Hamish M
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Mushrooms - if you want find the best place in the world for them, this has to be it. ||||M Marcon et famille seem to have created a whole town in appreciation of good food and wine. ||||It is not really en route to anywhere but it is worth the detour. Beautiful wooded countryside and there perched on the top of a hill overlooking a stunning valley is the homage to mushrooms. ||||The rooms are accessed via a "funky" underground space. There are probably 10-12 rooms in total. They are not traditional but have all the relevant necessities and to a high standard. ||||One bit I don't understand wherever I come across them, is circular baths. It must take double the amount of water compared to a traditional bath, which hardly fits in with the eco ethos. We began to wonder if we had time for a bath before dinner. Then once it is finally filled, you can't lie out in it. Anyway, in the scheme of things, hardly a disaster. ||||The Marcons are clearly Eco orientated, but that doesn't detract from the quality. In fact it adds a curiously unusual feeling that we liked. In reality this is a restauran, with somewhere to stagger to after dinner. ||||The restaurant is a 3* Michelin so you know you are in for something special. The staff were great, formal but with a touch of humour and warmth. ||||The food - extraordinary with mushrooms everywhere. However even if you are not obsessed by mushrooms you will rave about the food. The maitre d' whispered to us "don't eat too much bread or you will have no room for the food". Even without any bread we couldn't have finished everything we were offered. That might be construed by some as a negative but not me. We declined cheese and shared a dish or two. ||||If you are touring France and want somewhere to stop over in a luxurious room, this is probably not the place. However if you are after a beautiful location, a happy atmosphere and you are serious about food and wine, then book well in advance and head for here. ||||Get there in time to visit the village (walkable from the hotel - 400m), walk in the woods and prepare your taste buds. (There is a spa area with an unheated pool, which is really not that great and not what you should come for. The sauna wasn't even on.)|| ||M Marcon greeted everyone at both dinner and breakfast. It is reassuring to know the maestro is there cooking for you, as that after all is why you would come.