The pitch? An old village hotel that’s been given an atmospheric makeover, with a terrace under a pergola, a peaceful courtyard, a brushed steel bar and a giant hearth. In the company of winemakers and owners of the big neighboring estates, this place is basically the perfect spot for ordering Limousin steaks cooked in the oven, suckling veal rumps with fries cooked in duck fat, or the diverse creations from chef Stéphane Casset, who has been there for over a decade. The night we went, our €32 menu featured: a creamy fish soup and cabbage salad with mussels; sliced duck on a bed of polenta with asparagus; before an incredible deconstructed tiramisu featuring a giant genoise sponge with intense coffee flavor, served with a hurricane of mascarpone mousse. // R.deC.

FEELING THIRSTY? Saint-Émilion grand cru from the Château Les Gravières (€7.50 a glass), a Sancerre white from Alain Gueneau (€39 a bottle), a Bordeaux-Supérieur from the Château La Cour d’Argent 2011 (€27)…

PRICE: Menus €18 (weekday lunch), €32 (dinner and weekends), tapas €8-22, à la carte €41-64.