Any brilliant tips for Beaune/Bourgogne/Route des Grands Crus?
Mar 8th, 2011, 08:58 AM
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Any brilliant tips for Beaune/Bourgogne/Route des Grands Crus?
I'm helping friends plan a 9-day trip in this area but am no expert. Have passed through it a few times and have done a terrific amount of research, but just don't feel qualified to find real "gems" that may be out there but not mentioned in the guidebooks or on the web. I've finished the Lyon part of the trip for them (know that place very well), but now I'm steering them up to Beaune, where they plan to stay at the Hostellerie de Levernois (if you have a better suggestion, please let me know). They are on an ample budget and like art, architecture, food and wine, and interesting cultural events. They will have a car upon leaving Lyon and I thought I'd steer them up the southern part of the Route des Grands Crus to Beaune, then northward, I think and west back to Paris.
From Beaune they've got a week to get back to Paris, and would prefer to spend it "just wandering around." Not really interested in guided tours unless it's something special.
Anything really terrific in the Bourgogne area that I might have missed?
From Beaune they've got a week to get back to Paris, and would prefer to spend it "just wandering around." Not really interested in guided tours unless it's something special.
Anything really terrific in the Bourgogne area that I might have missed?
Mar 8th, 2011, 09:21 AM
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en route back to Paris they could stop by Vezelay and then head up to Champagne District - follow Marne River valley, lined by Champagne Houses to Paris.
Or from Vezelay they could head over to the Loire Valley en route to Paris - or return car in St-Pierre-des-Corps train station and train into Paris car-less.
Or from Vezelay they could head over to the Loire Valley en route to Paris - or return car in St-Pierre-des-Corps train station and train into Paris car-less.
Mar 8th, 2011, 09:26 AM
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Thanks but 1) they want to spend the bulk of the time in Bourgogne and 2) already have them going through Vézelay and they don't want to see the Loire Valley (BTDT several times).
Anybody been to the Amora Mustard Museum in Dijon? The Bareuzai market? The botanical gardens?
Been to Noyers-sur-Serein? The Collette Museum in St-Saveur-en-Puisaye?
Looking for unusual stuff, apart from the vineyards and main historical sites.
Anybody been to the Amora Mustard Museum in Dijon? The Bareuzai market? The botanical gardens?
Been to Noyers-sur-Serein? The Collette Museum in St-Saveur-en-Puisaye?
Looking for unusual stuff, apart from the vineyards and main historical sites.
Mar 8th, 2011, 09:44 AM
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http://burgundy.angloinfo.com/inform...=5%2F22%2F2011
We are staying in an apartment for a week in beaune end of May and found this calendar of events helpful.
We are staying in an apartment for a week in beaune end of May and found this calendar of events helpful.
Mar 8th, 2011, 10:28 AM
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St.Cirq,
We really enjoyed a tasting lunch at La Maison et La Table d' Olivier Leflaivre in Puligny-Montrachet. Simple food, but, lovely wines. We also went to Noyers and had a wonderful lunch at Restaurant les Millesimes. Noyers is tiny and can be seen quickly...the restaurant makes it worth the trip.
We really enjoyed a tasting lunch at La Maison et La Table d' Olivier Leflaivre in Puligny-Montrachet. Simple food, but, lovely wines. We also went to Noyers and had a wonderful lunch at Restaurant les Millesimes. Noyers is tiny and can be seen quickly...the restaurant makes it worth the trip.
Mar 8th, 2011, 10:34 AM
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On the way up from Lyon, I would stop for a visit at Chateau Cormatin – our favorite in the region
http://www.burgundytoday.com/histori...x/cormatin.htm
Also in Beaujolais, there is an interesting wine museum – although it is a little hoaky at times
www.hameauenbeaujolais.com Visit the museum first to get a feel for the different wine villages
There are lots of Chateaux in the Burgundy area
www.routedesducs.com
http://www.routedesducs.com/Les-membres
The Saturday market in Beaune is excellent – a little touristy, as you can imagine..
Not nearly as many “cute little villages” as you have in the Dordogne.
Didn’t think much of Flavigny sur Ozerain.
Semur en Auxois looks a lot better from the outside than the inside.
Noyers is quite nice.
Didn’t think much of Autun. The cathedral areas is interesting – but quite small.
The route de grande crus was only OK - the wine villages are not as interesting as you might think.
We stayed in Beaujolais for 2 weeks and two in Burgundy near Beaune. Here are our favorite restaurants in the Beaune area.
Top 3 restaurants
Stephane Derbord in Dijon – one of the top 5 meals of all time in France (we dine out about 40 times per year in France)
Michelin 1 star
First round of Amuse Bouches
Bite sized squares of Croque Monsieurs
Carp mousse with black & white sesame seeds
Parmesan chip and a bite sized tomato “truffle” with a semi-liquid center
Second round of Amuse Bouches
Sushi (California roll) with cockle, with Asian spices & bean sprouts
Potato puree
Leek Mousse with green beans
55E menu
-Smoked sander – thin rolls stuffed with finely julienned vegetables served with tart greens (incl dandelion greens) topped with paper thin lengthwise sliced carrots. The plate was edged with a piping of honey mustard and crumbled hazelnuts
-Perch with a wild mushrooms and green beans served in a deep plate with a “soup de poisons” reduction sauce
-cheese chariot
-Poached , pealed pear with a red wine sauce in pain epice with sage ice cream – all very refreshing
65E menu
-Sauteed scallops, each served on a cucumber “coin” with a topping of lemon cream & caviar, with julienned apples & dandelion greens
-Sandre on a bed of spinach with a butter sauce accompanied by a small tomato stuffed with diced cepes on a squash “coin”
-Filet of Cerf, served with berries & a dark berry reduced sauce with green beans & wild mushrooms with a ‘grain” of some sort
-Cheese chariot
-pre-dessert refresher
-Chocolate fondant – top & bottom layers of dark chocolate “sandwiching” lighter chocolate mousse with dark chocolate wafers & vanilla ice cream
-Post-dessert refresher
Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin in Bouilland, just north of Beaune
Also a hotel
www.le-moulin-de-bouilland.com
Michelin 1 star
Amuse Bouches
Skewered rolled duck breast slice, with mustard dollop
Homard tartare “confit”
Arugula sorbet with whipped cream top layer & balsamic drizzle (in a glass cylinder)
39E menu
-Seared tuna with fennel sorbet and a side of pickeled vegetables
-Supreme de Pintade thinly sliced in a “spiral” presentation on a bed of herbed crushed potatoes, with vegetables in a side casserole
-Excellent cheese chariot
-Seasonal fresh fruit with pepper-flecked yoghurt ice cream
65E menu
-Daurade with vegetables a la Pistou
-Rougets with a confit of fennel and a bouillabaisse reduction with macadamia nuts
-Pigeon with polenta and zucchini “packet” stuffed with caviar d’aubergine and a rich reduction sauce
-Cheese chariot
-Poached plum with amaretto cream and puff pastry triangles
-Post dessert if Marc de Bourgogne ice and assorted sweets
Charlemagne in Pernand-Vergelesses just north of Beaune
Slight Asian twist
Michelin 1 star
37E menu
Six amuse bouches which arrived on a Plexiglas “cube” with holes & shelves to present the various items
California rolls with a “crisp”, held in place by a teeny wooden clothes pin
Fish mousse on a cracker
Parmesan pastry palmier
Pickled fish filling wrapped in a won ton wrapper on a skewer
Marble sized savory (no idea what it was)
Small piece of spiced pork on a bone
Second Amuse Bouche course
Glass of creamy smoked fish puree (to drink)
A herb-crusted langoustine
-Bread presentation – 3 different breads stacked on a skewer, with a wooden base into which a recess had been routed to hold a corked vial with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which were to be shaken before pouring onto your bread plate as a dipping sauce
-Tuna ceveche served at the bottom of a glass with a smoked tomato cream, slivered green onions, and a dot of washabi cream
-Cabillaud a la vapeur with a vanilla/olive oil drizzle, layered with wild mushrooms, served with a pork bun with a crustacean filling, on a bed of cucumber-wrapped ratatouille. This was not your grandmother’s cabillaud recipe
-Strawberry/red berry gazpacho – heavenly creamy/frothy served in a slanted glass with a brochette of halved strawberries and strawberry marshmallow cubes
45E menu
Same Amuse Bouche courses
-California rolls with snails and langoustines speckled with black and white sesame seeds
-Lisettes (small mackerel) served atop a bone marrow tube filled with spinach & julienned carrots tossed in Asian spices
-Porc cotolet (cutlet/loin) served with artichoke mousse, drizzled with peanut butter with a cluster of small wild mushrooms in tempura
-Pyramid of chocolate with other sweets
Other restaurants – all were excellent
Le Jardin des Remparts in Beaune. We dined here several years ago, and it was one of our top 5 of all time then. It didn’t “wow” us as much this visit. Michelin 1 star.
La Rotisserie du Chambertin in Gevrey Chambertin. It has an upstairs Bistro, and a downstairs restaurant in a wine cave, with animated winemaking scenes as you descend into the cave. We dined downstairs.
Le Montrachet on Puilly Montrachet. It was “complet” the first few times we tried to reserve. Obviously very popular. My St Pierre was overcooked. Lovely setting.
Relais de la Diligence in Meursault. Excellent value. It was the “sleeper” of the group
Les Gourmets in Marsannay la Cote. Michelin 1 star. Very nice
We “checked out’ about 10 other restaurants in Burgundy (including 1 stars) and the menus did not seem interesting enough to make us choose them over the ones we selected. There’s a lot of Charollais beef on menus in this region. I have not experienced any beef in France that’s as good as the beef we have in the US, or beef I’ve tasted in Italy (one exception may be Aubrec beef). Bresse chicken is also a very popular item on menus. I’ve tried this several times in other areas of France & thought it wasn’t really that much better than a good farm-raised chicken.
Stu Dudley
http://www.burgundytoday.com/histori...x/cormatin.htm
Also in Beaujolais, there is an interesting wine museum – although it is a little hoaky at times
www.hameauenbeaujolais.com Visit the museum first to get a feel for the different wine villages
There are lots of Chateaux in the Burgundy area
www.routedesducs.com
http://www.routedesducs.com/Les-membres
The Saturday market in Beaune is excellent – a little touristy, as you can imagine..
Not nearly as many “cute little villages” as you have in the Dordogne.
Didn’t think much of Flavigny sur Ozerain.
Semur en Auxois looks a lot better from the outside than the inside.
Noyers is quite nice.
Didn’t think much of Autun. The cathedral areas is interesting – but quite small.
The route de grande crus was only OK - the wine villages are not as interesting as you might think.
We stayed in Beaujolais for 2 weeks and two in Burgundy near Beaune. Here are our favorite restaurants in the Beaune area.
Top 3 restaurants
Stephane Derbord in Dijon – one of the top 5 meals of all time in France (we dine out about 40 times per year in France)
Michelin 1 star
First round of Amuse Bouches
Bite sized squares of Croque Monsieurs
Carp mousse with black & white sesame seeds
Parmesan chip and a bite sized tomato “truffle” with a semi-liquid center
Second round of Amuse Bouches
Sushi (California roll) with cockle, with Asian spices & bean sprouts
Potato puree
Leek Mousse with green beans
55E menu
-Smoked sander – thin rolls stuffed with finely julienned vegetables served with tart greens (incl dandelion greens) topped with paper thin lengthwise sliced carrots. The plate was edged with a piping of honey mustard and crumbled hazelnuts
-Perch with a wild mushrooms and green beans served in a deep plate with a “soup de poisons” reduction sauce
-cheese chariot
-Poached , pealed pear with a red wine sauce in pain epice with sage ice cream – all very refreshing
65E menu
-Sauteed scallops, each served on a cucumber “coin” with a topping of lemon cream & caviar, with julienned apples & dandelion greens
-Sandre on a bed of spinach with a butter sauce accompanied by a small tomato stuffed with diced cepes on a squash “coin”
-Filet of Cerf, served with berries & a dark berry reduced sauce with green beans & wild mushrooms with a ‘grain” of some sort
-Cheese chariot
-pre-dessert refresher
-Chocolate fondant – top & bottom layers of dark chocolate “sandwiching” lighter chocolate mousse with dark chocolate wafers & vanilla ice cream
-Post-dessert refresher
Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin in Bouilland, just north of Beaune
Also a hotel
www.le-moulin-de-bouilland.com
Michelin 1 star
Amuse Bouches
Skewered rolled duck breast slice, with mustard dollop
Homard tartare “confit”
Arugula sorbet with whipped cream top layer & balsamic drizzle (in a glass cylinder)
39E menu
-Seared tuna with fennel sorbet and a side of pickeled vegetables
-Supreme de Pintade thinly sliced in a “spiral” presentation on a bed of herbed crushed potatoes, with vegetables in a side casserole
-Excellent cheese chariot
-Seasonal fresh fruit with pepper-flecked yoghurt ice cream
65E menu
-Daurade with vegetables a la Pistou
-Rougets with a confit of fennel and a bouillabaisse reduction with macadamia nuts
-Pigeon with polenta and zucchini “packet” stuffed with caviar d’aubergine and a rich reduction sauce
-Cheese chariot
-Poached plum with amaretto cream and puff pastry triangles
-Post dessert if Marc de Bourgogne ice and assorted sweets
Charlemagne in Pernand-Vergelesses just north of Beaune
Slight Asian twist
Michelin 1 star
37E menu
Six amuse bouches which arrived on a Plexiglas “cube” with holes & shelves to present the various items
California rolls with a “crisp”, held in place by a teeny wooden clothes pin
Fish mousse on a cracker
Parmesan pastry palmier
Pickled fish filling wrapped in a won ton wrapper on a skewer
Marble sized savory (no idea what it was)
Small piece of spiced pork on a bone
Second Amuse Bouche course
Glass of creamy smoked fish puree (to drink)
A herb-crusted langoustine
-Bread presentation – 3 different breads stacked on a skewer, with a wooden base into which a recess had been routed to hold a corked vial with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which were to be shaken before pouring onto your bread plate as a dipping sauce
-Tuna ceveche served at the bottom of a glass with a smoked tomato cream, slivered green onions, and a dot of washabi cream
-Cabillaud a la vapeur with a vanilla/olive oil drizzle, layered with wild mushrooms, served with a pork bun with a crustacean filling, on a bed of cucumber-wrapped ratatouille. This was not your grandmother’s cabillaud recipe
-Strawberry/red berry gazpacho – heavenly creamy/frothy served in a slanted glass with a brochette of halved strawberries and strawberry marshmallow cubes
45E menu
Same Amuse Bouche courses
-California rolls with snails and langoustines speckled with black and white sesame seeds
-Lisettes (small mackerel) served atop a bone marrow tube filled with spinach & julienned carrots tossed in Asian spices
-Porc cotolet (cutlet/loin) served with artichoke mousse, drizzled with peanut butter with a cluster of small wild mushrooms in tempura
-Pyramid of chocolate with other sweets
Other restaurants – all were excellent
Le Jardin des Remparts in Beaune. We dined here several years ago, and it was one of our top 5 of all time then. It didn’t “wow” us as much this visit. Michelin 1 star.
La Rotisserie du Chambertin in Gevrey Chambertin. It has an upstairs Bistro, and a downstairs restaurant in a wine cave, with animated winemaking scenes as you descend into the cave. We dined downstairs.
Le Montrachet on Puilly Montrachet. It was “complet” the first few times we tried to reserve. Obviously very popular. My St Pierre was overcooked. Lovely setting.
Relais de la Diligence in Meursault. Excellent value. It was the “sleeper” of the group
Les Gourmets in Marsannay la Cote. Michelin 1 star. Very nice
We “checked out’ about 10 other restaurants in Burgundy (including 1 stars) and the menus did not seem interesting enough to make us choose them over the ones we selected. There’s a lot of Charollais beef on menus in this region. I have not experienced any beef in France that’s as good as the beef we have in the US, or beef I’ve tasted in Italy (one exception may be Aubrec beef). Bresse chicken is also a very popular item on menus. I’ve tried this several times in other areas of France & thought it wasn’t really that much better than a good farm-raised chicken.
Stu Dudley
Mar 8th, 2011, 11:15 AM
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If your friends visit Ch Rochepot, here is a senic route to take from Beaune.
Leave Beaune on the D974, and then take the D17 west through Pommard. Past the St Romain exit, when the D17 heads due west, instead take the D17.1 south to La Rochepot. This road passes Orches - which is kinda interesting
Stu Dudley
Leave Beaune on the D974, and then take the D17 west through Pommard. Past the St Romain exit, when the D17 heads due west, instead take the D17.1 south to La Rochepot. This road passes Orches - which is kinda interesting
Stu Dudley
Mar 8th, 2011, 12:31 PM
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>I'm steering them up to Beaune, where they plan to stay at the Hostellerie de Levernois<
StCirq - I am probably less of an expert on this area than you, having spent under a week in Burgundy about 10 years ago. That being said, your selection of this establishment is right on the money. Beautiful property, nice people, and a fantastic restaurant. We ate there twice during our 4-night stay, and one of those dinners was probably in the top 5 meals I've had in my entire life.
Great choice!
StCirq - I am probably less of an expert on this area than you, having spent under a week in Burgundy about 10 years ago. That being said, your selection of this establishment is right on the money. Beautiful property, nice people, and a fantastic restaurant. We ate there twice during our 4-night stay, and one of those dinners was probably in the top 5 meals I've had in my entire life.
Great choice!
Mar 9th, 2011, 01:25 AM
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>Anybody been to the Amora Mustard Museum in Dijon? The Bareuzai market? The botanical gardens?<
Unfortunateley the museum no longer exists but they can visit Fallot mustard factory in Beaune http://www.fallot.com/en/index.php
The Bareuzai market is an extension of the Halles market. You won't find food on this one but rather clothes and cheap jewellery/sun glasses/watches. The bareuzai is actually the statue on the top of the fountain. It has just been renovated and came back yesterday! Your friends will surely like the Halles most(covered food hall built by Eiffel who was born in Dijon)
I don't know when your friends are travelling but the botanical garden is always nicer spring/summer/autumn
HappyTrvlr mentioned the Owl's trail which is a must do especially when one has limited time in Dijon.
You can always show them my photo album to give them ideas about what to see. http://tinyurl.com/okerl and also the TO video http://tinyurl.com/6fpt66t
Unfortunateley the museum no longer exists but they can visit Fallot mustard factory in Beaune http://www.fallot.com/en/index.php
The Bareuzai market is an extension of the Halles market. You won't find food on this one but rather clothes and cheap jewellery/sun glasses/watches. The bareuzai is actually the statue on the top of the fountain. It has just been renovated and came back yesterday! Your friends will surely like the Halles most(covered food hall built by Eiffel who was born in Dijon)
I don't know when your friends are travelling but the botanical garden is always nicer spring/summer/autumn
HappyTrvlr mentioned the Owl's trail which is a must do especially when one has limited time in Dijon.
You can always show them my photo album to give them ideas about what to see. http://tinyurl.com/okerl and also the TO video http://tinyurl.com/6fpt66t
Mar 9th, 2011, 08:15 AM
#18
I'm a huge Colette fan and have been to the castle that is the Colette Museum. The house where she was born, howerver is not public but there is a plaque that reads Colette was born here. In the museum the names of her books are etched on each step. there's a room where they show films that were adapted from her books.
Mar 9th, 2011, 08:15 AM
#19
I'm a huge Colette fan and have been to the castle that is the Colette Museum. The house where she was born, howerver is not public but there is a plaque that reads Colette was born here. In the museum the names of her books are etched on each step. there's a room where they show films that were adapted from her books.
Mar 9th, 2011, 09:53 AM
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We had a great time on a wine tour with Burgundy Discovery. We visited 3 wineries plus lunch with wine. We did fun things like visit the cellars and taste from the barrel,stopped and looked at vines, etc. They will pick you up and drive you around, so you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. The tour guides/owners are a very nice British couple.
We also did the tasting lunch at La Maison et La Table d' Olivier Leflaivre and really enjoyed it. We had nice dinners at Ma Cuisine and Caveau des Arches.
If they enjoy bike riding (casual riding), there are well marked paths and one of our favorite activities was renting bikes in Beaune and riding out along the back roads to the smaller villages.
We also did the tasting lunch at La Maison et La Table d' Olivier Leflaivre and really enjoyed it. We had nice dinners at Ma Cuisine and Caveau des Arches.
If they enjoy bike riding (casual riding), there are well marked paths and one of our favorite activities was renting bikes in Beaune and riding out along the back roads to the smaller villages.
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