Château du Puech

At Hōra and its elegant, understated dining room, Gilles Moreau has reinvented his universe, whilst retaining his knack for flavourful cuisine drawing on local produce: Aubrac beef, aligot and a red wine reduction with shallots; organic trout from the Monts d'Aubrac with a bacon foam, risotto with Vieux Rodez cheese; free-range guinea fowl with black trumpet mushrooms and ham-perfumed wheat. In fine weather, the terrace at the rear is blissfully quiet.

A real institution, this restaurant is run by two chefs who earned their stripes working for Michel Bras. They showcase the diversity of local ingredients such as trout fillet, calf sweetbreads and Roquefort cheese. Their meticulous and delicious cuisine draws on the rich flavours of the Aveyron terroir: poached egg and pickled mushrooms, cold cappuccino; Aveyron veal with a sage crust, mashed potatoes with wholegrain mustard; and of course the "baba du Méjane" with pink pralines.

Between Causses and Aubrac, the Burgarella family ushers you into this tastefully refurbished house. Downstairs, the Table de Romane brasserie celebrates hearty regional fare (calf’s head, tripoux (sheep tripe), while upstairs the swanky gourmet La Tour establishment allows the creative chef, visible from the open kitchen, to give free rein to his inspiration without losing sight of his Aveyron roots. A delicious gourmet halt on the banks of the Lot River under the aegis of Château de Calmont.

In the heart of Aubrac, a couple of industry professionals have taken over this old inn dating from the early 1900s that has been completely renovated to sport a refined contemporary style. Chef Jonathan Riboulet, who has a wealth of MICHELIN-starred experience (Guérard, Pic, Lameloise and, above all, 12 years with Bras at Laguiole), serves up a cuisine in which he skilfully allies produce from the terroir (trout from the Monts d'Aubrac, escargots from Aveyron, entrecôte from Aubrac) with local herbs (meadowsweet, wild garlic, salad burnet). The result is playful, fresh and colourful – but als