Hôtel du Midi Papillon

We stayed at the Papillons for 2 nights, as recommended by some friends who have a house nearby. The welcome was cordial and helpful and the patronne helped us to carry our luggage up to the first floor. The room was very clean and although small was very comfortable with a window looking down the Dourbie river below. The restaurant was delightful and the food equally so. ||The family has run the hotel for generations and are very proud of their fine reputation. I think they have very right to be so. The ambiance is lovely with lovely pieces of wood furniture dotted about. We found the price more than reasonable both for the room and for the two evening meals we had there. The a la carte menu is quite broad and the cheese trolley made my cheese loving husband a very happy man. I hope to go back there before too long.

This is a delightful inn and restaurant that my wife and I have previously reviewed. I've been there three times and she twice. It is a perfect destination for getting away from it all. The area is downright bucolic and the life simple and unhurried. The rooms are quiet, comfortable and always clean. The views of the 15th century bridge and mountains breathtaking. The food in the restaurant is consistently good and representative of the area. Contrary to what others may say the dining options are not overpriced. Breakfast is basic but hearty and is served in a lovely patio setting. The language barrier may serve to be a challenge but patience and a kind attitude will win points with the ownership and staff.

We had previously had meals at this restaurant many years ago. This year was our silver wedding anniversary so we booked a meal and also a room for one night. The room was lovely, with French doors onto a small balcony with a view over the river; the staff welcoming and attentive. Our evening meal was lovely - well cooked and presented, and typically French. There were only 2 waitresses, but they spent time ensuring that all the diners were well looked after and were not rushed. Breakfast the following morning was relaxed, with a good choice.

We spent 2 nights here and thoroughly recommend it. The beds were comfortable, the room clean and neat, all the public areas in the hotel seemed to be newly decorated, the plumbing was perfect. The evening meals were out of this world - never tasted food like it! They must have a vast repertoire. So inventive, such huge portions, so delicious, and even the table wine included in an extremely reasonable demi-pension price.||All the staff were wonderful, but the lady who appeared to be in charge worked her socks off, and always with a smile!||We had room 14, twin bedded and enough room to move around very comfortably. The window overlooked the patio, adjacent the river and festooned with roses, and we slept with no noise at all except the water and the birds - Heaven!||We would LOVE to stay here again!||They had a lockable room to store our bicycles, but if you come by car you need to park early: the off-road space is limited.||You can see the sights of the town in well under an hour, but it is a great locality to spend a holiday in.

We last stayed here about 20 years ago and it was lovely to return and find that the place was as good as ever. The building has been remodelled to give more space in the bar and dining room but the spirit of the place is unchanged - a traditional French hotel in a gorgeous location giving excellent service to highly satisfied guests. We stayed in the 'annexe' opposite the main hotel - a lovely ground floor room with antique furniture, pretty bathroom, and a French window opening onto the hotel's garden and swimming pool complete with hot tub. Luxurious comfort at a very reasonable price. The dinner menu is classic French traditional - no nouvelle cuisine here - with substantial portions deliciously cooked and presented. We loved it.

The Papillion is quite widely known amongst Brits unusual in this fairly remote and untouristy part of France so I read the English language reviews on Trip Advisor and there seemed to be a bit of a theme. Free wine and large helpings, neither things that would of themselves draw me to a restaurant.||The dining room is large and quite elegant and if like us you manage to get a table by the window you have an splendid view of the river, the old stone bridge and the high surrounding hills, A very attractive place to eat your lunch. There were several set menus ranging from €20 to €47, none with free wine included. The wine list was extensive with a good selection of local and regional wines but the prices were about €10 more than other hotels in the area charge for the same wine. In the end we had a half carafe of the house red (€ 4.90 rather than free) and is was fairly ordinary.||Though we would normally select a fixed menu none of them suited, if the starters were right the main courses were not and so on so we went à la carte.||The service was prompt and efficient despite a very busy dining room. For starters I had the foie gras which was excellent, two slices of liver simply but perfectly friend with crisp feshly-made toast. My wife had the grilled prawns which were fine and came in a really delicious Muscat and butter sauce, an excellent dish. She was advised that the finger bowl was to clean her hands which we thought a little gratuitous. ||The main course was disappointing, we shared the piece de boeuf and each got a plate of thickly sliced (forerib?) of beef. It was perfectly cooked and the meat was flavourful but more than half of it was fat and gristle and it nestled in a shallow pool of grease (oil? rendered fat?). It came with some lentils and diced carrots which were somewhere between bland and nasty as well as some grossly overcooked, grey French beans. I noticed most other diners left the lentils untouched.||For dessert I had the rhubarb tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream which was excellent, strong well balanced, flavours, excellent mixture of textures and my wife had the raspberry sorbet which again was excellent, strongly fruity and not too sweet.||It was a mixed meal, some bits excellent, some sub standard and the helpings were what I would consider normal sized. At €110 for two with two drinks, coffee and half a carafe of red wine it was overpriced. You can eat better cheaper in the area (The Hotel du Nord at Cornus, Le Sanglier Hilare at Nant, Hotel Baldy at Fonamente)

Several years ago, before we were married, my husband visited Hotel du Midi Papillon on a tip from another traveler. He kept raving about the charm, the incredible cuisine, the cleanliness, the peaceful and picturesque setting, the unbelievably low rates, and the wonderful view of an ancient bridge from the balcony. I finally agreed to go with him in 2012 and fell in love with it and the family members who run it, who were extremely kind and patient with our very broken French! It became such a special place to us that we returned again in September 2014, and were no less thrilled with it. It was wonderful to go there and relax for four nights after the hustle and bustle of visiting large cities. The rooms are impeccably clean and charmingly furnished, giving them a very comforting, homey feel. Every morning we had a wonderful breakfast and then visited nearby medieval villages, the Viaduct de Millau, and the caves where Roquefort cheese is made. The scenery of the area is breathtaking, and the dinner waiting for us every night in the dining room was indescribable!!!!! You must get a balcony room overlooking the river and bridge so that you can relax in the late afternoons before dinner and listen to the gurgling stream below while relishing the tantalizing smells wafting up from the kitchen. This place is heaven on earth and I want to go back!!

We have visited this magical hotel regularly over the years and have never been disappointed. They continue to evolve without losing that familial touch. Setting fantastic, rooms comfortable and tasteful, food delicious with outstanding wine and friendly staff. Go there!