tiny house

In the world-famous village of Saint-Émilion, Yannick Alléno rigorously oversees the restaurant of this luxury hotel, once a convent, whose nuns offered sanctuary to pilgrims and travellers. Chef Sébastien Faramond and his team turn out finely tuned dishes that lean towards the Aquitaine terroir of Southwest France, enhanced by remarkably intense sauces and reductions: koji risotto cooked in Graves wine, grated aged Mimolette cheese and cockles au naturel; the signature dish of "pigeon soufflé et rôti au feu d'enfer, bec façon ortolan, filet au jus de presse en amertume d'oseille"; warm chocol

This restaurant is housed in a contemporary building exuding rustic charm on the banks of the Charente River and opposite the château that houses the Grand Marnier distillery. Both indoors and out on the terrace, modern decor provides the backdrop for the signature cuisine of father-and-son team Thierry and Julien Verrat. Proceedings open with sourdough bread and summer truffle butter, followed by refined bites with Japanese influences: beechwood-smoked oysters, eel chawanmushi, and chicken liver mousse with XO cognac. The mains continue in this delicate vein: foie gras with seaweed and sturge

In the heart of the town, this logis dating back to 1848 is one of Saint Émilion’s oldest restaurants. Picture plush, cosy dining rooms done up in the same elegant vein as the guestrooms available for overnight stays. The chef Thibaut Gamba crafts delicate, subtle dishes that showcase local produce as much as possible. Some of the fruit and vegetables come from the estate’s farm, as does the honey. Splendid wine cellar, with a knockout selection of Bordeaux reds, ideal when sampled with the establishment’s superlative range of cheeses.

Perched on a small hillock, the highest point of Saint Émilion, this prestigious château lives up to expectations. In this special place, the pared-down dining room looks out onto the magnificent vineyard. Here, preserving biodiversity is a priority and every effort is made to respect the natural environment. In line with this ethos, chef David Charrier cooks up wholesome food, expertly making use of the well-honed techniques in his repertoire. His dishes are precisely prepared using rigorously sourced ingredients, including some from the estate: duck tart seasoned with mustard seeds, bitter o

The restaurant of the Hôtel Chais Monnet is housed in the room where cognac was aged in huge century-old barrels (the salle des foudres)! In the intimate-feeling dining areas with their hushed atmosphere, no detail has been neglected, from the exquisite contemporary silverware to the fine glassware. The cuisine is meticulously crafted in order to showcase local ingredients from the Charente terroir: free-range poultry, fish from the fish market, Île de Ré potatoes etc. The chef sets great store by plating his dishes elegantly and perfecting his concentrated sauces, and enjoys experimenting wit

A little way out of the town centre, this handsome 19C town house is now a luxury hotel, whose first-rate restoration work is particularly visible in the restaurant's swish, elegant dining room. Chef Anthony Carballo devotedly executes two several-course surprise set menus, inspired in part by the estate's vegetable garden. Marbled foie gras dusted in liquorice powder, liquorice reduction and orange-flavoured jelly; medallion of flawlessly cooked croaker, beurre blanc, baby broad beans, green peas and trout roe; poultry incised with foie gras and girolle mushrooms, tartlet of confit poultry le

Ten minutes from Cognac, this stone building houses a contemporary bistro with a large terrace overlooking a small garden. With clear names and distinct flavours, the dishes appeal to the taste buds. The chef cooks with vegetables from a nearby farm, fruit from the orchard, fish from La Cotinière. Fresh ingredients, precise seasoning, good technique: everything is made in-house, from the bread to the ice cream.