La Tour Du Roy — Restaurant in Vervins

My wife and I had stayed at the Tour du Roy about 12 -15 years ago, always regarded it as one of our favourite hotels and promised ourselves that we would go back one day. I suppose we were on a nostalgia trip, which is not always wise, and indeed we found that in the intervening years there were signs that standards had slipped. Although features such as the cloth and tapestry wall-coverings, the painted sanitary fittings and the modern stained-glass on the stairway were still there, there were unmistakeable signs of neglect - the broken glass on one of the old photos of Vervins on the staircase, the cracked toilet seat in our bathroom which had been "repaired" with sellotape, the bed linen which did not match, likewise the curtains which did not match either, and the spare headboard left leaning against the wall of our bedroom presumably because there was nowhere else to store it. These are all things which could be fixed without great effort or expense if only someone addressed themselves to the problem. Our room, on the other hand, was a good size and our double bed was very comfortable (it had no less than 3 mattrasses one on top of the other), but the room was rather uncomfortably hot at night. Also, I am quite a lot older than when we first went there, and as there is no lift I must say that the hotel would not be suitable for someone with mobility problems.||||Having dealt with the down side, the hotel still has much to recommend it. The dining room is still very attractive and although the breakfasts were not very noteworthy the dinners were really excellent - Annie has not lost her touch when it comes to cuisine. With the exception of the first night, there was only one waiter, which made dinner a lengthy affair, but one of the things we love about France is that you don't have to guzzle down your meal and get out as quickly as possible. We hope that the standard of food will be maintained when Annie retires (if she ever does!) and that with a little bit of extra effort the apparent signs of neglect can...

A charming Hotel with a superb kitchen offering delightful meals for a reasonable price. We stayed here for 3 nights in July 2016. Our room was spacious comfortable and very clean. Equipped with a small TV, refrigerator and air-conditioning (although during our stay the airco was not working). The bed was soft and very comfortable and the bathroom full of period detail. The large bathtub would be great for bathing in, but for showering it meant we had to sit down to shower as there was no shower-curtain. Towels were changed daily and the room was kept clean & tidy. There is also a shared balcony with a few sun loungers where one could relax and unwind in the sunshine.|| ||The restaurant is superb and in my opinion, of Michelin Star quality. We choose the set menu with a choice of starter, main course and dessert. The service was very good, the staff being very attentive, although sometimes a little slow due to it being busy. However, this didn’t detract from the lovely ambience of the majestic dining room or from the deliciousness of the food served. We enjoyed every bite full! We did find the wine choice on the expensive side, but our helpful waiter directed us to a bottle for a very reasonable price out of the many on offer in their impressive Wine Menu.|| ||Check-in and check-out went very smoothly, and although we don’t speak any French and they little English, we managed just fine with a few simple words and some hand gestures. Friendliness being the key to communication anyway, you can get a long way with a smile...

A charming Hotel with a superb kitchen offering delightful meals for a reasonable price. We stayed here for 3 nights in July 2016. Our room was spacious comfortable and very clean. Equipped with a small TV, refrigerator and air-conditioning (although during our stay the airco was not working). The bed was soft and very comfortable and the bathroom full of period detail. The large bathtub would be great for bathing in, but for showering it meant we had to sit down to shower as there was no shower-curtain. Towels were changed daily and the room was kept clean & tidy. There is also a shared balcony with a few sun loungers where one could relax and unwind in the sunshine.|| ||The restaurant is superb and in my opinion, of Michelin Star quality. We choose the set menu with a choice of starter, main course and dessert. The service was very good, the staff being very attentive, although sometimes a little slow due to it being busy. However, this didn’t detract from the lovely ambience of the majestic dining room or from the deliciousness of the food served. We enjoyed every bite full! We did find the wine choice on the expensive side, but our helpful waiter directed us to a bottle for a very reasonable price out of the many on offer in their impressive Wine Menu.|| ||Check-in and check-out went very smoothly, and although we don’t speak any French and they little English, we managed just fine with a few simple words and some hand gestures. Friendliness being the key to communication anyway, you can get a long way with a smile...