The Originals Access, Hôtel Le Lutéa

Dominated by the feudal castle of Anjony (15C), the unspoiled village of Tournemire has preserved its flagstone roofed stone houses that are so characteristic of the Cantal region. This nearby contemporary establishment hosts a dining room flooded in light overlooking the countryside. The set menu is modern, creative and polished: foie gras delicately caramelised in muscovado sugar, or impeccably cooked line-fished croaker. A stylish setting that marries the comfort of a top-of-the-range hotel with fine dining ambitions, to the delight of foodies in the know.

In the picture postcard village of Tournemire, a renovated barn, whose bare stone walls and timber rafters have been preserved, is now the scene of an airy restaurant with a modern extension overlooking the Doire Valley. Managed by the same team as the Puy Tilleul, down the hill in the village, the menu highlights home-grown Cantal produce: locally sourced ingredients, tableware by local artisans and coffee roasted in Aurillac. Concise, polished menu dotted with nods to tradition, like truffade. Panoramic views from the picture windows and big-boned fare served with heartwarming sincerity.

Perched in the Cantal mountains, this pleasingly rustic farmstead is the fruit of a beautiful family saga spanning six generations. Tuck into generous traditional cuisine rooted in the local terroir – featuring the legendary truffade, served with every dish, and the family recipe for tripoux à la tomate. All dishes are sincere and precise. And then there is the trolley of regional cheeses, with Salers, produced just a few metres away, taking pride of place.

Built on old fortifications, this pleasant restaurant lies at the heart of a wine-growing village that produces Boudes, one of the five wines of Auvergne's vineyards. Christian Coutarel, a jovial chef, works away in the kitchen preparing generous and flavoursome traditional cuisine, without ruling out more modern dishes.

This restaurant in a lush green setting is a champion of local produce, as illustrated by the chef's network of carefully selected farms. In a pared-back modern interior (in which the furniture and tableware are the work of local artisans), tuck into seasonal dishes, which you can wash down with wine courtesy of the sommelier's expert tips.

Not far from Le Mont-Dore, authenticity is guaranteed in this inn, where the dining area was originally a cowshed! Fresh ingredients and copious portions of tasty traditional cuisine, such as tender pork cheeks, home-made potato purÉe and Saint-PourÇain white wine sauce… even if the chef allows himself a few incursions into more contemporary territory, with dishes such as salmon gravlax.

Nothing remains of the ruined château, except its founding spirit, which has been given a new lease of life thanks to the vision of two local childhood friends. It is now home to guestrooms, a bar and a restaurant housed in the tasteful timber extension. The Colombian chef crafts authentic cuisine packed in flavour and scattered with South American notes (ceviche of fish of the day, flame-licked cooking). In line with their eco-responsible ethos, priority is given to local producers, and some of their vegetables, herbs and even fish also come from their own aquaponics greenhouse, hence the one