Staying at the Chateau

Food - eating in

It is possible to have dinner at the chateau most nights of the week with prior notice. Stephanie is an accomplished and imaginative cook whose delicious desserts are renowned !

She offers two options for dinner, either you can have a meal delivered to your table for 25 euros per head including wine. This option allows you to eat when and where you like including of course the tables on the terrace or under the trees.

Alternatively you can have the full chateau experience, dining by candlelight in the mirrored dining room for 40 euros; starting with aperitifs and nibbles, followed by four delicious courses including wine and coffee.

Stephanie likes to cook with locally sourced ingredients and so will offer you a mixture of french and english recipes which change with the seasons.

Eating out

The Auvergne is full of restaurants from simple to gourmet. As in the UK, there are a growing number of young chefs with new twists on traditional dishes which makes this area a foodies paradise. Here are a few of our favourites, but by the time you visit, we will no doubt have more to tempt you with.

Le Gonfanon d'Auvergne in Virlet

Telephone 04 73 52 32 04 – approx 15 minutes drive
A true family restaurant, with a fixed menu and times of dining. It is small and charming on a farm in Virlet - about 5k from the Chateau. They specialise in duck dishes which are exceptional in quality and from their own farm. All the courses (except for cheese and dessert !) are made up of duck in some form or another and there are generally two menus from which to choose. The owners are very friendly and they sell their wonderful pates and foie gras in the restaurant. Usually open for Saturday and Sunday lunchtime and evenings from Wednesday to Saturday. Booking is advisable and to confirm opening times which can vary depending on the time of year and on public holidays.

La Claie des Champs in La Crouzille

Telephone 04 7352 32 48 – approx 10 minutes drive
La Claie des Champs is a small restaurant which has recently been opened by a charming young couple and is only 10 minutes from the Chateau. They have quite ambitious menus and operate best with small groups, if you go of a party of 8 or more, be prepared to wait. There is a small terrace for alfresco dining.

Le Coq d'Or in Montaigut

Telephone 04 73 85 90 56 – approx 20 minutes drive
An excellent restaurant which has opened in the old Coq d'Or Hotel on the main road through Montaigut.  The young couple who run it are charming and even speak some English.  They have a weekend Gourmet Menu which is excellent value. It usually includes foie-gras in some form and ends with a quartet of delicious desserts.

Le Delice Bistro in Neris Les Bains

Telephone 04 70 03 58 68 – approx 20 minutes drive
This small bistro which adjoins the Leopard & Albert Hotel opposite the Spa in Neris is always busy so you need to book ahead. The service is excellent and they have a range of menu prices. It is more suited to dinner than lunch and in a town which is full of restaurants, it certainly is our favourite for price and quality.

L'Hirondelle at Louroux de Beaune

Telephone 04 70 64 94 42 – approx 40 minutes drive
This is a small restaurant run by a Dutch couple Rolf and Helen whose book 'Living as a Farmer in France' is a best-seller in Holland. Their fixed menu changes daily depending on what is in season and includes at least two entrées and two main courses, plus cheese and dessert. It represents fabulous quality for the price and has a limited wine and drinks list, so don’t expect an Apple Martini or a bottle of Chateau Neuf du Pape. But what you will get will be an excellent house wine as Rolf is a trained Sommelier. Open Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday lunchtimes only.

L'eau a la Bouche in Montlucon

Telephone 04 70 03 82 92 – approx 30 minutes drive
This restaurant offers you a unique experience and can be found in the Old Town of Montlucon. Offering menus from the Haute Savoire region, lots of fondues, both cheese and meat, as well as pierrards - which are individually heated stone dishes on which you cook your own slices of meat and vegetables (including beef, duck, ostrich and bison!). Meals are topped off with a variety of ice-cream sundaes – something different the children.

Curiosit’thé in Montlucon

Telephone 04 70 03 70 15 – approx 30 minutes
This former Tea Shop in the Place Saint Pierre in the Old Town is run as a lunch time venue only by Marisa and Michel. He was the former Chef to the French Ambassador in Berlin and now offers delicious and sophisticated lunch time menus with optional wine and desserts. The venue is charming, as are your hosts, and the food is outstanding.

La Table d'Antoine in Vichy

Telephone 04 70 98 9971 – approx 1 hour drive
A lovely, elegant, restaurant with a very sophisticated menu for a reasonable price. It's situated right in the centre of the shops in one of the passageways running between the park in Vichy and the main shopping street.

La Brasserie de Casino in Vichy

Telephone 04 70 98 23 06 – approx 1 hour drive
This charmingly decorated restaurant is in the style of an old fashioned Parisian Brasserie dating from the 1930’s. The walls are covered in photographs of actors, musicians and ballerinas who have all visited Vichy and performed in the nearby Opera House. A favourite with the ‘haute monde’ it is a really atmospheric French experience. Not cheap, but imaginative and delicious food.

Jacques Decoret in Vichy

Telephone 04 70 97 65 06 – approx 1 hour drive
Housed in a beautiful mansion from the Napoleonic era, this restaurateur famous for his modern take on food has transformed this classic building into a masterpiece of glass and steel overlooking the park. Eating here is an experience that neither you nor your credit card will forget. He is rumoured to be getting his first Michelin Star this year, many people feel this is long overdue.

Le Comptoir et Moustaches in St Gervais d’Auvergne

Telephone 04 73 85 70 42 – approx 40 mins drive
Situated in Le Castel Hotel this is a stylish old-fashioned restaurant with a lovely drinks terrace. Food is excellent and the dessert trolley has an amazing and huge selection. They will offer you a taste of every dessert, if you can manage it. Unusual for the area, they are open on Monday evenings.