Le Haut Allier

Disappointing for the price. 230 eur for single no airco, with meal and breakfast. Excellent breakfast, great local products but 3-course menu too complicated and missing clarity IMHO. Lack of charm and simplicity. Maybe it's the way for michelin 🌟. But it has potential, definitely. Sorry Ms. Brun. Just keep on going!

We stopped here for one night en route back through France after holidaying in Provence. How I wish our stay had been longer. The place is picture postcard perfect. We had a room on the front with a balcony and when we arrived we were able to sit in the later afternoon sunshine and soak in the magnificent view. Our room was very well appointed and spacious. The meal in the evening was truly excellent. Some delicious amuse bouche before the starter. The stand out dishes were a cucumber soup. I've never tasted a cucumber soup with so much flavour. It was essence of cucumber. And the mashed potato with dried ceps. We asked for seconds it was so delicious. Would go here again and would want to stay longer. Joy from start to finish.

I read a very positive review of this hotel/restaurant many years ago in Le Figaro and made a mental note to give it a try. But it's not the sort of place you turn up in on the way to somewhere else; it is itself a destination and one worth making the effort to go to. It's deep in the valley of a beautiful river, close to the little railway that runs through stunning gorges and wonderful, peaceful countryside. The hotel though is the star of the trip and everything Le Figaro promised. It's run by a family who has owned it for generations and who clearly love everything about it. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and well-equipped. But the restaurant is really exceptional; it has one Michelin star though the cuisine of the chef/patron is even better than that. From the many tiny amuses, before and between courses, to the dishes themselves, you experience such delightful tastes and textures. This is cooking at its best; light, fresh and full of colour and flavour. The service is the perfect complement, attentive and timely. It seems a rare thing, even in France, to find such a delightful place.

We were looking for a nice hotel not too far away from Le Puy en Verlais and stumbled across Le Haut Allier. Situated beautifully in the middle of nowhere in the hilly surroundings of the Auvergne, you would probably pass it by, if you didn't know it what hides behind these walls. ||The hotel looks nice, but not particularly pretty from the outside. ||But it already shows it is something special once you come through the main door. The rooms, too, are newly and individually furbished and definitely done with taste and very comfortable. ||The real gem of the place is its restaurant. We booked the menu for 56,- € - which doesn't sound like a bargain but actually is. I've only once in my life tasted food of similar quality - and the price was more than double. Le Haut Allier is really an exceptional experience, and very well worth the price. During our three week vacation in France we've been to a few other places, some highly recommended (and also very good) places, but nothing topped Le Haut Allier. ||To complete things, service was very attentive, cordial and quick. ||If you have a chance and are in the region - don't miss it.

I went back to this hotel last summer with my family this time, and it was just a fantastic experience once more. The region is gorgeous and in the middle of unspoiled nature, here's a completely unexpected elegant hotel and very refined restaurant. The rooms are beautifully decorated in a warm and modern style, the bathrooms are very contemporary, large and pleasant and in the restaurant, you'll have a very memorable experience. The chef is an artist, obviously a perfectionist as well, and he has a wonderful sense of humor. The lobster, for example, comes in a bowl tilted towards you and it wears a puff pastry bow tie!||What a place!

This is a quintessential French family hotel. The rooms are simple but comfortable, the welcome and service are warm and genuine, breakfast is fresh and good, the location is lovely even if it takes some getting to. It is excellent value for money. The restaurant is outstanding and the primary reason for going - but once there you can appreciate the rest of the Hotel.

Stayed here for one night on a motorbike tour of the area and had a superb meal in the restaurant. The owner/Chef has a talent that is very hard to find even in the top Paris establishments. Every course was a delight and the presentation was divine.||The cheese tree was amazing and our waitress did a great job describing all the cheeses.||After a great nights sleep and lovely breakfast of freshly baked pastries we left feeling that we had found a secret oasis in the mountains.

Haut Allier is like nowhere else. Remote and in a peaceful area, but with a superb restaurant and comfortable rooms. Since the first time we visited (20 years ago) it has become rather too sophisticated for our taste but the area remains wonderful and unspoilt and we did enjoy the dinner. The staff are efficient but can be rather too businesslike.