Last Spring, the team of Septime and Clamato (who no longer need to be presented), decided to go green and drew a slew of foodies in their wake. Direction: the Perche region, 150 km from Paris.
Their loot? A mini 17th century village, already known by Parisians fond of stylish hotel rooms. It’s now Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat, who are at the helm of this wildly bucolic country house with its yellow stones, its charming bards, its vintage decoration and its islets where you can relax in the garden far from everything.
On the programme: no programme! This is the ideal refuge less than two hours from the capital where you can recharge your batteries, turn off your mobile phone and finish the famous book that has been waiting for you since weeks on your bedside table. The most adventuresome will explore the local tag sales flourishing in the area, or borrow the available bikes to venture out on a wonderful Fall stroll.
Totally bohème rooms
Impossible to resist the atmosphere with a studied simplicity offered by the eight rooms that are scattered on the domain: vintage furniture, wood beams, speckled mirrors—all muted with white and wood, for a touch of modernity.
The small luxury: lounging in the bathtub while enjoying the Malin+Goetz New York bath products.
The real high: reserving one of the three mega suites. From one to three rooms, these cosy small houses all have a private living room with its own
fireplace (starting at €171 per night). A terrific bar-restaurant
This is the spot to come enjoy from breakfast to dinner, with very relaxed eats served by the fire. Having left the Rue de Charonne, Fanny Payre and Valentin Burteaux are always busting between their pocket kitchen and their vegetable garden. And when things are not home-made, they are necessarily ultra-local.
A top notch breakfast: fresh baguette and warm brioche to be joyfully spread with quince jam or orange marmalade that almost steal the show from the soft boiled farm range eggs, the house yogurt and granola.
4:30pm: it’s the mythical tea time hour. Don’t miss the pastry of the day, while sipping an apple-raisin-thyme infusion.
7pm: time to sit down at the table! To launch cocktails hour, allow yourself to be guided through the resolutely natural treats of Francesca. A glass of white wine (Careful, a mean Chenin 2017, €5.50) and a few croquettes of fried rabbit with paloise sauce (€ 11) later, go for the ultra-gourmet plates and roguish dishes.
Our favourite? The incredible carbonara of celery and onion-bacon shavings (€9), the delicate leeks vinaigrette and fresh walnuts from the garden (€9), the super juicy duck breast (€24) or the pig blood sausage and garlic juice (€16). Those with a sweet tooth will surely rush for the floating island with fig leaf (€8) or the bourdaloue tarte with fresh cream (€8).
The good news: there are daily menu changes, so there is no reason to step out from small paradise during your stay.
We adore: the vintage tableware, the old-fashioned liqueur glasses that wink at you from their chariot, the collection of cutting boards…
What about the kids? They can come along, D’Une Île is kids-friendly! Between the trampoline, the vegetable garden, the swings and the cats, they will be in heaven and you also.
Rooms starting at €133 per night.
Restaurant accessible to persons not staying at the hotel, by reservation only.
Also discover 7 good reasons to go enjoy truffles in Alba, and a château worthy of Queen Margot only 1h45 outside of Paris.
