Mushrooms - if you want find the best place in the world for them, this has to be it. ||||M Marcon et famille seem to have created a whole town in appreciation of good food and wine. ||||It is not really en route to anywhere but it is worth the detour. Beautiful wooded countryside and there perched on the top of a hill overlooking a stunning valley is the homage to mushrooms. ||||The rooms are accessed via a "funky" underground space. There are probably 10-12 rooms in total. They are not traditional but have all the relevant necessities and to a high standard. ||||One bit I don't understand wherever I come across them, is circular baths. It must take double the amount of water compared to a traditional bath, which hardly fits in with the eco ethos. We began to wonder if we had time for a bath before dinner. Then once it is finally filled, you can't lie out in it. Anyway, in the scheme of things, hardly a disaster. ||||The Marcons are clearly Eco orientated, but that doesn't detract from the quality. In fact it adds a curiously unusual feeling that we liked. In reality this is a restauran, with somewhere to stagger to after dinner. ||||The restaurant is a 3* Michelin so you know you are in for something special. The staff were great, formal but with a touch of humour and warmth. ||||The food - extraordinary with mushrooms everywhere. However even if you are not obsessed by mushrooms you will rave about the food. The maitre d' whispered to us "don't eat too much bread or you will have no room for the food". Even without any bread we couldn't have finished everything we were offered. That might be construed by some as a negative but not me. We declined cheese and shared a dish or two. ||||If you are touring France and want somewhere to stop over in a luxurious room, this is probably not the place. However if you are after a beautiful location, a happy atmosphere and you are serious about food and wine, then book well in advance and head for here. ||||Get there in time to visit the village (walkable from the hotel - 400m), walk in the woods and prepare your taste buds. (There is a spa area with an unheated pool, which is really not that great and not what you should come for. The sauna wasn't even on.)|| ||M Marcon greeted everyone at both dinner and breakfast. It is reassuring to know the maestro is there cooking for you, as that after all is why...
Read moreMushrooms - if you want find the best place in the world for them, this has to be it. ||||M Marcon et famille seem to have created a whole town in appreciation of good food and wine. ||||It is not really en route to anywhere but it is worth the detour. Beautiful wooded countryside and there perched on the top of a hill overlooking a stunning valley is the homage to mushrooms. ||||The rooms are accessed via a "funky" underground space. There are probably 10-12 rooms in total. They are not traditional but have all the relevant necessities and to a high standard. ||||One bit I don't understand wherever I come across them, is circular baths. It must take double the amount of water compared to a traditional bath, which hardly fits in with the eco ethos. We began to wonder if we had time for a bath before dinner. Then once it is finally filled, you can't lie out in it. Anyway, in the scheme of things, hardly a disaster. ||||The Marcons are clearly Eco orientated, but that doesn't detract from the quality. In fact it adds a curiously unusual feeling that we liked. In reality this is a restauran, with somewhere to stagger to after dinner. ||||The restaurant is a 3* Michelin so you know you are in for something special. The staff were great, formal but with a touch of humour and warmth. ||||The food - extraordinary with mushrooms everywhere. However even if you are not obsessed by mushrooms you will rave about the food. The maitre d' whispered to us "don't eat too much bread or you will have no room for the food". Even without any bread we couldn't have finished everything we were offered. That might be construed by some as a negative but not me. We declined cheese and shared a dish or two. ||||If you are touring France and want somewhere to stop over in a luxurious room, this is probably not the place. However if you are after a beautiful location, a happy atmosphere and you are serious about food and wine, then book well in advance and head for here. ||||Get there in time to visit the village (walkable from the hotel - 400m), walk in the woods and prepare your taste buds. (There is a spa area with an unheated pool, which is really not that great and not what you should come for. The sauna wasn't even on.)|| ||M Marcon greeted everyone at both dinner and breakfast. It is reassuring to know the maestro is there cooking for you, as that after all is why...
Read more31st in my Michelin 3 Stars Challenge (you can follow me for all the reviews and updates)
The lignage
What’s extraordinary here? Two main points. The father and son, and the view from your plate. The father and son are running the restaurant. What is really incredible is that the integration is really well made. You really have one universe. Usually I can write pages but their universe is so tight that I’m a bit at lost. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but praises. I actually enjoyed every single moment of my lunch there. The service is perfect. You can feel the attention to detail in everything. The plates are, honestly, flawless. The chefs are kind, accessible and don’t start them about mushrooms, because it’s not fake love. My guess is that tight perfection is achieved thanks to a tight connection between the father and the son, creating a stronger universe, a more resistant lignage. I went in Autumn, which was great because of the mushrooms season. Indeed, the restaurant is famous for its devotion to them. I had a fest. It was really something. You’ll have them from start to dessert. They are respected for what they could bring to a plate, and are not wasted in some demonstrative effort. Sitting there, you feel the direct link between the striking nature in front of you and your plate. A direct lignage.
The crowd was foodies with couples and some business tables. The atmosphere was relaxed. The nature there is so present that no one really cares about the next table. The staff is in tune with the setting.
It’s a rock solid 3 stars. I still think something may have eluded me, and I do want to go back because I think their universe is deeper that what I could grasp...
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