Nestled in the heart of central France in the Auvergne region, Montluçon offers a delightful blend of medieval charm, great cuisine and a warm welcome. From exploring the picturesque old town with its timber-framed houses to indulging in local foods and cheeses, this vibrant town has something to offer every visitor. Discover some of the top things to do, see, and eat in Montluçon.
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This restaurant is the passion and inspiration of Jean Philippe Lemaire an experimental and talented chef who hails from Brittany. As described in his bio on his website:
“Jean-Philippe Lemaire is a perfectionist who constantly questions his work, developing a refined cuisine with clear and honest tastes”
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Enjoy a weekend in Beaujolais and find yourself surrounded by rolling hills, grape vines as far as the eye can see, pastel stone houses with pantile roofs all within about one hour and 40 minutes of the Haute Savoie and Geneva. The contrast in the countryside is astounding, considering this is so close to the alpine mountainous region of the Haute Savoie. I had the sense I was delving deeper into the heart of real France, into one of the most important wine regions and one of the main things that France is known for.
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About a 9 hour drive from the Haute Savoie is Todi in Umbria. Todi is about half way between Perugia and Terni, or Orvieto and Spoleto. Umbria is in the middle of Italy in the most beautiful countryside with an abundance of hilltop and medieval villages and towns. Not to mention fabulous restaurants, wonderful food, delicious wines and incredible olive oils.
Fun fact Umbria is the only region of Italy without a coastline!
Deep in the beautiful Umbrian countryside, near Todi in Italy, we discovered a hidden treasure. The wonderful olive farm of Passo della Palomba really is a taste of paradise and certainly a taste of some of the best olive oil that Italy has to offer. This delightful 19th century estate has been expertly and lovingly restored by Alessandro and Claudia Gilotti and their sons. The restoration took 4 years using original materials to retain its former glory. Now at Passo Della Palomba you can enjoy a peaceful holiday in this tranquil location.
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Restaurant Cozna is another favourite for Taste of Savoie in Annecy – I’m running out of words to describe how lucky I am to have Annecy on my doorstep with all these amazing restaurants. I started writing this post just before the first confinement in France – so I put it on hold as sadly all restaurants have been closed in France on and off for around a year! The excitement now is that they are all open again and we can eat on the terrace and from the 9th June interiors of restaurants opened too!
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If you are in Les Gets – here’s a guide to the restaurants and local shops offering food and dishes for takeaway
This is a non-exhaustive list, I’ve tried to include everywhere that I know to be open at the time of writing. If you know any other places open for take-away food that I’ve missed, please let me know so that I can add them in.
L’Instant Présent restaurant is in the small village of Feigères, near St. Julien en Genevois in the Haute Savoie. This delightful restaurant has a modern and inviting interior with a separate bar area and outside terrace. The restaurant has been open for 4 years – how did it take me so long to discover!
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Oh yes a cheese fondue in Summer – It’s a thing!
I recently enjoyed a wonderful cheese filled lunch at Restaurant Des Bergers in Grilly, near Divonne. This fabulous restaurant is attached to the Fromagerie Michelin
Oh my what a delicious degustation experience in Les Gets. It’s not often you find a beautifully creative menu using local fresh produce, presented and served to such a high standard, without the Michelin star price tag! Well we found this in Les Gets at Restaurant des Granges.
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