Abbaye De La Bussière

We had a lovely stay at the hotel in the Cluny Suite. Angela at the front desk was very friendly and kind to us. Upon learning we arrived hungry, she arranged for charcuterie and the most magnificent fruit board I have ever seen for us - even though the kitchen was closed. She also checked on us several times throughout our stay. The grounds are lovely and we had a good time walking them. The 2 horses are very friendly as well. We had the gastronomic dinner and our waitress was attentive and friendly as was the sommelier who regularly poured our champagne. After dinner Pasquale gave us a tour of the wine room and wine press. He was also very sweet and friendly. I would recommend the hotel for a very pleasant stay. We only stayed one night but I hope to come back.

This place checks out. Beautiful, delicious, great service, comfortable. Tough to be even a little disappointed. They even had ponies walking around the front “yard”. Didn’t have time to visit the wineries but that’s something for next time.

Let us be clear: the setting and surroundings are truly exceptional, this is after all a refurbished medieval monastery. The hotel has been redecorated in a neo-gothic style, sometimes a bit over-the-top Hollywood style but it remains impressive. It is part of the 'Relais & Chateaux' offerings. You can dine in the gastronomic restaurant but better reserve in advance, it looks like groups of tourists are welcomed too. The domain is very nice with a little lake, poneys walk freely round the premises. The staff is overall friendly but when we arrived it was raining cats and dogs and no one came out to help us get our suitcases out of the car. We got totally soaked. At least umbrellas would have been welcome. Although we had booked a 'superior' room, the room itself was a big disappointment: the room did not correspond at all at the pictures shown on their site, we were located under the tiles in a small room and often hit our heads to wooden bearings of the ceiling. The carpet was simply filthy and one of the roofwindows had clearly not been cleaned for months: mold and fungus were building up on the outer side of the window. Half of the spots in the ceiling did not work so it was pretty dark to find our way around. If we wanted to take a shower then we had to crawl in the jacuzzi (a nest of bacteria) and we could hardy stand up with the faucet being on the other side out of reach. There was also a slight but very present distinctive scent of the sewers in the bathroom. No individual flasks with shampoo or shower gel, only these kind of cheap push-button containers that you find in budget hotels. The safe was located down at the bottom of the wardrobe so you had to lay on your belly to get your valuables stored. We are very disappointed: in the 80's and 90's Relais and Chateaux was a guarantee for fine hotel staying: this seems to be no longer the case. Been there, never again. Take a look at our pictures.

The facility and the surroundings were a 5 star. The buildings were very clean and the grounds were immaculate. We sat outside early evening and enjoyed the pond and wildlife. We used their bikes and rode the canal. Very nice. ||We did not give a 5 star due to the breakfast. It was nice and there were breads available, but an omelette or eggs were extra. We thought paying the price for the room should have included a full breakfast.

Review based on personal experience, June 2025. Such a shame that someone — a middle-aged male staff member with short curly greying hair, who appears to be a permanent presence — is allowed to work at a restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide. He treats guests however he pleases — selectively cold, dismissive, and shockingly petty. Unfortunately, we were among those who experienced this firsthand. If he decides he’s not interested in serving you, your evening may be intentionally derailed: food delayed until it’s cold, drinks never arriving, and you might be left sitting for hours without even a glass of water. A word of advice: if you’ve been seated for more than 5 minutes with no menu or water, it’s likely not an oversight. Leave immediately — patience and kindness will not change the outcome, as we learned the hard way. This is not just unprofessional — it undermines everything a Michelin-recognized restaurant is supposed to represent. Staff should uphold a baseline of hospitality, not wield their position to punish guests at their whim. We were polite, respectful, and warm throughout. I smiled, waited, never demanded anything, and treated him as an equal — just as we always do wherever we travel. But that kindness was not returned. Instead, we waited two hours and only received a single cold starter, while others around us were served in full. I never received my wine, nor any main course. The soup he eventually brought had clearly been held and served cold on purpose. I genuinely feel sorry for someone who treats others this way. I hope he never has to endure the same while traveling.

We ended up leaving early - absolutely nothing to do there, some (not all) of the staff are oscillating between hostile and indifferent, while the grounds are beautiful, the rooms are very dated. What put us over the edge is that insult of a gastro restaurant (bistro not open) - it’s like my 3 year old played ‘cooking’ in the sand box. Bad technical execution - the lightly poached fish is just one hammered mess, 0/10 for the sauce work, foie gras sinewy. Crazed flavour - a tomato starter that ate like uncooked passata, something that tasted like canned fruit on the fish (?!). The presentation was the worst bit though - grey and brown are the chef’s favourite colours and he knows how to mix them. The grey and deflated sabayon should have carried a health warning. Broth poured over aubergine mash - would post a photo but might get banned for such violent content. My wife sent back most plates untouched and nobody bothered to check. On the plus side, desert was good, as was the cook on the venison and the sommelier is friendly. We probably wouldn’t return.

Unique, special, dreamy. The hotel is in the middle or Bussiere village. The trip is worth it. We stayed at a suite with our own balcony. The castle , the gardens, peace, nature, out of a pairing by Monet or Cezanne. You can drive to Beaune, or any of the wine villages. The drive is about 30 mins away in the country, so if you enjoy the scenery you wouldn’t mind it. We drove to Nuits , Gevry and a Montrachet for dinners. Wonderful stay.

If you are looking for an unforgettable and extraordinary experience in France, I highly recommend staying for a night, at least in this magnificent historic place. Beautiful abbey with stunning park, pond , grazing ponies , welcoming staff - it was incredible

This has to be one of the nicest rural establishments in France. It is a Relais & Chateau (well deserved) and the restaurant is a Michelin 1 star (also well deserved). My wife fell in love with this place and vowed to come back. The hotel is an old abbey and it rambles on. There are parlors, a bar, sitting rooms tucked away everywhere. The rooms are spacious and quaint, but with modern bathrooms. We were transported into another time and place and found the whole experience quite relaxing. Our dinner was exemplary. Each course looked beautiful and tasted even better. Some of the flavor combinations showed real inventiveness, such as the fish crudo with squash broth and many other little tastes on the plate. The pork main course was beautiful and the flavors were divine. Our wine was wonderful also, the list is large and fairly priced (at least for an expensive restaurant). The chef came out afterwards and even came to the front desk to recommend lunch for us the following day in another part of France. (unfortunately it was closed) Absolutely wonderful!