卢瓦尔河之桥

Frédéric Doucet's restaurant is a creative and exciting take on established ideas of terroir and tradition. The son of bistro owners, he was born into the business, and cut his teeth in the kitchens of some of the greats, from Pierre Orsi and Paul Bocuse to the prestigious Maison Troisgros. In his premises nestled in the heart of a village with pointed towers and weathered roofs, the chef breaks it down for diners: nothing but fine ingredients from Saône-et-Loire (including Charolais beef, snails, pike and goat's cheese), prepared with rigorously applied classical techniques that do not exclud

Chef Nicolas Martin has taken over the reins of the restaurant at the Hotel VillaPona, a Grand Siècle coaching inn that has been completely renovated. The dining room channels the charm of its bygone days and peps it up with contemporary details. The chef hails from the region and has worked at Lameloise, Troisgros and Jérôme Brochot's restaurant. Here, he creates tasty dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients: smoked arctic char, artichoke and cauliflower; Bresse chicken with wild garlic and morels…

At his Table in the Hôtel du Morvan, chef Jérôme Raymond offers modern cooking based on regional produce. The set menu is inspired by the best of the season’s ingredients, with Charolais beef often a firm favourite. The 400-bin wine list concentrates, rightly so, on Burgundy. Comfortable rooms should you wish to stay longer.

In a quiet street bang in the heart of Moulins, we don't need to be asked twice to take a seat in the snug dining area. In the equally dinky kitchen, the chef-owner crafts honest, homely, seasonal fare, illustrated by provençal aïoli with loin of cod and whelks, or grilled duck breast with lemon-spiked polenta and moussaka-style stuffed courgette.

From his open kitchen, the chef consummately crafts dishes such as low-temperature arctic char, flanked with a velvety gribiche sauce and a crunchy salad of fennel. The single set lunchtime menu is a steal – all the better when leisurely sampled on the delightful, cobbled patio in summertime.

The Restaurant de la Poste is run by a chef who hails from the village, ably assisted by his wife. His ambition is clear: to regale diners with modern dishes that celebrate good local produce – braised Charolais beef shank wrapped in celeriac, with pot-au-feu bouillon and wasabi, is a good example. Well-kept rooms, should you wish to stay over.

Chef Jean-Baptiste Girard, an enthusiastic champion of his region, and his Japanese-born wife, Maiko, have turned this village inn around. Local produce (Charolais beef, organic vegetables, saffron…) and what the chef forages take centre stage on the menu - the wild garlic brioche is simply delicious ! Attentive service and tableware crafted by a local artisan make for a delightful experience.