the Web site it looks even better. For dinner nearby: Le Pommier.

Hotel La Chaîne d’Or (Les Andelys [actually in "Le Petit Andely"], along the Seine, in the Eure, Haute-Normandie). This is a nice riverside hotel (***) and very fine restaurant, run by a helpful and pleasant young couple, Stephanie and Olivier Bicot. Driving between CDG airport and Les Andelys, we had a great lunch at Au Coeur de la Foret, in Montmorency. In nearby Rouen, we enjoyed a rustic lunch at Le Toque d'Or. On the coast in Honfleur, we enjoyed fine seafood on the terrace of La Grenouille.

Hotel de Bretagne (Pontorson, near le Mont-Saint-Michel, in Manche, Basse-Normandie). This is simple hotel (**) with a quite nice restaurant.

Pays de la Loire — Maine et Loire/ Indre-et-Loire

La Croix d’Etain (Grez Neuville, aside the beautiful river Mayenne, near Angers, in the Maine et Loire). A beautiful and quiet little B & B estate run by a delightful older couple. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) For nearby dining (about 15-20 minutes away by car), we enjoyed Auberge de la Diligence (fine country cuisine and service), in Loire; and Chateau de Noirieux (very fancy, haute cuisine), in Briollay.

Manoir les Minimes (Amboise, in the Indre-et-Loire). An elegant mansion (****), sans restaurant. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) For nearby dining we enjoyed Le Pavillon Des Lys (haute cuisine, about five minutes walk from the manoir), and Auberge de Launay (fine country cuisine), about five minutes drive from Amboise, in Limeray Amboise. Farther afield (about 20 minutes drive), we enjoyed more fine county cuisine at Restaurant La Roseraie and Restaurant du Roy, both in Chenonceaux. Finally, near Chateau de Chambord we had a fine lunch at Restaurant Manoir Bel-Air, in Saint-Dye-sur-Loire.

Domaine de Beausejour (Panzoult, just outside Chinon, in the Indre-et-Loire). This elegant B & B (with a pool) is located in the vineyards and produces its own wine. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) For nearby dining (about 5 minutes away by car, in Chinon), we enjoyed Hostellerie Gargantua (in a 15th century building), and Restaurant Les Annees 30. Farther away, while touring the countryside, we enjoyed Restaurant La Tourangelle, in Montlouis-sur-Loire (the best Grand-Marnier soufflé ever!), and La Promenade, in Saint Mathurin.

Loire-Altantique


Hotel Fort de l’Ocean (Le Croisic, near Nantes, in the Loire-Altantique). This is a super-dramatic Relais & Chateau establishment (****), with a fine restaurant, on the windy and “wild” coast. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) For nearby dining (about 15-20 minutes away by car), we enjoyed Le Nezil, in Saint-Lyphard; and fairly nearby, in Nantes, we enjoyed the classic 1900 brasserie, La Cigale.

Centre/ Indre

Manoir de Boisvillers (Argenton-sur-Creuse, south of Châteauroux, north of Limoges). This hotel (***) is an 18th century manor house, set in a private park with a nice pool. (Reasonable rates; no restaurant — but we had a fine dinner on the "agréable terrasse" of the Hotel/Restaurant Le Cheval Noir, an easy walk from the hotel.)

Auvergne/ Allier

Château d'Ygrande (near Moulins and Montlucon, northern Auvergne, in the Allier). This is an elegant chateau hotel (***) and restaurant with pool, horse riding, and walks through chestnut tree forests. (See our two reviews at Tripadvisor.) During our most recent stay we visited the Chateau d’Ainay-Le-Vieil (aka “Petit Carcassone”) and toured its amazing interiors and gardens; visited Abbaye de Noirlac (a well-preserved Cistercian Abbey dating from 1150); and visited the Forrest of Tronçais. For lunch dining, we enjoyed, and recommend, Auberge de l’Abbaye de Noirlac and Le Tronçais — each was “tres agreeable.” On a prior visit we enjoyed lunch at the simple Restaurant Les Trois Puits, in Bourbon l'Archambault; and, about an hour dive from the chateau (in the direction of Roanne), we had a fine lunch at Hotel Restaurant Galland, in Lapalisse.

Auvergne/ Cantal

Hotel Remise/Fontaine de Gregoire, in St. Urcize (southern Cantal, near Nasbinals, Lozère, and also next door to the Aveyron).  We approached from the south by driving north via Lodève (where we picnic shopped for our jambon, beurre, fromage & bread at the street market) over the dramatic and rugged Pégairolles-de-l’Escalette to the Viaduc de Millau — a great place for a picnic.  Then on through the changing and somewhat barren/ rugged landscape, dotted by large boulders and bovine breeds, tan Aubracs, and russet Salers, up to St. Urcize.  We stayed at Fontaine de Gregoire, which is the chambre d’hote associated with the Hotel Remise, run by Isabelle and Fred, and their daughter and son in law.

The food is simple and there are no choices.  We dined two nights at the hotel’s very informal restaurant/cafe on the ground floor adjacent to the bar.  Fred brought us a terrine of hot leek potato soup; aligot with sausage; cheeses; and flan.  All with a pleasant Marcillac (rouge).  And a glass of prune eau de vie.  On the second night we had grilled thick beef — sweet and tasty, with slightly overcooked carrots.  Only the plat and its accompanying dish changed over the two consecutive dinners.  Also on the second night we (well, I) finished with a glass of Avèze, made from the local plant, la gentiane.  Fred told us that they are remodeling the rooms in the hotel, enlarging them and reducing their number from 16 to 10. 

The Fontaine de Gregoire, a chambre d’hote, is down the hill from the hotel/restaurant Remise.  It’s comprised of five luxe and spacious bedrooms.  Again Fred served, and on the second day, there being no other guests, he sat down and chatted.  And drew maps of recommended sites, including a local and hard to find (we finally did) ancient Roman road.  One of the highlights of breakfast was the local “fougasse” (or “fouace” in Laguiole?) brioche.  Great with butter or, better — the other highlight of our meal, and also in a photo: house made green tomato jam, wow. 

Dining nearby:  Restaurant de la Domerie, in 12470 Aubrac (Aveyron):  We suddenly had an urge to take a look at and try to book lunch at Michel Bras for the next day.  We drove over to his nearby sleek hilltop perch and put our names on a waiting list.  No success, but Fred recommended Domerie, also somewhat nearby. In a very pleasant room on a Sunday afternoon we enjoyed two 23€ menus. 

Haute Savoie

Les Roches Fleuries (Cordon, near Chamonix, in the Haute Savoie). This is a very impressive hotel/chalet (****) with three restaurants. We stopped for a nice lunch about a half hour from Cordon (in the direction of Geneva) at Le Bois du Seigneur, in Les Gets, Morzine. A bit farther in the other direction — just on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc tunnel — we enjoyed lunch at Ristorante Pizzeria La Piazzetta, in Courmayeur.

Coin Savoyard (Combloux, near Chamonix, in the Haute Savoie). A chalet (***) and restaurant, with pool, in a delightful mountain village. On a nearby mountain hike, we enjoyed lunch at La P'tite Ravine, which also serves skiers on the slopes in winter. On a day trip drive to Samoens, we enjoyed lunch at Relais des Vallees, atop the Col de Joux-Plane.

Hotel de Savoie (Annecy, in the Haute Savoie). This little hotel (**), with some rooms more charming than others, is perfectly located in the old town on the canal. We enjoyed dinner in the adjoining restaurant, Auberge de Savoie.

La Vallombreuse (Menthon-St.-Bernard, near Annecy, in the Haute Savoie).
A dramatic B&B in an old country mansion sitting directly below an even more dramatic castle on lake Annecy. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) We enjoyed a nice dinner at the stylish Le Poupeton, less than a ten minute walk away. We also had a good dinner at Hotel Restaurant La Villa des Fleurs, in Talloires — along with lunch at the local hangout, Cafe de La Place, also in Talloires. Note: On our next visit, we plan to dine at the nearby Ferme de la Charbonniere.

Le Vieux Logis (Yvoire, on Lake Geneva, in the Haute Savoie). A hotel (***) and restaurant in a charming (but touristy) medieval lakeside village. Some rooms could use updating, but the views are incredible. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) We had a nice but simple lunch across from the lake at Hotel-Restaurant Le Leman, just outside Saint-Gingolph — about 45 minutes southeast of Yvoire. (And, over the border in Switzerland, across from the incredible Chateau de Chillon, we had a fine lunch at Taverne du Chateau de Chillon, in Veytaux-Montreau.)

Beaujolais

Chez la Rose (Julienas, in the Beaujolais). A nice hotel (**) and restaurant, run by a young couple with plans of expansion and continued improvement (a swimming pool soon?). (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) In the area, we have enjoyed more than one lunch at Le Chiroublon (a simple local gem), in Chiroubles. Also pleasant is La Vieille Auberge d'Oingt, in Le Bourg Oingt; and the simple Restaurant Le Fleurie, near the gare in Villefranche-sur-Saone. Farther away, but "worth the trip" for haute cuisine, is Restaurant Jean Brouilly, about an hour south in Tarare.

Bourgogne

Hotel Clos du Colombier (1 Rue du Colombier, 21630 Pommard, just south of Beaune). This nice (***) hotel is set inside the walls of the Colombier vineyard at the edge of Pommard is run by a husband and wife team, Philippe and Véronique Barthelmebs. Both speak excellent English (she’s a native English speaker). The rooms are comfortable and airy; the village itself is gem — a real working wine town with no glitzy touristy touches to speak of. We walked to dinner at Auprès du Clocher (“Near the Bell-tower”), 1 rue de Nackenheim, in "downtown" Pommard. We still remember the escargot raviolis we had there, and overall, we enjoyed it more than the considerably more expensive dinner at Jardin des Ramparts in Beaune, 10 rue Hôtel-Dieu. For lunch in the heart of Beaune, we enjoyed and would happily return to Le Gourmandin, 8, place Carnot, which also looks to be a promising little hotel if one wants to stay in the city.

Moulin Renaudiots (Chemin du Vieux Moulin, just west of Autun on the D978, in the Saone et Loire). Peter (Danish), a former clothing designer, is a fine cook, and he and Jan (Dutch) are hosts with a great degree of style. Our table d’hote dinner with them (they sat at opposite ends of a beautiful table for 12) stared with Champagne in the garden at 19:30, and the last five of us called it quits after some cognac at about midnight. Unfortunately, the next morning, as we were talking with Peter about the challenges of doing the dinner four times a week, he mentioned that next year they will drop down to two per week — Monday and Friday, I believe he said. Oh well, we also enjoyed Le Chapitre, 11 pl. du Terreau, in Autun. (And after dinner there, the proprietor confirmed our suspicion — that Peter did their interior design.) We stayed in the St Andoche room on the second floor, and having looked at the others, including the two ground floor rooms, this will continue to be our pick when we return, sooner than later, we hope (and including a Monday or Friday).

La Fontaine aux Muses (La Celle Saint-Cyr, 9 km from Joigny in the Yonne, Bourgogne). This charming hotel/restaurant, with a pool, is know for hosting live jazz events.

Hotel les deux Ponts (Pierre-Perthuis, near Vezelay, in the Yonne, Bourgogne). A hotel (**) and fine restaurant in a tiny village run by a young couple — he is the Chef; she, originally from the Netherlands, runs the hotel. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) We enjoyed a nice — albeit quite spartan — lunch of cider, cheese and hot broth by the fire at Ancienne Hostellerie de l'Abbaye XIIeme, in Vezelay, and about an hour away, we enjoyed a great lunch at the stylish Wine Bar Laroche/ Hotel Restaurant du Vieux Moulin, in Chablis.

Château de Messey (Ozenay, near Tournus, in the Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne). This great B & B (a Karen Brown favorite) offers fun and lively “table d’hôte” dining and a nice swimming pool on an ancient estate that produces, bien sur, its own wine. We also enjoyed a great dinner on the terrace of the stylish Le Saint Martin, run by two Swiss fellows, a 10-15 minute drive from the chateau, in Chapaize.

Gite No. 473 (Hauteroche, near Dijon, in the Cote d’Or, Bourgogne). The hamlet in which this country house rental (gite) is located is so small, it lacks any commerce — not even a boulangerie. (But a grocery/ bread van serves it daily.) We enjoyed dinners nearby at Auberge du Cheval Blanc, in Alesia, and Hotel Restaurant Le Relais de Flavigny, in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, and lunch at Restaurant de l'Auxois, in Vandenesse en Auxois. In Dijon — a 40 minute drive — we had a good lunch at Le Spice (international cuisine).

Auberge La Musardiere (Chagny, in the Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne). This is a simple and inexpensive hotel (**) and restaurant; we enjoyed dinner on the shaded tarrasse.

Hotel Restaurant de Bourgogne (Cluny, in the Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne). This is a nice hotel (***) with a very fine restaurant.

Alsace, Haut-Rhin


Hotel Schwendi (2 Place Schwendi, Kientzheim, near Colmar). We love family run hotel-restaurants in the French countryside, and this certainly is one (three generations are in place here), but despite our stay for four days, and although we loved the Swiss-like feel of the rooms (great down comforters, etc.), we will not return because the establishment and personnel did not exactly exude warmth, our one dinner there was OK, but not memorable, and we were not very impressed with their wines (like some other small places in Alsace, they serve only the wines from their own winery). Our best dining in the general area was, in order of pure enjoyment:

Le Pressoir de Bacchus, 50 route des Vins, 67650 Blienschwiller. (No Web site that I can find.) Fittingly, we were here at harvest time, and we had fun dodging the slender tractor trailers of grapes fresh from the vineyards. As Michelin says, “Regional fare with a hint of originality and a wine list featuring all of the village’s 27 winegrowers” (plus they get a bib). And as the sign outside the door says, “Ni Bistrot, Ni Gastro . . . C’est la cuisine de Sylvie!” We quickly learned to love Sylvie (whom we could glimpse in the kitchen) and her husband (who runs the room), and still think about an amazing mushroom dish. We split a great “mushroom bouillabaisse” dish as a mini entrée for the four of us, and then we ordered one plat each: Ravioli of carp — very nice; pork cheeks — dandy!; the local fish of the day (forgot its name) was super; and one of us got choucroute garni that was so much better than other versions we’ve had (including two days prior at Schwendi) — the choucroute itself was light, thin, and delicate; the meats were high quality, altogether yum. At that end of our lunch, one of our companions said to the husband, “tell your wife she’s good” — to which he responded, with a slightly raised eyebrow, “How do you know”? We want to return to good Sylvie, and the serious and non-touristy village of Blienschwiller. Other nearby dining:

A l’Agneau, Katzenthal. This is a traditional hotel restaurant, and we may stay here on our next visit to this area. It’s a typical-style regional house next to a family-run winery, with two small, pretty, and packed, Alsatian dining rooms.

Le Chambard, Kaysersberg. This hotel/restaurant on the quite touristy main street has a cookbook-author chef and one Michelin star. The carte is surprisingly limited. The options were five savory dishes, from which you order a la carte or as one of two menus: either three plus cheese or dessert, for 80 euros, or all five savories plus dessert(s) and cheese, for about 120(?) or so. We went with the smaller option. The food was very good, but at this price it did not send us, and although we like and want small portions, some of these were surprisingly small indeed, especially the “ombre chevalier” (a deep lake fish similar to trout, we were told), on the carte for about 45 Euros. Local sparking water was charged at 10 Euros per bottle, yikes. We had a very good Riesling (“Schlossberg Grand Cru Cuvee Ste Catherine Colette Faller et ses filles”), and quite decent local pinot (A. Boxler, but expensive for what it was).

Aux Armes de France, Ammerschwihr. This is an “interesting” place. We suddenly needed dinner on a Monday night, when we decided not to dine a second time at our hotel restaurant. The lobby of Aux Armes present a wall of framed newspaper articles from around the western world reporting about how the chef, Philippe Gaertner, “gave up” his Michelin star, in order to cook the way he wants and preserve his restaurant’s economic viability. (Still, Michelin gives him three forks and spoons, and a bib.) And yet, in the curved stairway leading up to the restaurant, there were photos of Gaertner standing among the other 21 or so Michelin “stars of Alsace.”

The room generally looked and felt good to us, and so we reserved for later that night. But during our dinner we were not very pleased, and the feeling came over us that it had lost, or not yet found, its way. Two of us split a house specialty — poulet facon “Francis Staub” for two ” — but it was not very special. The carte offered a simple Weisswurst entre (a chef friend in Munich has instructed us that it is to be eaten only before noon, but anyway), which I happily got and liked (passing on the odd offering of something like “American BBQ’d ribs,” hmmm — maybe his was better than my own, but I doubt it, and I was not in Alsace to have that). The entrecote ordered by another at our table was dry, tough, and apparently lousy as well. I can’t recall the other plat or entrees, but overall, the place just felt tired and searching. Being only half-full on a Monday night probably added to that sense. True to the bib, tho, it was not terribly expensive (210 for four, including two bottles of wine, one sparkling water, two desserts, and a tea).

Other culinary excursions in the general area: In Ampfersbach, near Munster, we returned after a few years to have lunch at Restaurant des Cascades, an end-of the valley place where the wind is sure to kick up at about 14:00, and it did, blowing in a little storm as we watched from the cozy interior. Unfortunately, we could not enjoy the oven-fired tartes flambees, which are offered only at night, but we still like this very local place.

Over the river and border in Freibourg, on a coldish Sunday, we stumbled upon Englers Weinkrugle, Konviktstrasse 12, nicht schlecht at all, and I got to have some schnitzel and a very good beer.

Finally, we have to mention Bernard Antony. When driving from Burgundy (Pommard) to the Colmar area, we detoured for a cheese tasting lunch at the “Sundgauer Käs Kaller,” which we know from trusted friends is the home of “probably the most famous affineur in France.” It was great, and Monsieur Antony, alone with the four of us on a lazy Friday at noon (until his son joined us at the end), was charming, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, and gamely went along with my bad German and worse French. As I’d arranged with him by email, we opted for the 8-cheese “Assiette de fromages” (he actually gave us 9, and we had two aged demis of Riesling) rather than the daunting “Cérémonie des fromages,” and when we mentioned that we are going to le Chambard that evening, he packaged a special aged cheese to deliver on his behalf. The folks at Chambard later told us they could not figure out what it was and would have to call him. Which may have been Monsieur Antony’s intent, since they are apparently not yet clients. What a great stop that was.

Oh, one more note: We had a great terroirist wine tasting at Marcel Deiss in Bergheim — highly recommended.

Hotel le Marechal (Colmar, in the Haut-Rhin). This beautiful hotel (****) with a nice restaurant is perfectly located on the romantic canal, from which you can take a boat ride, as in Venice (very nice, but not quite the same). Nearby (a 5-10 minute walk), we enjoyed dinner at La Maison des Têtes (great ambiance, but beware, service can be problematic), and Au Fer Rouge (we've heard it's closed? — tant pis).

Hotel Villa Rosa (Trois Epis, near Colmar, in the Haut-Rhin). This lively hotel (**) set in an old family home in the hills above Colmar has a restaurant and pool. (The owner, Anne-Rose, is surprisingly and refreshingly outgoing, and may address the assembled guests during dinner!) We also had fine dinners at La Grangeliere, in Eguisheim, and at Auberge du Brand, in Turckheim; and we had good lunches at Taverne Medieval, in Gueberschwihr, Restaurant des Cascades, near Munster in Stosswihr (where we were driven inside from our terrace table by a dramatic summer storm that blew down the valley), and Maison Zimmer, Winstub Au Tire-Bouchon, in the quaint walled village of Riquewihr.

Hotel de la Tour (Ribeauville, in the Haut-Rhin). This fine establishment (***) and restaurant is located in the middle of this charming town, a major wine producing center. We splurged and also dined at the famous, three-starred Auberge de l'Ill, in Illhaeusern — but this was in the days before the smoking ban of January 2008, and the oblivious people next to us, who puffed constantly for three-plus hours, ruined our dinner. We had a much more enjoyable dinner at Le Auberge du Schoenenbourg, in the beautiful nearby village of Riquewihr, and we had a good dinner at Restaurant du Haut Ribeaupierre, a short walk from Hotel de la Tour.

Hostellerie da Diligence (Obernai, southwest of Strassbourg, in the Bas-Rhin). This is a pleasant little hotel (**) in a pretty town.

Lorraine/ Meurthe-et-Moselle

Maison de Myon (7 rue Mably, Nancy). Take a look at the web site and you will get a small feeling for it. Martine Quenot, the proprietor, is an amazing woman of great taste and apparently boundless energy and enthusiasm, and she is a fine hostess. She offers a table d’hote sometimes — but there are nice restaurants nearby in any event, including, our favorite on our short visit, “la Poule Ange.” We also has a good lunch at Vins et Tartines, 25 bis rue des Ponts, and we pretty much enjoyed dinner at La Maison dans le Parc, 3 r. Ste-Catherine, a very stylish and modern place, but for the first time in the last 12 years of dining in France, the waiter flatly refused the request of one of our party of five for a not-on-the-carte “salade vert” — that was odd and off-putting, especially when we saw from later courses that they must have had the basic greens to do it.


Franche-Compté/ Doubs

Hotel Taillard (Goumois, on the Swiss border, in the Franche-Compté/ Doubs). This fine hotel (***) with a charming restaurant and pool sits above a village on the river Doubs, dividing France and Switzerland. Dinner was excellent each night in the main dining room — a classy and elegant site with old oak woodwork and beautiful high windows. (See our full review at Tripadvisor.) Nearby, we enjoyed visiting and hiking at Saut du Doubs (an impressive waterfall); lunch a few km from the Saut at Restaurant-Bar-Pizzeria Du Port, near Viller-Le-Lac, on the Doubs; and hiking the “Échelles de la Mort” (the ladders of death) — really they are steep stairs, and not nearly as dangerous as it sounds — offering a nice view of the valley.

Rhône-Alps (Isère/ Rhône/ Savoie)

Chateau de la Commanderie (Eybens-Grenoble). This striking hotel (***) with a fine restaurant and pool is set in a garden-park just outside Grenoble. We also enjoyed, for dinner, La Table d'Ernest, in Grenoble.

La Gabetière (Estrablin, near Vienne, south of Lyon). This hotel (***) is a 16th century manor house, set in a private park with a nice pool. (Reasonable rates; no restaurant — and we cannot recommend one, because we happily dined with relatives.)

Hotel Million (Albertville, site of the 1992 winter Olympics). This elegant and traditional hotel (***) with a fine restaurant (and a cooking school, 6-day courses) is located in the center of town. We had a nice, simple lunch at Pub au Bureau.


Languedoc/ Hérault

Le Grand Hotel de Sète, Sète.  Our corner room at this hotel (***) with an an elegant interior courtyard had a view onto the canal, and was very fine; dinner at the nice-looking first floor restaurant, Quai 17, was merely good to OK.  Nearby for lunch, after a leisurely drive around the Bassin de Thau, we had a very nice and totally fresh seafood at Restaurant Rive de Thau in Bouzigues, on the edge of town and directly across the road from the oyster beds. 

Dinner the next night was at La Coquerie,1 chemin du Cimetière Marin.  This was one of our top three meals of our southern trip (lunch at Jardin des Sens and dinner at Faurie were the others). This small place is a 20 minute walk from the bustle of the town and canal, in a residential area (next to the cemetery) quietly overlooking the sea.  There’s seating for about 12-14 inside, where you can watch chef Anne Majourel, a twinkle in her eye under a cocky cool hat, work behind the counter.  There is seating for 6-9 outside at three terraced tables under substantial rectangular umbrellas with a partial view of the harbour/sea.  It was too stuffy/hot inside, and so we dined out. Not inexpensive, but great ingredients from the nearby bustling “Halles de Sète.”  (Where we went each morning for a simple breakfast of express and regional yogurt.

Hotel Le Mimosa,  34725 St. Saturnin de Lacian. This is a charming little five bedroom inn at the planetree-lined center square of a quaint and quiet village.  Dining nearby: 

Across the street is Restaurant Grill Le Pressoir, where we had a good lunch and dinner.  (Those who have been to Le Pressior in prior years or who have read the book Virgile’s Vineyard will certainly not recognize the place.  It’s been totally remodeled and now specializes in “grillade au feu de bois.”)  The most memorable dish was my andouillette (very good, and I’ve had many others); other dishes were well-executed and simple, like a salad of anchovies; grilled lamb; and a grilled rolled round of sausage.  This is a nice, bright, and rather stylish local place, and certainly convenient to the hotel, but hardly a destination.  One hopes that locals make it a success; the street side terrace seems be a hangout for them. 

 

Restaurant Le Mimosa, which we enjoyed, was down the road from the hotel in 34725 Saint Guiraud, but it’s closing after 28 years and a couple prior attempt s at selling.  What a difficult business.  We had nice chats with Bridget Pugh (chef and former ballerina, she glides across the floor) and her husband David (wine service, and a very pleasant fellow), and we wish them well. 

 

LaTerrasse du Mimosa, is in Montpeyroux, a few minutes by car from the Hotel le Mimosa, and at least somewhat associated with it, tho that relationship seems to be waning.  On the first floor is a wine shop/wine bar.  We had dinner in the small upstairs dining room, which my wife thought lacks the ambience of the downstairs wine bar.  For the first and only time on our southern trip we heard English from half of the tables — all of a British flavour.  Maybe this is related to the book, Virgile’s Vineyard.  Nice place, and the wine carte set out vertical offerings of many makers who don’t distribute broadly. 

 

We drove to Montpellier for lunch at Le Jardin des Sens.  This was one of our top three dining experiences during our two weeks in the south.  The restaurant is a few blocks from the charming and beautiful old town, where we walked both before this great lunch, and especially after, for a few hours.  We chose the 49€ lunch menu (what a deal), offered only a few days each week.  It was excellent.  (See our report on this and other nearby dining on the Chowhound France forum, http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/873368.)  The bright and open raked room, with floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides looking out to les jardins, was full within half an hour except for three tables.  What a lovely Thursday afternoon, capped off by a walk on the Place Royale du Peyrou and a visit to the excellent Musée Fabre. 

 

Le Guilhaume d’Orange looks out over the little Pan River at the base of the rather isolated tourist hillside village of 34150 St. Guilhem le Desert.  This was one of the most pleasant lunchtime stops of our trip.  (It’s also a hotel with a serious indoor restaurant.)  We happened by minutes before noon, while the staff was finishing their lunch, and got a table on the crunchy graveled terrace under an old planetree and multiple umbrellas.  Within half an hour, they were turning people away.  Not surprising, given the loads of cars and buses parked atop the village, but this place seemed to be full on merit. 


Languedoc/ northern Gard (and southern Ardèche)   

Maison Anila is a fine complex of five apartments in 30430 Barjac (northern Gard).  Rental during high season is by the week, and for as little as two days starting in mis-September.  Dining nearby:

We tried to have dinner at Les Délices de l’Esplanade, in part because it was only a few steps from our apartment, but despite saying otherwise on its website, it was closed on Monday.  No great loss, we’ve heard.  By default we ended up at La Renaissance, a restaurant-pizzeria-creperie, not bad at all, dining outside at night on the terrace.  Much better dining nearby: 

 

La Petite Auberge, in 07150 Labastide de Virac (southern Ardèche).  Memorable dish: The Veloté Crémeux de Châtaigne d’Ardèche.  Among the other dishes, the pieds et paquets, which, after quickly consulting Patricia Wells, we learned is mutton tripe rolled and cooked with sheep’s feet, white wine, and tomatoes — was very nice. 

 

L’Auberge des Granges, in 07150 Bessas (southern Ardèche).  On a Tuesday night with our choice in Barjac again closed, our apartment proprietor suggested this place, saying she’d heard good things but had not been.  It was a wonderful find.  We completely enjoyed the ancient vaulted room and the young husband-wife team proprietors.  As seems often the case in places we enjoy most, he’s the chef, and she runs the front very efficiently and professionally.  Four menus, 19.50, 36, 46€, and degustation (at about 60€).  Most memorable: foie gras de canard (et accompanying things de jour with balsamic); croustillants de gambas with vinaigrette aux fruits exotiques; le pigeon royal fermier rôti et son jus relevé à l’huile de truffe; a plate of three distinctive local chevres; and fine desserts (they allowed us to each “trade up” to the next higher menu).  

 

And dining much farther afield after a drive through the mountains:  Restaurant La Source du Pêcher, in 48400 Florac (Lozère).  It was a Monday, and we had few choices.  We ended up on an idyllic tree-shaded terrace overlooking a babbling brook, the village, and mountains.  This was quite good, but a lot more expensive than other lunches and not appreciably better.  Good thing we were not in a hurry, the service was incredibly slow.  But such a nice setting in which to wait.  PS, no credit cards accepted. 

 

Rhône-Alpes/ central and northern Ardèche  

La Mas de la Madeleine, in 07110 Largentiere — actually, up the hill from town, about 500 meters on a narrow single lane chemin.  This is an excellent ferme-auberge.  Geneviève et Gérard Guillemin & fils (he’s the chef) are fine hosts.  We enjoyed, and would happily return to, chambre “Capucine,” with a private balcony overlooking the valley.  We dined on site three straight nights and had most of the carte — there were four selections for each course. 

Breakfast, which is included, was served on the upper outdoor terrace overlooking the valley (where dinner is served weather permitting).  There were excellent home-made preserves and different hot baked items each day from the kitchen.  The interior dining room is homey and somewhat elegant (especially the two tables by the windows).  Other dining nearby:

Hotel Restaurant Le Carmel, in 07140 Les Vans.  We had a good lunch under the beautiful terrace awnings.  Auberge de La Tour Brisson, in 07110 Sanilhac.  We had a nice lunch in a newish alpine-feeling room overlooking the valley (the other more formal dining room is across the sleepy road inside the hotel).  If not for La Mas de la Madeleine being so close, we’d be tempted to stay here, or in one of their gites.  The entrée (we split it) was a house specialty, a sausage ball of some kind en croute with sesame seeds, and the most by far the most interesting dish; distinctive and excellent.


Hotel-Restaurant Les Clos des Oliviers, in 07700 Bourg-Saint-Andéol (southeastern Ardèche).  We drove from the Gorges de Tarn north to visit the Musée de Lavende,  just outside the isolated village of St-Remise, and then on to Bourg-St-Andéol for lunch, followed by a nice stroll around town afterward. 

 

Hotel Restaurant Faurie, 07320 Saint-Agreve, 36 Avenue Cévennes.  We stayed two nights and had one great dinner in a classy/quirky-kitchy-gothy/enigmatic and ultimately endearing small hotel.  

We are used to minimal lighting in French hotels, but this place makes dark part of the design.  My wife found the interior hallways with minimal (red) illumination eerie.  Our room, however, was comparatively bright, and featured a remote-controlled red velvet curtain that covered a floor-to-ceiling glass wall behind which gleamed an enclosure of dual showers and, barely hidden, a toilet protruding from the wall.  This bright green tiled multi-purpose room was accented in a corner with a short smiling plastic gnome holding a faux-wood table top.  A corresponding floor-to-ceiling green tiled glassed-in chamber with dual sinks (and another smiling plastic gnome table) was on the other side of the room, sans curtains. 

We found the downstairs dining area quite spare, but with some pleasant features — beautiful old wooden floors and fine hutches.  There are two rooms, with a single table in each: a larger front room with a rectangular table under a stained-glass window; and, between that and the kitchen, a smaller room with a round table, right next to two large floor-to-ceiling cases holding hundreds of cooking books, alphabetical by author, 99.91 percent French. 

These dining spaces are like none other we’ve seen in any French restaurant.  It very much felt like we were at a table d’hote/ private club in their home.  Philippe & Sofie Brisseau are the proprietors; he’s a Michelin-starred chef; she, with a somewhat minxy smile, covers the front, runs the hotel, and apparently designed it.  They serve dining guests as a team — after he cooks and plates, he carries a large serving tray from the kitchen, deftly maneuvering it sideways thru narrowish doorways, to present the dishes and briefly describe each with a slight and shy bow.  His description is no more than was already printed on the small menu that we found at our settings:  “Le bigorneau, le cèpe at l’artichaut”; “L’œuf, les girolles et parmesan”; “Le Saint-Pierre, L’oignon et le concombre”; “Le pigeon”; “Le fromage”; “Et le dessert.”  (There is no choice for any course.) 

On a Saturday night, it was just the two of us in the small room, and five more (French speaking Swiss, based on their car plates) at the large table under in the front room.  From her seat, my wife could often see chef Philippe, and I could hear him — the gentle sounds of stirring, whisking, slicing, opening and closing ovens, sautéing.  And sometimes we could smell the whiff of a cig break (the cuisine opens to a back courtyard/ rustico parking area.) 

The wine list is short and well-selected.  The plates were great at every course; I especially loved the egg, girolles and parmesan dish; for my wife, pigeon was the standout.  We felt in the hands of a master.  After, Philippe handed us a bottle of local sparking water to, as he said, take to our room “for digestion.” 

Breakfast the next morning was amazing and too much.  From our same table, after being served more than the standard quantity and quality of breads, brioche, butter, jams, juice, coffee, grapes, and prosciutto-like slices, as well as a local yogurt-fromage blanc-like dish, we heard much sizzling in the kitchen.  I confidently assured my wife that Philippe was simply prepping for Sunday lunch.  But no, out he kept coming with his tray — three more times — presenting a delicately fried regional potato dish, and then a crusty fried rectangular sausage-like patty.  It was incredible, but we were groaning.  I motioned to Sofi and asked her if another course was yet to come.  Yes, she smiled.  Could we please not have it, we asked?  Of course.  Turned out to be slices of gorgeous marinated tomatoes — as we saw on the tray destined for the Swiss folks — but we were just too sated even for that. 

We asked Sofi how many covers they’d have for lunch and dinner that night.  She said they had a party of 7 at lunch, but only us for dinner.  We don’t enjoy being the only diners in a room, and we also felt reluctant to force them to gear up for us only.  We gently expressed those thoughts and asked if they could recommend another place and without hesitation she said yes, just outside of St.-Agreve, Hotel Restaurant Domaine de Rilhac, telling us it was not like theirs, but good.  We accepted her offer to make a reservation for us.  On reflection, I’m a bit sorry we didn’t dine with then a second night.  What a place, what nice people.  Other dining nearby: 

Hotel Restaurant Domaine de Rilhac, just outside St.-Agreve.  This is a secluded place outside St.-Agreve, and we are tempted some day to stay at this hotel.  Dinner after Faurie was a let-down, but still quite good. 

Hotel Restaurant Le Provençal, in  07160 Le Cheylard, quite near St.-Agreve.  This was a fine stop on our drive north from Largentiere.  Like many of our favourite spots in the countryside, this is run by a husband-wife team, she in the front and he in the kitchen.  We had a surprisingly fine lunch in the narrow 1980s-feeling room to the right as you enter.  We felt we were trespassing a bit on the outing of two older local couples.  We dislike loud conversations that intrude on a room, but this was at times painfully opposite, as our unwitting companions seemed to go to lengths not only to refrain from conversation, but even to make any noise with their forks and knives.  This led to a few little giggling episodes between us as we enjoyed our apperos with olives and sausage en croute, a very fine filet de bar (one of the best lunch fish dishes in our three weeks) with a side of vegetables, pigeon (leg in a crust, and breast, excellent) with a side dish of broiled potatoes and cheese.  Apres lunch, a nice walk in the pleasant town, where we found free wifi at the square.  And then, returning to our car, we found a serious pétanque match going on in the parking lot, prompting much good-natured commentary and gesticulating by the participants as we attempted to exit without endangering their game.  What a nice visit. 

 

Hotel Restaurant Le Châtaignier Fleuri,  in 07570 Desaignes, near St.-Agreve.  This was one of our least enjoyable lunches in our two week tour, although we’d not call it bad.  A large multi-generation family was having a Sunday outing next to us, and that made the room pleasant.  The highlight of this nice little quiet hillside village was its Château-Musée Marie, with an especially interesting room dedicated to the resistance.  And I’m sorry we didn’t have our express in the “Bar Le Penalty” down the street from the hotel/restaurant. 

   

Provence: Vacluse /Alpes-Maritimes/ Alpes de Haute Provence

Auberge du Presbytere (Saignon, near Apt, in the Vacluse). This highly regarded “hotel de charm” (**) with restaurant, is located in an ancient hilltop village.  But we've heard its closed?

Auberge des Seigneurs (Vence, near Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes). For more than 80 years this has been a family-run hotel (**) and restaurant in the old town of Vence.

Hostellerie des deux Lions (Forcalquier, south of Sisteron, in the Alpes de Haute Provence). This is a simple but pleasant hotel (***) with restaurant in a former 17th century postal building on the center square of a nice little town. Reasonable rates; parking is nearby in an old garage cave.

Mas de Cornud (Saint-Remy de Provence). This cooking school/ B & B (with a pool) is run by an an expat American (David) and his wife (and Chef) Nito. We had a fine dinner nearby at Le Bistro des Alpilles.

Bristol Hotel (Avignon). Why did we stay at the Bristol in Avignon — a "Best Western" hotel (***) with little charm? Because the hotel for which we had booked (Hotel du Palais des Papes) decided that it needed to bump us to make way for another client. Tant pis, the Bristol was not too bad (it was hot outside, and at least it had air conditioning), and a good friend whom we met in town (during the crazy summer festival) took us to dinner at the Restaurant of the Hotel Mirande, and for that we here happy.

 

Aquitaine/ Dordogne


Hotel de la Madeleine, Sarlat-La-Caneda. This is a stately hotel (***) and restaurant in the center of a beautiful regional town. We also enjoyed, for dinner, La Couleuvrine.

Property No. 473, Urval, near Bergerac and Sarlat-La-Caneda. This charming house inside a country mansion estate sleeps 6. The pool is quite necessary in the hot summer. When not cooking "chez nous," we enjoyed dinner on the terrace of La Salvetat, near Cadouin, up a long and winding road (Route de Belvès), but worth the drive. We also enjoyed lunch at Hotel de la Terrasse, in Salignac en Perigord.

Midi-Pyrénées/ Aveyron

Hostellerie de Fontanges (Onet-le-Chateau, just north of Rodez, in the Averon). This impressive 16th /17th century Chateau on the “route de Conques” has a very nice restaurant and pool. On a day trip drive though the Gorges du Lot, we enjoyed a nice terrace terrace lunch at Hotel Restaurant Les Deux Vallees, in Entraygues-sur-Truyere, before heading on to Laguiole and then back to the hostellerie.

Midi- Pyrénées / Haute-Garonne

Les Logis de St.-Sernin, 12 rue de St.-Bernard, Toulouse. This is a delightful family-run four-room bed and breakfast (the large variety of house-made preserves was a special treat), perfectly located for strolling around the city. The rooms are generous, bright, and very comfortable. Within a few minutes’ walk, we enjoyed dinners at hopping Restaurant J’Go, 15 Place Victor Hugo (it serves until 23:30, which was useful after our long-strike-delayed flight), and somewhat touristy but very pleasant Emile, 13 pl. St-Georges (the cassoulet lived up to its billing).

Midi-Pyrénées / Ariège

Auberge les Myrtilles, Salau d’en Haut, Couflens-Salau. We were looking for a remote, quiet, and simple pension that served dinner, located at the end of a valley road, and this is it. It may be too remote and simple for some. Very nearby, for lunch we enjoyed Auberge des Deux Rivieres, Pont de la Taule, and would be happy to stay there when next in this area.

Midi-Pyrénées / Hautes-Pyrénées

Hotel le Viscos (***) , 1, rue Lamarque, Saint Savin. We dined here two nights, enjoying first the menu découverte, and then the menu dégustation. Chef Jean-Pierre St. Martin came to the table each night and proudly described each dish in beautifully accented English, and he gave us a kitchen tour and a bottle of local wine when we departed. What a classy and delightful place. Nearby, we had a great lunch beside a roaring cascade at the stylish L’Abre du Benques, in La Raillère, Cauterets. Two hours away, in Saint-Mamet de Luchon (southern Haute-Garonne), we had a nice lunch at Hotel Restaurant La Rencluse.

Aquitaine/ Pyrénées-Atlantiques


Hotel Arcé (***), St. Etienne de Baigorry (near St. Jean Pied de Port). We can’t wait to return to this beautiful and classy riverside hotel with an excellent restaurant. We ate one night in the interior dining room, and one night beside the flowing river, under the pollarded 100-year old plane trees. Nearby for lunch in Bidarray we enjoyed the small terrace at the small and simple, Hotel Restaurant Barberaenea. Two hours away, we hade a nice lunch in Bielle, at L’ayguelade.

Hotel Ithurria (***), Ainhoa. This is, so far, our favorite Hotel/Restaurant in the Basque Pyrénées; we dined here two nights, demi-pension — and when we mentioned to the proprietor that the second night’s main course was similar to what we’d had elsewhere for lunch, he quickly said, “no problem, we’ll change that for you, what would your like?” On the morning we departed, we had a nice tour of the kitchen and the 10,000-bottle wine cellar. Nearby for lunch, we enjoyed Le Kaiku, 17 rue de la République, 64500 Saint Jean de Luz, 05 59 26 13 20; and in the midst of a severe storm, we had a great lunch in Biarritz, at the Rotonde, Hotel du Palais — directly overlooking the raging Gulf of Gascone.

Roussillon/ Pyrénées Orientales

Hotel Madeloc, 24 rue Romain Rolland, Collioure, a nice place with a rooftop pool, is a five minute walk from the touristy center of the town. We had fine dinners at Le 5ème Péché, 18, rue de la Fraternité, tel. 04.68.98.09.76 (French-Japanese fusion by a Japanese chef), and at La Casa Leon, 2 rue Riere (a fresh seafood specialist — we had excellent turbot), tel. 04.68.82.10.74. Note: On our drive from Toulouse to Collioure, we had an excellent seafood lunch near Narbonne, in Bages, at Le Portanel, Passage du Portanel, la Placette, tel. 04 68 42 81 66 (this place is an eel specialist). Farther west, in the direction of Foix, we stopped in Quillan (Aude) to have great wild cèpes and local trout for lunch at Hotel Restaurant Cartier, 31 Boulevard Charles de Gaulle.

Books

(See the “France hotel guides” section, at the end of our “Recommended books” listing.)

Web sites

We use the following web sites to find hotels, B&Bs, “gites” (short term rental home, typically in the countryside), and restaurants throughout France. Most of our favorite countryside hotels also have restaurants. Just click on the interactive maps on each of these sites, and you will pull up information and often a link to the establishment’s official web site.

ViaMichelin. This is our favorite and most useful planning site — although some "improvements" have made it more difficult to use. (In the “maps” box, enter “France” and a town name, click on the “proximity search” option for Michelin Hotels & Restaurants — and then get easy access to the entire Red Guide, and other guides, for free; also use the directions features to estimate driving times.)

Tripadvisor. This is our second-most-useful planning site. We often check to see if there are reviews of hotels or restaurants that we have identified, and sometimes we have changed plans based on what we read, and yet we take reviews with a large grain of salt. 

Guides de Charme. This site provides links to about 2,000 hotels and B&Bs, and specializes in establishments of special “charm.”

Logis de France. This site provides links to about 2,000 mostly countryside hotels and restaurants that specialize on regional cooking.

Gites de France. This site provides links to many thousands of privately-owned gites; the entire transaction can be done on line.

Karen Brown. We have stayed in at least 20 of the recommended places in these guides — there are two guides for France, one for hotels, and the other B&Bs — and the recommendations for both have been consistently very good.

Chowhound (France forum). This is an excellent source for dining recommendations offered by serious eaters — covering Paris, and beyond, in France (and, indeed, the rest of the fine dining world).

 

Bienvenue au Chateau. As the web site explains:  “Rooms in castles and mansions” — “a selection of estates and homes which have been cherished and preserved over many generations, and which we strive to keep alive, for our pleasure and for yours.”  This is an excellent resource that recently has led us to some fine properties. 

 

Relais & Chateau.  A trusty resource. 

 

Symboles de France.   The properties can be rather stodgy and a bit worn, but often in an endearing way.

 

Chateau Demeures. As the web site says, “characterful homes and wine estates.”   

 

Chateaux & Hotels Collection.   As the web site says, “boutique hotels and gourmet tables.”  Usually very reliable.   

 

Au Chateau.   This is an American site listing private Chateaux in France.  We’ve not compared prices, but beware, in the past we’ve found that similar US-based web sites charge more than do corresponding European sites. 

Hotels Relais du Silence.   Usually quite reliable, with properties throughout Europe. 

 

Chambre d’hotes de Charme. This site covers the world, with many good searching options for places with style. 

 

Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay.   A fine British guide to gites, B&B/ table d’hotes, and good hotels. 

 

French Connections.  A British site for gites/ vacation rentals with some good places if you hunt. 

 

Chambres et Maisons d’hotes de Charme.  B&Bs and table d’hotes. 

 

Charme & Traditions.  B&Bs, gites and hotels throughout Europe, usually on the less expensive side. 

 

Cle Vacances.   Similar to Gites de France.