Gîtes & Chambes d'Hôtes Fugler

In a revamped interior, this orchid invites us on mouthwatering, gourmet journey. The modern, scrupulously crafted Thai cuisine is elegant and perfumed, illustrated by a tom yam of blue lobster, coconut milk and galanga or Vosges squab, served with sweetcorn, girolles mushrooms, polenta and red curry. Delicious from start to finish and a phenomenal success story.

On the edge of the Munster Valley, La Nouvelle Auberge ("New Inn") is a lovingly maintained former coaching inn. The regional-style bistro on the ground floor serves up delicious lunch options during the week. The fine dining restaurant occupies a lovely space on the first floor with exposed timberwork. Bernard Leray, who hails from Rennes in Brittany, has taken to Alsace like a duck to water. After honing his skills at Bernard Loiseau, Leray puts a delicate new spin on local produce, each dish demonstrates his painstaking work and consummate technique – medallion of pike-perch, medley of sals

The tree mentioned in the name of this restaurant could well be a genealogical one, so closely is its history bound up with that of the Koenig family. Now run by the fifth generation of this family, the restaurant serves specialities from Alsace, which are accompanied by good regional wines.

Schillinger is a name that resonates particularly strongly in Alsace. First there was Jean, then there was his son Jean-Yves, who, after a period on the New York City restaurant scene (Destinée, Olica), returned home in 2002. Here in this restaurant bordering the Champ-de-Mars Park, he is full of bright ideas. His cuisine embraces one tradition after another with disconcerting ease – Alsace, the United States, Brittany and Japan. Confident in his strengths, he deploys a no-holds-barred approach – as in, for example, his Breton lobster cooked in a Cona coffee maker and served with the claw in a

Set in a cosy hotel, this eatery’s trendy, minimalist interior is the HQ of a chef who adds a new spin to regional ingredients: pan-fried Vosges ceps and hazelnuts; seabass roasted in champagne, tartare of oysters and watercress gnocchis; a meringue, chestnut and cream delight… His flawless modern score is paired with a fine list of Alsace wines. It makes the heart sing!

Martin Schongauer, one of the greatest late-15C engravers and painters from the Rhine, had his studio just across from this establishment, whose walls date back to the Renaissance. The chic, cosy interior, by contrast, has a decidedly contemporary vibe. When it comes to the food, Loïc Lefebvre cooks up precise modern cuisine, which is rife with creative twists and, needless to say, evolves with the seasons. Freshness, subtlety and also indulgence are the hallmarks of his Marennes oyster poached with green apple and dill, or his matured Salers beef tenderloin with red wine sauce.

The Maison des Têtes, a listed Renaissance edifice lavishly decorated with grimacing faces, is as superb as Colmar itself. The restaurant's decor is minimalist, in keeping with Éric Girardin's tasting menu, which showcases the terroir of Alsace. Each dish is the epitome of beauty, flavour and delicately refined aromas. You will be won over by the trout "in three acts" and its hollandaise sauce with herbs, or the pigeon with cabbage, orange and cashew nuts. There is also a brasserie, plus guestrooms that sport a spirit of timeless elegance.