Auberge Les Volcans

This restaurant occupies a converted mill built out of black volcanic stone with a slate roof. Set just outside a village, it overlooks a pretty lake, beside which the terrace is laid in fine weather. The interior is the epitome of snug with a stone fireplace, a bar and mismatched furniture. The chef signs recipes tailored to modern tastes using local produce (even the coffee and cocoa is roasted locally) to which he adds a well-travelled spin: trout jazzed up with a chimichurri sauce or veal that resembles couscous… Beautiful plating and talented craftsmanship. Platter of regional cheeses.

In the heart of Saint-Flour, a medieval village built of volcanic stone, this restaurant was opened by a local couple at just the right time! The concise set menu, with its three options (including a starter and a vegetarian dish) doesn't disappoint: everything served here is cooked from scratch. The simple menu with an eye for the zeitgeist favours local ingredients (while sometimes casting the net wider), such as lentilles blondes de Saint-Flour, which the chef prepares chilli style, adding a slow-cooked egg and a corn espuma. In fact, the chef has become a specialist in this particular lent