A great base to explore Beaujolais

I’m embarrassed to admit that until last week I’d never been to Beaujolais - it was the one French wine region that had passed me by. I’d heard it was attractive and even on a bleak early March day it was - the famous villages are clustered improbably closely together in the middle of pretty, rolling countryside, spiked by soaring church towers.

Being just outside Lyons it’s well set up for tourists with plenty of restaurants and places to stay. Most are traditional but my husband - an avid researcher into all things gastronomic - had discovered a boutique hotel in Saint-Amour-Bellevue, L’Auberge du Paradis, with a self taught chef whose speciality was spicing.

Reading the menu I have to say my heart sank. It sounded like one of those over ambitious excursions into fusion food of which the French are over fond. But Cyril Laugier has spent a good deal of time travelling - to Turkey, North Africa and Mauritius - and really has an extraordinarily sure-footed sense of what works.

The set six course (but no choice) menu is a bargain at 45 euros. Given that most chefs would go for a ‘greatest hits’ approach in terms of ingredients but Laugier kicked off with an improbably delicious starter of pan-fried apple spiced with caraway served with shallots flavoured with dill, peppered whipped cream and caviar d’Aquitaine. This and the succeeding course (marinated langoustine with honey, sesame, soya and fresh coriander and a pure of physalis - Cape gooseberry) both worked really well with the half bottle of rich buttery Macon Viré-Clessé 2002 from E.J. Thevenet we had ordered (Macon being a mere five kilometres or so to the north).

Our venture into Beaujolais - a half of 2006 Saint Amour from Denis Barbelet - was less successful with our umami-rich main course of stuffed chicken leg with chervil and - would you believe - cacao served with a ravioli of yellow carrots, pinenuts and aniseed and a chicken and pinenut oil bouillon (the latter a triumph - I must find out a way to recreate that). The wine was just too young and sharp.

But it managed quite well with the stylishly presented cheese slate with a Chèvre de Valençay, Brillat Savarin and Mont d’Or with a dusting of paprika, a mirabelle (plum) pure and cumin seed-impregnated breadstick.

The two desserts were also quite lovely - an orange salad with fresh turmeric, sage ice cream and a grain mustard sabl and a pain d’epice with a saffron-flavoured sorbet and lemon cream. I’d have liked to have been offered a sweet wine with these - their wine service could do with improving. In fact the only downside is that service overall is a bit slow.

Breakfast carries on in a similar vein with the most gorgeous home made jams and lemon curd and homemade vanilla yoghurt. Why Laugier, who has been cooking here for 11 years, doesn’t have a Michelin star is beyond me and says a lot more about the shortcomings of Michelin than it does about him.

The hotel is also a delight to stay in as you can see below and from the website. Apparently all the rooms have been designed and the furnishings chosen by Laugier and his wife Valrie. Our large suite of a room (Paprika) with its open plan bathroom cost a very reasonable 135 euros.

All in all a great find - both for a Beaujolais lover or a couple in search of a romantic weekend.

 

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